Featured Follow the coin theme GAME - ancient edition - post ‘em if you got ‘em

Titus resembles his dad a lot!

next, a Greek person (not god) portrayed on Imperial/provincial Roman coin.

 

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May we consider Greek a Parthian prince who was pro-Roman, had lived in Rome and very probably could speak Greek like Plutarch himself ? After all, Parthian coins are traditionally considered Greek coins.


Trajan, sestertius, rev. REX PARTHIS DATVS / S C. The man standing at the foot of the tribunal is Parthamaspates. He was one of the sons of the Great King Osroes but lived in Rome. When Trajan invaded Mesopotamia, he crowned him King of Parthia, a client-king. But when Trajan decided to withdraw, Osroes' troops returned at once like Talibans and Parthamaspates' pro-Roman regime was toppled. He managed to take refuge in Roman controlled land and was crowned, probably by Hadrian, king of Osrhoene, a buffer-state between the two empires around the city of Edessa (modern Sanliurfa, eastern Turkey).

NEXT : Edessa

 

This one isn't pretty - so I will provide a picture to aid the imagination:



Parthia, Vologases IV, circa AD 147-191, Tetrachalkon AE21, 8.2g, Edessa
Obv: Diademed bust of Vologases IV to left, wearing tiara; behind, B
Rev: Symbol within legend
Ref: Sellwood 84.134; Sunrise -

Next: a Parthian coin

 

This one came with a drawing of the coin.


Parthia, Herat. King Sanabares (c. A.D. 50 - 65) AE Drachm
Obv: Bust left wearing diadem.
Rev: Archer seated right with bow.
Sellwood 93.4-5.

Next: Graphical representation of a coin.

 

Next up: coin referencing a favorite mythological story

 

Perseus defeating Medusa:

Komana, Pontus. Æ 29mm.
Time of Mithradates VI Eupator, circa 105-90 or 90-85 BC.
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena Parthenos to right;
Rev: Perseus standing facing, holding harpa and severed head of Medusa, headless body at feet; KOMA-NΩN across fields, monograms to left and right.
SNG BM Black Sea 1260-1; HGC 7,279.
18.00g, 29mm, 12h.

Next: another coin with mythological story

 

I can’t help but post this stater showing the myth of Europa and her abduction by Zeus in the guise of a bull.


Next: More mythology!

 

PHOENICIA, Tyre. Elagabalus
CE 218-222
AE29, 13.4 gm
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Dido building Carthage; she stands to front before the arched gate of the city, looking left, holding a rule and transverse sceptre; above the gate, a mason at work, [below, a man digging with pick]; murex shell in upper field, palm tree to right
Ref: Rouvier 2375; BMC 409; AUB 245; Price & Trell 748

Next: more mythology

 

The abduction of Proserpina by Hades.

Roman Republic, 44-36 BC
L. Cestius and L. Munatius (duoviri)
Æ30 of Henna, Sicily
L MVNATIVS M CESTIVS, veiled head of Ceres left, wearing grain ear wreath; torch behind / Pluto and Proserpina driving quadriga right; MVN HENNAE above. RPC 661; Calciati 12; SNG ANS -. 16.17g, 30mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

From a private European collection, acquired from Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions.




Next: More mythology.

 

Claudius, Sidon (Phoenicia, today's Sayda in Lebanon).
Obv.: laureate head of Claudius right
rev.: L BΞP (year 162 = 51/2 AD), ΣIΔΩNO[Σ / ΘEAΣ], Zeus as a bull running right carrying Europa on his back.

Europa was a Phoenician princess (claimed by Tyre and Sidon) with whom Zeus fell in love. He took the shape of a bull and (I don't remember why) when the young princess wanted to climb on this bull's back, he rushed to the sea and carried her on his back to Crete. Then, hem... it's the adult part of the legend.

It is today the current 2€ coin of Greece


NEXT : another mythological coin

 

One I hadn't shown before because I've been waiting until I finish a writeup or video. Don't know when that will be... and only a handful of us follow this thread so I'll sneak it in....

Ganymede being abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle!



Next: keep the mythology coming

 

Ganymede!!!!!! You listened to Stephen Fry's Mythos?
Freaking amazing! Nuff said
Late Ketos monster:

Next: more favorite mythological stories

 

The exact details elude me, but Marsyas is seen so often with a wine-skin over his shoulder that there's gotta be an associated myth.

Oddly, I don't think I've seen a coin with the Flayed Marsyas, or the Panpipe Marsysas which are both heavily represented in statuary.


Next: Coin representing a still-extant statue.

 

Octavian (not Augustus yet), denarius, Rome or somewhere in Italy, 32-29 BC
Obv.: head of diademed Venus right
rev.: CESAR DIVI F, Octavian in military attire standing left bare feet, holding transverse spear or sceptre and extending right arm.


Augustus of Prima Porta, statue discovered in Livia's estate at Prima Porta (Rome) in 1863.
This statue is a marble version, sculpted between 20 BC and 29 AD, of a type that was created in the first years of Augustus' regime. The original statue must have been in bronze, probably slightly different from marble versions. For ex., no need of the little cupid on dolphin that was added to the marble statue to reinforce the right leg. But it is important: it is a reminder that the imperator, as Divus Julius' son, is the descendent of Venus. The coin, with Venus on obverse, is a traditional Julius denarius after all, claiming the gens is of Venus descent.

I am convinced there is a direct link between this denarius and the prototype of the Prima Porta Augustus. The emperor's attitude is roughly the same, especially the fact that he wears military attire but is bare feet. Though the Prima Porta marble version was actualized by figuring on the cuirass the Parthians giving back Crassus' standards, an event that took place in 20 BC, I am convinced the prototype was older and even predates 27 BC when Caesar Jr received the name of Augustus.

NEXT : another still existing statue

 

Amazing coin. The pose is slightly different, but I'll chalk that to artistic freedom. It's long been known that the left hand of the marble held a bronze item of some sort, and your coin shows that well.

 

Here are two coins of Mercury leaning over a rock/omphalos/other object, doing *something*



Prototype would appear to be this extant marble copy:



NEXT: a coin with an 100% identified statue

 

THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla
AE 30 mm, 12.34 gm
Obv: AVT K M AVPH ANTΩNINOC; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield
Rev: OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛI / AC; dancing satyr right, naked, clasping hands with seated female figure left, dressed in full skirt.
Ref: Varbanov 5189 var. (obv. legend).

The reverse copies this Hellenistic statue, "The invitation to the dance".


The above statue is reconstructed from fragments.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure...-assumed-ancient-motif-made-of_fig3_297438520

Next: another coin/statue match

 

Madurai Nayakas Sri Vira coin from the 1500s depicting the goddess Meenakshi standing in her sanctum holding a parrot.

Next, Someone holding a bird other than an eagle.

 

Venus is often depicted holding a dove.


Early fifth-century BC statue of Aphrodite from Cyprus, showing her wearing a cylinder crown and holding a dove. Neues Museum, Berlin.


Faustina II, AD 147 – 175.
Roman AR denarius, 3.36 g, 17.0 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 161 – 163.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: VENVS, Venus standing left, holding dove in right hand and vertical scepter in left hand.
Refs: RIC 730; BMCRE 167-68; RSC/Cohen 255; Strack 520i; RCV 5266; CRE 236: MIR 32-4/10a.

Next: More Venus.

 

JULIA SOAEMIAS, mother of Elagabalus. AR Denarius (18mm, 2.87 gm).
Obverse..IVLIA SOEMIAS AVG, draped bust right.
Reverse..VENVS CAELESTIS, Venus standing left, holding apple/pomegranite and sceptre; star in left field.
RIC IV 241; BMCRE 45; RSC 8.


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