Mother and Child Reunion: Roman Republican Medusa and Pegasos

When I came across this unusual Roman Republic coin, I just had to have it because first, I thought it looked gorgeous, and second, I enjoy mythological types, and this one had two neat (and related) ones on either side.

On the obverse is the winged head of a 'beautiful Medusa' in profile, quite different from the fanged, monstrous face with protruding tongue and staring eyes that we're used to seeing on the Gorgoneion coins. The 'beautiful Medusa' is a later, Classical Period invention, and one not commonly seen on ancient coins.

The reverse shows Pegasos, one of the two children of Medusa, bearing on its back the hero Bellerophon, thus bringing together on a coin what would otherwise have been a difficult m̶o̶n̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ mother and child reunion because, as the myth goes, Pegasos sprang forth from the neck stump of a decapitated Medusa .

Feel free to share your Pegasos and Medusa coins!


ROMAN REPUBLIC
C. Cossutius C.f. Sabula
AR Denarius
3.86g, 18.6mm
Rome mint, 72 BC
Babelon Cossutia 1; Sydenham 790; Crawford 395/1.
O: SABVLA, Head of Medusa left.
R: Bellerophon on Pegasos right, brandishing spear in right hand; below, L COSSVTI C F; behind, IIII.

Notes: It's not known why these mythological types were chosen by C. Cossutius Sabula for his coins, but one is always free to speculate. Given the dating of this issue to the early years of the third and final Mithridatic War (73 - 63 BC), and Mithridates's own large series of coins portraying the Roman Republic as a decapitated Medusa, perhaps this was the young moneyer's tongue-in-cheek response embracing the idea of Roma as Medusa. Or, maybe the guy just liked old Greek legends .

 

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Beautiful coin and quite a surprisingly lovely Medusa as well!!

That's an RR coin I would LOVE to own!!

My sole 'type' is a 'GORGON':

 

that's a sweet republican Z! the medusa has fantastic details, and the pegasus with the little dude is pretty awesome. i don't have a pretty medusa, i have a pontos gorgon head somewhere. this is my only pegasus coin....

 

Well...this coin just went on the wishlist.

All I can say is: Damn!

 

I need a thesaurus to find new words for this coin's awesomeness!

Great pickup, Z!!

 

That's a pretty nice RR coin. Only wish I could afford an example as nice but they will remain at window shopping status. lol

I only have one RR bronze and that's it. No Pegasus or Medusa coins either. Oh well, I totally crapped out on this one. lol

 

Thanks, folks! This is definitely one of my favourite pickups so far this year and it's spurred a bit of a hunt for Medusa/Pegasos types. I have a few more in the mail but this one is by far the nicest.

I really should get myself a Gorgoneion coin... don't know why I haven't.

@chrsmat71 - I like that Samosata provincial!

 

Now that is a phat coin. Not everyday do you see a pretty Medusa.

 

Outstanding and one belongs in my collection. In the meantime:

Domitian:


L.CORNELIUS LENTULUE & C.CLAUDIUS MARCELLUS ROMAN REPUBLIC

 

Total awesomeness Z, super details love it, i only have the head of Medusa.


Well her head is in hand, body gushing blood!!

 

I just noticed your link zumbly and checked it out....I was still lamenting the sale and 'loss' of my coins when you guys ran that thread...

I NEVER noticed the type before and now I HAVE to score one too... so cool, the headless Medusa......

 

Well now, that's one stunning coin. Holy Moley.

Anyone notice the resemblance to Elvis?

Thank you, thank you very much.

 

I called my wife over to show her it looked like Elvis! Glad I am not alone.

 

there's also the lucius plautius plancus

 

oh, also caracalla and septimius severus with medusa heads are well known and super expansive.

 

Zumbly, I want one of those Elvis-Medusas! Added to the never-ending list.

I do have a few other types to contribute though.


Roman Imperatorial
moneyer L. Plautius Plancus, 47 BCE
AR Denarius, 3.79 gm
Obv: L. PLAVTIVS; facing mask of Medusa, serpents at either side of face
Rev: PLANCVS; Aurora flying right and conducting the four horses of the sun. Banker's mark in left field.
Ref: Plautia 15b Sear 429, Cr453/1b; Syd 959a.
formerly slabbed by NGC, XF, strike 5/5, surfaces 3/5, cert # 2400920-14

Two Pontos, Amisos bronzes with the wonderfully gory reverse scene of Perseus holding the recently decapitated head of Medusa, complete with gushing blood:



One of my earliest ancient coin purchases and a favorite, this Corinth stater with Pegasus:

CORINTHIA, Corinth.
345-307 BCE
AR stater, 8.65 gm
Obv Pegasus flying left, qoppa below
Rev: helmeted head of Athena left wearing necklace; head of Silenus behind
Ref: Ravel 1046. Calciati 408. Scarce variety.

 

Super cool TIF!!!

If you get divorced, let me know!!! Or Is Steve first on the list???

 

On earlier coins, we sometimes see Medusa morphing into other godly figures too, such as Apollo and Helios.

On this Seleukos I bronze she's morphing into Alexander the Great (not my coin - from CNG's sale records):


Elvis was probably a natural progression:

 

Very jealous of your Plautius Plancus! I'm still looking for mine.... they don't come looking better than yours. Very nice one too, Brass.

 

I do like how he calls me Princess... but I am quite happily not married. I don't have to share my coins .