MYSIA. Cyzicus. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Hexassarion (Orichalcum, 34 mm, 25.61 g, 7 h), Philographes, archiereus, circa 147-161. AY KAI TI AI AΔPI ANTΩNEINOC Bare-headed and draped bust of Antoninus Pius to right, seen from behind. Rev. EΠI APXIEPE ΦΙΛΟΓPAΦOY KYZIKHNΩN - NEOKOPΩN Zeus, with features of Marcus Aurelius Caesar, seated left, holding Nike in his right hand and spear in his left. RPC IV.2 online 11727 (this coin). SNG Paris -. SNG von Aulock -. Von Fritze -. Unique. A beautifully patinated coin with a splendid portrait. Minor smoothing on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.


What makes this impressive coin particularly interesting is that neither the archiereus Philographes nor the reverse type have been attested so far in the coinage of Cyzicus. The obverse die was also used on a number of unsigned issues (RPC IV.2 online 666, 673, 2505 and 9437), as well as on two coins signed by the magistrate Aulos (RPC IV.2 online 668 and 7139), indicating that it was in service over a longer period of time - perhaps due not in small part to the fineness of the portrait, which was undoubtedly cut by a skilled, and thus probably expensive, artist. The reverse of our coin shows Zeus Nikephoros seated to the left, but his surprisingly juvenile and curly head shows a rather apparent assimilation of the Caesar Marcus Aurelius to the father of the gods.