My interest in ancient anchors is related to my cast bronze collection. I purchased an uncia from Hatria with an anchor on one side and HAT on the other. Aes Grave Uncia, Hatria, 280 BC (275 – 225 BC) Obv – Anchor, some coins have an H to the right of the anchor Rev – HAT surrounding a mark of value, one dot. Some coins have TAH on reverse. I found 17 examples on line. See statistics below. Wt = 31 grams; avg wt = 31 g; Min wt = 20.4; Max wt = 50.4; StDev = 6.8 Diameter = 31.5 max and 30.2 min & 7.3 mm thick; avg = 31 mm; Min = 29; Max = 34; StDev = 1.8 Die axis = 12; of the 13 coins I found on line 13 had a die axis of 12 and one had an axis of 6. This is consistent with other aes grave coins I have. TV – 186 V – 242 HNI – 16 Syd AG – 191 Haberline plate 16, # 13 - 16 I normally do a bit of research before buying a coin and a bit more after the fact. Die rotation is one of the attributes I track. Most cast bronze from Italy have a die rotation of 0o (or 12 o’clock), the second most common rotation is 180 o (or 6 o’clock), and all other positions are less common. I could not tell die rotation for this coin without knowing how the anchor (anker in German) should be viewed. It looks to me that the direction an anchor points on an ancient coin changes. I am not an expert on ancient anchors, but have handled many Widow’s Mites. Most of these coins are shown with an “inverted” anchor, or the coin is minted with the point to the top of the coin. Note – inverted is David Hendin’s description of the anchor. By 210 BC, bronze coins were struck. The following As has an anchor on the reverse. Roman Republic, AE, struck As, anonymous, 209 – 208 BC Obv – head of Janus, above mark of value – I Rev – Prow R, above mark of value – I, before anchor, in ex – ROMA with archaic A (v pointing down) Cr 50/3 Syd – 145 34.99 g, About the same time, the Romans put an anchor on the reverse of the denarius. In this case the anchor is sideways, but has a connecting circle at both ends. Roman Republican Denarius circa 209-208 BC, Rome Obv - Helmeted head of Roma r.; behind, X. Rev - The Dioscuri galloping r.; below, anchor. In exergue, ROMA in partial tablet. 3.72 grams Crawford 50/2. Sydenham 144. Russo RBW 186. Rare. Toned. Very Fine. Note that the later anchor denarius has a circle connection only on the end opposite the V. I have seen two of the following coins with an anchor. Both are point up. Mine has no eyelets for an attachment rope. A second coin of the same type has connecting circles at both ends. Roman Republican Denarius, L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, 90 BC, Rome Obv – head of Apollo R, before letter, behind anchor Rev – galloping horseman R, holding palm branch, above V, below L.PISO.FRVGI Cr 340/1 You can see a few more coins on my blog http://rrdenarius.blogspot.com/
Do you have any idea why these Chelys/lyres on the reverse of an Ionian obol issue are sometimes called collapsible anchors(on Wildwinds) as an alternate possibility? Being an anchor collector maybe you would have an idea?
I do not know, but the lyre looks a bit like Selucid anchors in the coin below sold by CNG (not mine) -
Here is another "inverted anchor": Thrace, Apollonia Pontika 3.29g 13mm Obv: Gorgoneion Rev: Anchor, crayfish in left fluke, A in right fluke I read a theory that anchors are often stored on the side of ships in this position because the flukes are easy to attach to hooks that way. In modern times we expect to see an anchor with the heavy part down at the bottom of the water because we are more likely to see a drawing of how an anchor works than to see an actual anchor hanging around. I have Seleukid coins with an anchor symbol. The anchor is either inverted or on its side.
Very timely post, considering I just won an Apollonia Pontika drachm (my first Greek!) and was wondering about this. And the lyres just look like lyres to me.
I know i'm off topic. I'm new and I was wondering if one of you nice members can show me how to start a new post.
Go to the forum home page (e.g. if you want ancients: https://www.cointalk.com/forums/ancients/ ) and look for the button labeled "post new thread" just above the list of posts, on the right.
On the following republican example there is a dolphin wrapped around it but the anchor is downwards. L Papius Denarius Serratus Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, Dolphin wrapped around anchor. Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, Hippocamp Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79. Reference(s) – RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311. Symbol variety – RRC -. Babelon -. BMCRR -. Martin
And on the following Seleukos I Tet it is upwards Alexander the Great, Alexander III Obv:– Head of (Alexander the Great as) Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress knotted at base of neck Rev:– BASILEOS ALEXANDPOY, Zeus seated left, holding eagle in right hand and scepter in left, Anchor, EP monogram in left field, HD monogram beneath throne Minted in Marathus mint.c. 323-300 BC (Price) Reference:– Price 3438. Now attributed to Babylonia, Uncertain Mint 6A - SC 67.5b minted 311-305 BC by Seleukos I - refer Seleucid Coins (Houghton and Lorber)
Nice subject and great coins @rrdenarius ! I always wondered the same, but felt that if the anchor was deployed, it was in one direction; if stored, then hung on a rack in anpther direction... or just laid on deck and it can be any direction you want it to be! A few of mine: PARTHIA Orodes II 57-37 BC AR Drachm 18mm 3.3g - killed Crassus pour gold - Ekbatana l stars cresnt Arsakes bow anchor Sell48.9 RR Anon AE As 211-206 BC sextantal Janus Prow Anchor (to right in rev) Sear 628 Cr 50-3 Apollonia Pontica Thrace AR Diobol 1-3g 410-323 BCE Apollo-Anchor crab A Tupalov 56 - 2 out of 3: Hooks pointing down, or I assume in a stored position.
Ed may have something on this. I dont really know how the ancients stored or secured their anchors but it may very well have been inverted for whatever reason. I was in the Navy and have seen countless ships from around the world. Anchors were never secured inverted, but I would assume maybe that is how it was done in the past.
I like Ed's theory but will add this: Anchors do not sit "upright" on the sea floor. They dig in with the spikes and if viewed from the ship, they would appear to be "upside down" relative to how we generally see anchors depicted. They would look like the inverted anchors. So... why is having the heavy part depicted at the bottom thought to be "correct" in the first place? Perhaps it's just a design preference.
I did a quick search and found a lot of bunk about inverted anchors and nothing I could really verify. One theory which might hold is that at the end of a workday sailors would invert the anchor on the bow (supposedly to indicate work was done). If that is true then it may be possible this is how most people would have seen anchors in ancient times. One would have to do some actual research with (gads) books to find the answer. Not enough interest for me though.
