I recently picked this up while looking for an exhibit worthy illustration coin. [I'm seeking a few good Roman & Greek examples of classical horseback portrayal for an exhibit on the coins & medals showing St. George slaying the dragon.] Condition isn't wonderful, but I hope to look half as good at the same age! Even if I do have a notch missing. I'm tentatively ID'ing this as SEAR 6256: S. Severus obverse, reverse showing horseback rider proceding to the right with arm raised under "Adventvs Felicissimo" (a very happy arrival). More details on that legend here: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/PROFECTIO/ADVENTVS.html What really stood out to me is the story of which triumph this apparently illustrates (and how the reverse design just happens to reinforce a story about the emperor's actions). Apparently, Severus had similar coins made for several of his triumphal processions. There's some debate about which victory was number VII, but after he defeated the pretender to the throne Clodius Albinus at the battle of Lugdunum, Emperor Severus reportedly had the body of Albinus laid out to trample under the feet of his horse. After that, he beheaded the corpse and then threw the headless body into a river along with various murdered family members. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clodius_Albinus One might suppose that Albinus angered the Emperor somewhat.
On this sestertius all legends are almost entirely rubbed-off (but I like it for his semi-precious stone patina). It's IMP VIII and not literally a triumph, just an adventus : the ceremonial entry of the Emperor in Rome. For a triumph, the emperor should be standing in a chariot. For a mere adventus, he is on horseback. This ceremonial entry occurred in 196, Severus was back from the Orient where he had conquered his opponent Pescennius Niger, governor of Syria who claimed the empire against him and, after this, made an expedition in North Mesopotamia so the Parthians would know who's boss in Rome. The Marcus Aurelius bronze statue who is in the middle of the Capitol Piazza in Rome (it remained free-standing in Rome for 18 centuries and nobody stole it or destroyed it! Now it's a copy, the real one is in the museum just next to the piazza) is also an adventus statue. It is on the Italian 50 cents coins...
For Greek you might consider some of the types from Phillip, though the one I attached has a disproportionately small rider!
Actually, this might suit you even better: IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Circa 300 BC. AR Attic Octobol (5.41 gm). Isagoras, magistrate. Rider with lance on horseback prancing right / Bull butting left; magistrate ISAGORAS, Greek "Z" below; all within circular maeander pattern. Kinns, Magnesia -; BMC Ionia -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Kayhan -. Good VF, some light porosity. ($300)
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIII - Laureate head right REVERSE: ADVENTI FELICISSIMO, Severus on horseback right raising hand Struck at Rome, 196 AD 3.4g, 17mm RIC 74, S 6256, C 6
Thanks for all the great suggestions for horsebacked / spear wielding ancients. For a similar theme, I also picked up a Magnentius AE24mm follis weighing 4.6g recently. The seller's pics came out better than my own (trying out a new Oukitel 16 camera with 30mp infrared camera... but either its software or lens isn't up to par with the Samsung s10 I usually use - except in pure dark situations):
Beautiful coins posted! This is probably my favorite horseback theme ancient coin, purchased from Harlan Berk back in the 1990s when a hoard appeared on the market, as is often the case with these coins. Bactria Eukratides I, AR tetradrachm, 171-135 BC. 17.0 grams