I'd post this in General Discussion, but none of you guys go down there. My wife bought me a fish tank kit for Christmas. Fortunately I got some very good advice from the pet store and things seem to be going well. I did have an algae bloom over the last few weeks and everything in the tank was covered with greenish-brown slime. So the woman at the pet store suggested I get some Otocinclus catfish, and within three days they've scoured the thing practically spotless... I'm slowly going to add more plants and remove the rocks, and hopefully in a year I'll have a nice jungle going on. At any rate, in order to make this coin-related, post some fish, or plants, or rocks. Tritatemorion of Kyzikos with a tuna...
Okie dokie (the colloquialism, not the CoinTalk member) ARKADIA, Psophis 450-30 BCE AR obol, 10 mm, 0.69 gm Obv: forepart of Kerynitian hind right Rev: fish right, O above, archaic psi below, all within circle incuse Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 1680 (same dies). Rare. ex Frank James Collection ex CNG ex BCD Collection SICILY, Selinos. Circa 410 BCE AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right Ref: HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare. ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich; ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404; ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript. KYRENAIKA, Barke 480-450 BCE AR hemidrachm, 13 mm, 1.57 gm Obv: silphium plant Rev: head of Zeus Ammon right within linear frame, B A P K around Ref: Müller MAA 301. Very rare.
Wow, those are excellent coins, TIF. Any idea what the fish on the Psophis obol is? Almost looks like a Coelacanth.
I've wondered if it was meant to be a representation of a specific fish but haven't found any clear info. It does look coelacath-ish but those aren't found in the area. I'll keep looking
Actually, the Selnos litra is the perfect coin for this thread: plant, rock, fish. That nymph would have made a fine aquarium keeper.
MYSIA AR Hemiobol OBVERSE: Forepart of running boar left, tunny fish behind upward REVERSE: Head of roaring lion left within incuse square, star above Struck at Kyzikos, 480-450BC 0.41 g, 9.5 mm Sear 3850 APOLLONIA PONTICA AR Drachm OBVERSE: Gorgoneian facing with snakes for hair and a protruding tongue REVERSE: An anchor flanked by letter A and a crayfish, which represents the minting city of Apollonia, the major fifth century BC Greek colony on the west coast of the Black Sea, modern Sozopol in Bulgaria Struck at Apollonia 450-400 BC 3.13g, 14-15mm BMC IX, Black Sea 150-151 THRACE, PANTIKAPAION AE21 OBVERSE: Head of Pan left REVERSE: Roaring lion's head left; fish below Struck at Pantikapaion 400-300BC 5.3g, 21mm SNG BMC Black Sea 883
Alas, no plant, rock or fish...unless you count the 'dolphin' i almost won on bid...so i guess I'll have to wait until the 'theme' is horses or dogs (actually a wolf).... TIF, those coins are fantastic!!!
Oh yeah, I forgot about the 'Gorgon' and 'Anchor' and we all love crayfish, right ?? .....so here it is, just so as not to be excluded...I'll let the Anthony legio pass this time...I posted it twice already
Yeah, dolphins are fine. Not fish, but they swim in the water. Are there any ancient coins with whales on them?
Huh, how did I miss the opportunity to highlight all three on one coin?! Thanks for catching that I will amend.
That is due to the prohibition of graven images on coinage of the Jews. Pontius Pilate was hated by many simply for his placing a Roman Lituus on a Jewish coin.
Yeah, pretty stupid of him calling out the fact he was ethnically different than most Jews, and then defiling their temple with this fact.