Obviously, the die-engraver had never seen the real animal

Sometimes, die-engravers did a pretty good job and it's clear they were familiar with the animal they were portraying:




But other times, it's clear the die-engraver had no experience with the real creature they were tasked with portraying.

Look at the legs, for example, on this crocodile. The die engraver thinks crocodiles had dog-like legs!



Real crocs:



And it's pretty clear that this English die-engraver had never seen an actual elephant:



Post your examples of such animals on coins!

 

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I think it would be great fun to assemble "Least Realistic Animal" sets. Elephants alone would require an elephantine budget!

Here's an eagle impersonating a chicken:


Marcus Aurelius
posthumous issue struck under Commodus in CE 180
sestertius; 27 mm, 22.8 gm. Rome
Obv: DIVVS M ANTONINVS PIVS, bare head right
Rev: CONSECRATIO / S-C, eagle with spread wings on globe, facing, head left
Ref: RIC 656 (Commodus)

A hippo which is certainly not the worst in terms of realism but it is still funny:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Tiberius
Year 5, CE 18/9
AE obol, 20 mm, 4.45 gm
Obv: bare head right
Rev: hippopotamus right; TIBEPIoY above; [L] E in exergue
Ref: Emmett 62.5, R1; Geissen 47; Dattari-Savio 102 (this coin); RPC 5082
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)

 

but then, you have to wonder if the die engraver had seen a dragon, its pretty accurate. On the otherhand, he certainly mistook an eagle for a chicken. But these are still my most prized coins... from Transylvania.

 

Either a really nice rooster, or a really bad peacock...


JULIA DOMNA
AR Denarius. 2.43g, 19mm. Laodicea ad Mare mint, AD 200-207. RIC IV 640 var. (peacock); BMCRE V 602 var (same). O: IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right. R: IVNO REGINA, Juno standing front, holding patera in right hand and sceptre in left; on left, in front of her, rooster (??) standing left.
Ex A.K. Collection (Triton XX, 9 Jan 17, Part of Lot 614)

 

LOL!!! I love it! Here's my example on which the peacock is only slightly more artistically rendered:

 

In art, realism and photographic rendition are not always the first considerations. We also have to allow for the fact that many animals as we know them today have changed in the time since these coins were made. I have no idea what the elephants looked like then and how many subspecies have fallen away since. Add to that, the fact that I can't draw and I am less critical of some of the coin animals.




These two hippos were cut by the same mint at about the same time. Did two cutters argue over what they saw at the games?

 

My Crock has it's teeth outwards, so I guess some engraver thought crocs gum you to death.


Augustus, with Agrippa (27. B.C. 14 A.D.)
GAUL, Nemausus
Æ As
O: Heads of Agrippa left, wearing rostral crown and laurel wreath, and Augustus right, wearing oak wreath, back to back. IMP above, DIVI F below.
R: Crocodile right chained to palm branch with long vertical fronds; above, wreath with long ties, palms below; COL NEM flanking vertical palm.
Nemausus mint, 9-3 B.C
10.26g
27mm
RPC I 524; RIC 1 158

 

The Phoenicians must have had a great many species of eagles, as the reverse of the shekel of Tyre seems to periodically change the bird. There is the 117 BC Eagles, Eagle, the 86 BC Penguin eagle, the 80 BC American Eagle, the extremely rare 46 BC Winston Churchill eagle, the equally rare 28 BC baby eagle, the 10 BC banded John Travolta eagle, the 36 AD all head and no body eagle and lastly, the very rare 65 BC Donald Trump eagle.

 

How about Hercules slaying the Nemean Bunny Rabbit? Caracalla, Blaundos Lydia, AE32.

 

those took my breath away again. thanks for sharing these 2 coins.

 

Elagabalus Eagle on Antioch AR Tet:





The bottom part of the eagle is a bit weird, and the feet are too big...

 

Ha brilliant! That croc and elephant in the OP is particularly hilarious

Great coins!

 

Melania Trump is a better looker, then either Liz Taylor or the real Cleopatra VII! Esp. for her age.

 

Before I read the caption I thought to my self "Why is Herakles clubbing a poor bunny?" Fantastic coin!

 

You'd also think they never saw other people as well:


Britain, The Iceni, 65 – 1 BC
Silver Unit, 13mm, 1.25 grams

Obverse: Celticized head right, two trefoils before, triple pellets below.
Reverse: Horse rearing right, pellet below tail, wheel above, lozenge shaped box below.

Cost:
£15

References:
Van Arsdell 794 // ABC 2567 // SCBC 434

Provenance:
Purchased at the London Coin Fair, mid 1990’s.

 

Answer: Rabbit makes for fine dining. My favorite dish is roast rabbit (the domestic ones like flemish giants) Wild ones are good too but taste gamey if they feed on cedar.
Rottie "ridin" a Flemish Giant Wabbit.

 

I hate to be too obvious, but...

I give you our nation's symbol: The broad-winged chicken!