At 39mm this is the largest of a series of five bronze coins of different denominations probably issued for a local games held in honour of Antinous, who had died on the Nile in mysterious circumstances in four years earlier.
The coins carry the name of a Betoypio (Vetourios) who is otherwise lost to history. To the reverse is a horse – probably a reference to a track in Mantinea where races were held in honour of Antinous.
With its olive-green patina, this is ‘by far the finest of the four recorded examples’ of this issue. It sold for £22,000 at Roma Numismatics on October 8.
