IONIA. Ephesus. Hadrian, 117-138. Cistophorus (Silver, 26 mm, 9.31 g, 6 h). HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P Bare head of Hadrian to right; on neck, countermark of P (?). Rev. [I]OVIS OLYMPIVS Zeus seated left, holding Nike in his right hand and scepter in his left. Metcalf -, cf. 13 (differing obverse legend). RPC II 1339A. Very rare with this obverse legend. Some scuffs and scratches and with traces of overstriking, otherwise, very fine.


Enough of the undertype remains visible to reveal that this coin was overstruck on a cistophorus of Augustus with a capricorn on the reverse (e.g. RPC I 2205, 2208, 2211 or 2213): one can still see part of the wreath, some of the legend and the end of the tail left of Zeus' chest on the reverse