I was thinking to start a new game that hopefully might be fun. I have no idea if someone did this ever before on the forum, but it sounds fun to me. I called it "guess the portrait", and as you could have guessed, someone will post just the portrait side of the coin and everyone has to guess who it is. I will explain more to that in a bit! I decided to do this is for all ancient coins, I first wanted to exclude Roman imperials (and provincial) as it is just a totally other piece of cake compared to Greek and Roman Republican, but to enjoy some variety in the game, all ancient coins can be posted (but let's do keep it varied ). Now to how this game works: Someone posts only the side of the coin that has the portrait without any description or whatsoever (Post only the side of the portrait, since if both sides of the coins are posted it is a lot easier to guess). Someone posts in respond to this coin and guesses who is portrayed on the coin. If the person who posted the coin portrait sees the right answer, he/she will quote him/her and says that person got it and will post the full coin with description. The person who got it right posts the next portrait coin. NOTE: If you are guessing who is portrayed on the coin, and you know 100% sure that your answer is correct. You post the full coin with description yourself (either from your own collection if you have it or from the internet) and then continue to post the next portrait coin, without having to wait for confirmation that it is correct. The other person can always post his full coin with description later on. Some other notes: If after 12h the portrait is still not guessed, the person needs to start giving hints/tips, or perhaps show the whole coin to make it easier. Also, if people are guessing and after 24h the person still does not respond if any answer is correct or wrong, someone random can place a new portrait coin. This to prevent the game from stopping when someone is inactive for a longer time. Let's make an example Person 1: Guess who this is! Person 2: That is Herakles! Person 3: No that is Apollo! Person 4: This must be Perseus! Person 1: [Quotes Person 4] That is correct! Mithridates VI Amisos, Pontos Bronze Coin (80 - 70 B.C) Obverse: Head of Perseus right, wearing Phrygian helmet. Reverse: AMIΣOY, Pegasus grazing or drinking left, monograms below and left. Reference: SNG BM Black Sea 1213-7; 11.01g; 23mm Person 4: [Posts next portrait coin]. OR Person 1: Guess who this is! Person 2: That is Herakles! Person 3: No that is Apollo! Person 4: This 100% must be Perseus! I recognize it since I got the same type in my collection! (Just a random coin from the internet to show as example) PONTOS. Amisos. Time of Mithradates VI Eupator, circa 85-65 BC. AE (Bronze, 23 mm, 12.83 g, 1 h). Head of Perseus to right, wearing Phrygian helmet. Rev. AMIΣOY Pegasos grazing left; to left and below, two monograms. HGC 7, 239. SNG BM Black Sea 1213-14. A very well centered and sharply struck example. Nearly extremely fine. and then: [Posts next portrait coin]. ----------------------------- I hope you all like this idea, if you have any suggestions please let me know! I will start with the first coin, who is this?
Good point. I was just looking through my coin pictures to see which ones might be suitable for this thread and most are too easy unless everything is painted out except for the portrait-- but in some instances that makes it very difficult.
True that some portraits can be relatively easy, especially in Roman imperials/provincials when the emperor's name is clearly written on it. However, you can always try to hide this by using paint or something, if you want to make it more challenging, I think that is a quite good idea. I'm also sure some can be more difficult than you think, even when I look in my own small collection there are still some quite challenging ones. On the end it's just a game for fun where trying is never wrong and sometimes you just need to guess when you are not so sure if it is correct . If Zeus is not correct, you can always try Poseidon etc. That is right Mysia, Pergamon. Asklepios bronze coin. (133–27 B.C.) Obverse: Laureate head of Asklepios right Reverse: Serpent entwined around staff of Asklepios. ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ. Reference: SNG von Aulock 1373, SNG Cop. 370-376. 4.03g; 15mm You are next.
I knew there was a snake around there somewhere....Thats a lovely coin! Ok here's the next...Good luck all!
Good shout @Yorkshire ...The floor is yours Vardanes I (40-47 AD) AE Chalkous 11mm/1.8gr.. Obverse- Bust left with short beard, wearing diadem and spiral torque; hair in three distinct waves with earring visible; diadem pendants shown as three lines; circular border of pellets. Reverse- Monogram ΜΤΘ; legend as dashes Mint- Mithradatkart-Near modern Askabad in Turkmenistan. Ref- Sellwood 64 type variant (ΜΤΘ monogram) This is quite a rare type
Thats a difficult portrait @Yorkshire, but I think it is even more difficult because of the condition. Let's keep the condition of the coin atleast minimally around very fine (yes that's kind of vague). The whole portrait has to be visible and distinct features of the portrait have to be recognizable, this so the condition should not make the portrait guessing significantly more difficult.
@shanxi... yeh I was thinking Demeter too but I cant seem to find a head dress with this horn like protrusion? Anyhow I'll go with Demeter.
I would say Tanit, first thought the coin to be of the Iberian Celts, and looked into those but found no resembling coins. Besides, I know of no Iberian coins with female portraits. Greek or Carthage however have female portraits on their coins, and Tanit would be my first guess. Then found this one which looks more or less the same: