Little had been said about sacred stones of ancient times. So far we know about the Omphalos that figures with Apollo on reverse of ancient Greek coins. We also remember Phoenix on the sacred stone during the Roman Constantine Dynasty. Also Emperor Elagabalus was familiar with the sacred stone of Emesa. The following coin seems to have the sacred stone of Zeus on reverse. It's within a temple on reverse of a bronze coin struck under Emperor Trajan. I wonder if all these sacred stones are the same one which was transmitted through ages from a Dynasty to another. The coin weighs 13 g. Seleucia and Pieria- BMC 40 - SNG Cop 404. Thanks for yous comments.
Here's a nice page about the various "named" sacred stones from ancient times: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/baetyl_coins.html Your coin shows the baetyl of Zeus Kasios in a shrine. Here are a couple of coins showing the sacred stone of Emesa: Elagabalus AR denarius, 19.4 mm, 3.5 gm Antioch, CE 218-219 Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right Rev: SANCT DEO SOLI / ELAGABAL, Quadriga right, bearing sacred baetyl of Emesa, flanked by four parasols Ref: RIC IV 195 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-a-boy-and-his-stone.254886/ SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Emesa. Antoninus Pius Æ24, 12.06 gm, 11h Obv: Laureate head right Rev: Eagle, holding wreath in beak, standing right, head left, on baetyl of El-Gabal Ref: SNG Copenhagen 309 (Γ in right field of rev.); SNG München 811 var. (Є in right field of rev.); BMC 1-7 (various letters on rev.)
I'm not sure if it gets into infamous sacred stones, but Theophrastus' On Stones, is fun to browse through.
Thanks for post I g that link @TIF because I realized I had one of the coins from the article and I never realized Apollo was sitting on a sacred stone! Antiochos I Soter, Seleucid Kingdom; 281-261 BC Æ, 16mm, 4.01 g; 3h; Antioch mint Obv.: Diademed head right Rev.: Apollo Delphios seated left on the Omphalos, holding his bow and examining an arrow; monograms to left and right I just had seated left as the original reverse description.
Cool coin and subject @7Calbrey ! I have Xoana from the time of Hannibal's occupation of Capua... Campania, Capua Æ Semuncia circa 216-211 BCE, Æ 18.4mm., 4.58g. Obv: Bust of Juno r., holding sceptre on shoulder. Rev: KAPV (in Oscan) Two xoana draped. Ref: SNG ANS 215. Historia Numorum Italy 495. Comment: Rare. Green patina. Obv. Slightly double struck Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection. Notes: When Hannibal occupied Capua during the Second Punic War, he worked with the local Aristocracy and promised to make Capua the capital of Italia, and would raze Rome, once he destroyed the Romans. However, history was different from his promises. After the Punic War, Rome confiscated and tried to destroy all Capuan coinage minted during this time. They wanted to destroy any memory of Hannibal, and to further punish Capua. Consequently, Hannibal occupied coinage from Capua seems difficult to find. Xoana definition: Wikipedia explains it well... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xoanon
It is a fascinating story. Embodies the MASSIVE PR campaign that Carthage and Romans were battling in Italia... Carthage / Carthage came from the angle of helping / aiding the Italians, and to entice them away from the Tyranny of Rome, etc.
Wow => congrats on scoring that baby, 7Charles... Ummm, I have a humble, yet cool baetyl example ... wanna see it? Phoenicia, Sidon. AE-23 Year 227 (AD 116-117) Diameter: 23 mm Weight: 10.56 grams Obverse: Turreted, draped and veiled bust of Tyche right, aphlastron behind, star before Reverse: Car of Astarte, baetyl within, date ZKS below Reference: BMC Phoenicia, p. 175, 197ff; SNG Cop 247 Other: 12h … Sweet brown patina
This reverse type: I know what you're thinking--you're thinking Ol' Roman Collector has gone off the deep end--but basically, the three Graces started off as sacred stones. From Pausanias (9.35.1-3; 9.38.1) we know that the Charites (Graces) were believed to have arrived on earth as aeroliths, rocks that fell at the feet of the legendary king, Eteocles. These rocks were in some way associated with water and the fertile prosperity of the city, as were other aniconic rocks worshipped in centers not far from Orchomenus. As were protecting goddesses of the Cephisian waters, the Charites were bound up with the water-based prosperity of Orchomenus. The relevent passages from Pausanias: The Boeotians say that Eteocles was the first man to sacrifice to the Graces. Moreover, they are aware that he established three as the number of the Graces, but they have no tradition of the names he gave them. The Lacedaemonians, however, say that the Graces are two, and that they were instituted by Lacedaemon, son of Taygete, who gave them the names of Cleta and Phaenna. These are appropriate names for Graces, as are those given by the Athenians, who from of old have worshipped two Graces, Auxo and Hegemone. Carpo is the name, not of a Grace, but of a Season. The other Season is worshipped together with Pandrosus by the Athenians, who call the goddess Thallo. It was from Eteocles of Orchomenus that we learned the custom of praying to three Graces. And Angelion and Tectaus, sons of Dionysus, who made the image of Apollo for the Delians, set three Graces in his hand. Again, at Athens, before the entrance to the Acropolis, the Graces are three in number; by their side are celebrated mysteries which must not be divulged to the many. At Orchomenus is a sanctuary of Dionysus, but the oldest is one of the Graces. They worship the stones most, and say that they fell for Eteocles out of heaven. The artistic images were dedicated in my time, and they too are of stone.
