Deities and Personifications A-Z

Perhaps this is the most famous ancient coin.

Athena/Owl Tetradrachm of Athens:

 

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Thanks, LaCointessa! I got that wonderful serrate denarius in November and was absolutely thrilled to nab it

 

My rarest Annona.

Titus
AR Denarius, 3.17g
Rome mint, 79 AD
RIC 2 (R2), BMC (specimen acquired 1934), RSC -
Obv: IMP T CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: ANNONA AVG; Annona std. l., with sack of corn ears

 

Ares? Aphrodite? Anyone? Tomorrow we move on to B.

 

Ares



Amazonian (not really a deity I know)

 

Apollo

 

B now?

 

Here's a weak Aphrodite, "weak" because the identity is not certain. Various sources have called the obverse 1) female head, 2) head of Aphrodite, 3) head of Mytilene, and 4) head of Apollo. I think the latter is definitely wrong. There are many coins of Mytilene with the head of Apollo and the hairstyle is different (a few locks of hair hang down under the "roll"), and there are Mytilene coins with a definite Apollo on one side and a head looking like this one on the other side.

Anyway, my possible Aphrodite:


LESBOS, Mytilene
400-350 BCE
AE14, 1.7 gm
Obv: head of Aphrodite (?) right, wearing stephane
Rev: M-Y, T-I; lyre; tripod (?, looks like an arrow) in left field, monogram in right field
Ref: SG 4272?; may also be MacDonald Mytilene #4.

 

Aegyptos


HADRIAN
AR Denarius. 18 mm, 2.95 gm. struck CE 134-138, Rome
Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right
Rev: AEGYPTOS; Aegyptos reclining left holding sistrum; ibis standing right at feet
Ref: RIC II 297

There are at least a few more "A" deities and personifications owned by CoinTalk members yet unshown. Who has an Abundantia? Aeternitas?

 

Silver antoninianus, SRCV III 9364, RIC IV 10b, RSC IV 2, VF, 4.268g, 22.5mm, 180o, Rome mint, 250 - 251 A.D.; obverse IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, from behind; reverse ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopia held in both hands; scarce;

 

ROMAN EMPIRE, FAUSTINA SR D. 141, DENARIUS
3.09g

Head of Faustina Sr right "DIVA FAVSTINA"

Aeternitas standing left raising right hand and holding a scepter in her left "AETERNITAS"

RSC II 26

 

Great thread idea @Roman Collector!

Aphrodite:

Pamphylia, Magydus. Macrinus AE24. Aphrodite
Obv: Macrinus bust r.
Rev: Aphrodite semi-nude, standing facing, head right, smoothing hair, bird at feet.
SNG Paris 311.


Caria, Knidos. Ae12. Prow over club.
Obv: Head of Aphrodite l., wearing stephane.
Rev: Prow l.; club and magistrate's name below.

Ares:

Thrace, Philippopolis. Domitian AE22. Ares

Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XIIII CENS PERP P, radiate head right.
Rev: ΦIΛIΠΠOΠOΛITΩN, Ares, in full armor, stg. l. with shield at his feet.
Varbanov III, no. 691.

 

Apollo varies quite a bit from one city to another, and also depending on the time period. Here's a little montage I put together specifically for this thread, called Aspects of Apollo...

 

What is your opinion on this coin. Do you think it depicts Apollo?

GAUL Massalia
[Marseilles France]
AR Obol.
3rd Century B.C.
0.74 grams, 11 mm
Obv: Youthful Male Head (of Apollo?)
facing left
Rev: Wheel with 4 spokes, M - A in two
of the quarters
Grade: VF, Reverse nice lustrous tone
& Obverse slightly off center.
Other: From Bruno’s Coins April 2013

 

It's entirely possible that it's a Gaulish manifestation of Apollo, but it could also be local deity unrelated to the Greek pantheon. The problem with nailing anything down with any of the Celtic tribes is that they kept no written records, so everything is guesswork.

 

ARETHUSA:


SYRACUSE 2nd Democr 466-405 BCE Æ Tetras 2.7g 15mm c.425 BCE Arethusa dolphins - Octopus 3 pellets SNG ANS 376 Calciati II.21.1

 

throwing in my APOLLO'S before "A" ends...


Gordian III AR Antoninianus. IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / P M TR P IIII COS II P P, Apollo seated left with branch & lyre.
21.7mm 3.2g
RIC IV 88


Gordian III AR Antoninianus. IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right / P M TR P V COS II P P, Apollo, bare to waist, seated left with branch, resting elbow on lyre.
21.72mm 4.8g
RIC IV 89

 

Here are a couple of my favorite Provincial bronzes for Gordian III (and Tranquilena).

The first as an AE27 of Markianoplis with Athena standing facing left bearing spear and shield and wearing a Corinthian helmet.

The second is an AE24 of Anchialos with Artemis the Huntress standing facing left bearing a bow and what I take for a patera, with a nicely racked stag low to her left.

 

Nobody has yet posted one of these coins for Athena:

THESSALIAN LEAGUE
THESSALI, Larissa
AR Stater, 196-146 B.C.
6.14 grams, 21 mm
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right
crowned with oak
Rev: Athena Itonia advancing right
brandishing a horizontal spear in
right hand and shield in left hand.
ΘΕΣΣΑ to left, ΛΩΝ to right, ΦIΛ-ΩN*
above, and ποΛοΧοΣ below
magistrates Hippolochos and Philon
Grade: Well centered about EF with
gentle toning and attractive
obverse field flow lines.
Other: Good style similar to Sear 2232, BMC 3,34. BCD Thessaly II 869.2
[Double Victoriatus = 1.5 Denarii].
Ex La Galerie Numismatique (Heritage Jan 2013) lot 61035 From Eye-Appealing Coins April 2013

 

Artemis:

Achaea, Arcadia, Caphyae. Septimius Severus Æ22
Obv: Laureate head right.
Rev: KAΦYI ATΩN / Artemis, with veil billowing, running left, head right, holding torch and bow.
22mm., 5.2gm.
BCD Peloponnesos 1385.


Apollo Kitharoedes:

Ionia, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Julia Mamaea AE26.
Obv: IOYLIA MAMAIA CEB. Bust of Julia Mamaea r.
Rev: MAGNHTWN E - PI GRA TYXIK, in l. and r. field O - Y. Apollo Kitharoedes standing r., clad in long chiton, holding lyre and plectrum.
Grammatikos TYXIKOC.


Apollo Lairbenos/Apollo Kitharoedos

Phrygia, Hierapolis. Pseudo-autonomous AE26. Apollo Lairbenos/Apollo Kitharoedos
LAIRBHNO C; Bust of Apollo Lairbenos r., radiate, shoulders draped.
IERAPO LEITWN; Apollo Kitharoedos (Archegetes) in long chiton and mantle, standing r., holding in lowered r. plectrum, and carrying lyre with l.
26mm. 12.0 gm.
Time of Caracalla (?) and later.


Asklepios:

Mysia, Pergamum. Septimius Severus AE18.
Obv: AVT KAI CEBHPOC, laureate head right.
Rev: ΠEPΓAMHNΩN B, Asklepios standing facing, head left, leaning on serpent entwined staff. SNG Cop 496; BMC 310



Wingless Nike? Has to be Aphrodite.

Phrygia, Hieropolis. Nerva Ae16. Wingless Nike
Obv: NEROVAC KAICAP Head of Nerva r.
Rev: IEROPOL I TWN Wingless Nike standing l., holding wreath and palm.
16mm, 2.98g
BMC 12


Asteria:

Syria, Decapolis, Philadelphia. Commodus AE22. Veiled bust of Asteria

Obv: L AVP KOM MODOC KAIC. Draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus as Caesar.
Rev: ΦΙΛ Κ C V ΘΕΑΛΕΤΕΡΙ. Asteria r., draped and veiled with star on top of head.
20mm, 8.6g.
Spijkerman 32. rare

Asteria was the mother goddess of the Tyrian Herakles(Melkart) and both had a special cult in Rabbat Amman(Philadelphia).


Phoebus Apollo:

Thrace, Deultum. Gordian III. Phoebus Apollo
Obv: Gordian bust l., IMP GORDIANVS FEL AVG.
Rev: Phoebus Apollo stg. r., holding branch in l. arm, bow under r., serpent coiled round stump of tree to l., COL FLP A C DEVLTVM.
Varbanov (Eng.) 2617, R5.