Praying to the sun gods

Winter is upon us.
It has been grey and wet the last couple of weeks and I could really use some sunshine. Anyone else feeling that way?

Maybe if we all post our sun gods at the same time we can move the needle ever so slightly =)

Here's my offering, which just arrived in the mail last week:




Caria, Rhodes. 250-229 BC.
AR Didrachm
Obverse: Radiate head of Helios, facing and slightly angled.
Reverse: Rose with bud on right, Athena Nicéphore standing on the left accompanied with the letters P and O.
6.58 g
20.5 mm
12h
Ashton 208 - SNG Keckman 537 - HGC.6/1439
Acquired from Odysseus Numismatics

 

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Gorgeous example! Great centering.

 

I'm actually rather enjoying the rainy weather here in my part of the world, but sure, what the Helios...



And for good measure, let me throw in my little Sol-idus.

 

Bonus points for the clever way you worked that in .

I'll toss in some Greek equivalents too:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 8, 144/5 CE
AE drachm, 32 mm, 22.43 gm, Zodiac series, Helios in Leo
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: Helios (Sun) in Leo: Lion leaping right; above, radiate and draped bust of Helios and six-pointed star; [L H below]
Ref: Köln 1495-6; Dattari (Savio) 2968; K&G 35.278; Emmett 1530.8
Ex Thomas Bentley Cederlind


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 5, CE 141/2
AE drachm, 20 gm
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos (Serapis-Zeus-Ammon-Helios-Poseidon-Nilus) right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident and cornucopia behind; L-Є in right field
Ref: Emmett 1676.5, R1


EGYPT, Alexandria. Lucius Verus
year 4, CE 163/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 13.51 gm
Obv: ΛAVPHΛI OVHPOCCEB; bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust left
Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident behind shoulder; ∆/L in right field
Ref: Emmett 2360 (4), R1; Köln 2148; Dattari (Savio) 9420; K&G 39.77

 

Sol/Helios/Oriens is always there to brighten the day of the ancient coin collector.
Constantine I AE3

Rhodes AE27 c.100 BC


Maximinus Alexandria tetradrachm


Aurelian ae antoninianus

 

..if i received the OP coin, my day would require sunglasses, no matter the weather......here's something that brightens up my cloudy world...

 

Probus, Antoninianus, Serdica mint, Radiate and mantled bust right, holding eagle-tipped scepter/ Rev. Sol in spread Quadriga holding whip, KAΓ in exergue, RIC 861 var.


Antiochus II Theos, 261-246 BC. Tetradrachm (AR, 30 mm, 14.99 g), Seleukeia on the Tigris. Diademed head of Antiochos to right. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ Apollo seated left on omphalos, holding arrow in his right hand and resting his left on grounded bow.

And here’s my favorite photo I took a couple years ago from my hotel in Athens, of Apollo (or Helios) going to sleep for the night over the Acropolis.

 

Three more Sols from Constantine I:

London mint, A.D. 310-312
RIC 177 (var)
Obv: CONSTANTINVS P A-VG
Rev: COMITI AVGG NN - Sol, with whip and globe
PLN in exergue; star in right field
24 mm, 4.1 g.


Cyzicus mint, A.D. 311-312
RIC 92, var.
Obv: IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
Rev: SOLE IN-VICTO - Sol, radiate, wearing long robe and holding head of Serapis
MKV in exergue; Γ in left field
22 mm, 5.4 g.

Ticinum mint, A.D. 312-313
RIC 133
Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
Rev: SOLI INVI-C-TO COMITI - Sol, head facing forward, holding globe in left hand, raising right
ST in exergue
20 mm, 3.8 g.

 

Just remember -- the sun may be invisible ...



... but it remains invincible. Here's Sol Invictus:



Aurelian AD 270-275.
Roman silvered billon Antoninianus, 3.60 gm; 21.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, officina 9, issue 11, early – September AD 275.
Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: ORIE-N-S AVG, Sol walking r., holding olive branch in r. hand and bow in l. hand, l. foot resting on a captive in oriental dress kneeling on the ground to r., head turned l., r. hand raised; * in left field, XXIR in exergue.
Refs: RIC 64; MER/RIC temp 1834; RCV 11569; Hunter 23; Cohen 159; La Venera 1321-32.

 

Haven't seen anyone post a Gallienus yet, so I will
This guy is not pretty by any standards but I like the color and portrait. This guy came out of one of the uncleaned lots I bought when I first started out last year.

Gallienus
AE antoninianus
Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right
Reverse: SOLI INVICTO, Sol standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding globe, right hand raised.

 

Late to the party but here's a Gordie III with Sol!

 

Nice coins. Gloomy and cold here too...

Hadrian with the decapitated heads of the sun and moon.




Sunny Constantine.



And yep, a Gordie too:

 

Excellent portrait of Helios and fun idea.

CARIA. Rhodes.
Drachm (Circa 88-84 BC). Kallixeinos, magistrate. Obv: Radiate head of Helios right.Rev: KAΛΛΙΞΕΙΝ / P - O. Rose with bud right. Control:kerykeion.
Jenkins,GroupE, 244.Condition:Very fine.Weight:1.68 g. Diameter: 14 mm. nearly very fine

 

OP coin is a stunner!
Here's my very first ancient...

Licinius I (RIC VII#155 Arles)-Unlisted AE Follis 20mm/3.43gr (Emperors name Misspelled)
Obverse-IMP LICINVS PF AVG- laureate, cuirassed bust right
Reverse-REV SOLI INVICTO COMITI- Sol standing right, looking left, chlamys across chest and over his left arm, holding globe and raising right hand. C-S across fields
Exergue-PARL- minted 313-318AD Arles

 

Mithras


Bithynia Kios 250 BCE AE11 1.06g Laureate hd Mithra r Kantharos 2 grape bunches hanging K-I below within a wreath SNG Cop 382

 

L. Mussidius Longus, 42 BC, Crawford 494/43a.



Another:



Phil Davis

 

D'OH! How could I forget my glorious Sol of the Sewer? Yours is absolutely marvelous, certainly the best I've seen.


Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome
L. Mussidius Longus, 42 BCE
AR denarius, 18 mm, 3.8 gm. Rome mint.
Obv: Radiate and draped bust of Sol facing
Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina: Circular platform surmounted by two statues of the goddess, each resting right hand on cippus, the platform inscribed CLOAC and ornamented with trellis-pattern balustrade, flight of steps and portico on left; L • MVSSIDIVS • LONGVS around above.
Ref: Crawford 494/43b; CRI 189a; Sydenham 1094a; Kestner 3758-9 var. (CLOACIN); BMCRR Rome 4252-4; Mussidia 7a.
Acquired from Barry Murphy at the 2014 ANA World's Fair of Money, Chicago

 

.it tis a beaut...ahaha...as soon as i saw CLOAC(IN), i thought of yours

 

Perseus Pseudo-Rhodian Drachm Unknown mint in Thessaly. Obv. Head of Helios 3/4 to the right Rv Rose Hermais Magistrate Price Larissa 247 2,63 grms 16 mm Photo by W. Hansen