★ The Herakleopolite nome ★

EGYPT. Alexandria. Hadrian, 117-138. Obol (Bronze, 21 mm, 5.24 g, 12 h), Herakleopolite nome, RY 11 = 126/7. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹЄΒ Laureate head of Hadrian to right, with slight drapery on his left shoulder. Rev. ΗΡΑΚ L IA Herakles-Heryshef standing front, head to left, holding small griffin (Petbe) in his right hand and club in his left. Dattari (Savio) 6259. Emmett 1237.11. K&G N16.17. RPC III online 6374.28 ( this coin ). Very rare. Slightly rough, otherwise, nearly very fine.

From the collection of Eric ten Brink and that of a historian ('Aus der Sammlung eines Altertumswissenschaftlers'), Künker 347, 22 March 2021, 108, previously privately acquired in January 1982.

This coin forms part of the 'nome coinage', struck under several emperors starting from Domitian and ending with Antoninus Pius. The division of Egypt into nomes (smaller districts) had its roots in the pharaonic administration, but continued to be used in the Graeco-Roman period. On the reverse of the obols struck by Hadrian (probably for the emperor's decennalia), the respective nomes are identified through the legend and a local deity is depicted.

This coin was struck for the Herakleopolite nome, located in Middle Egypt, and shows its eponymous deity, Herakles, on the reverse, who was equated with the Egyptian Heryshef. The latter was worshipped as a fertility god, but also as a deity of battle, and thus formed a fitting counterpart for the Greek hero. He is shown holding a small griffin, which represents Petbe, an Egyptian god of vengeance who punished evildoers for their injustice.