BRUTTIUM, Kaulonia AR Stater. 7.97g, 21.8mm. BRUTTIUM, Kaulonia, circa 475-425 BC. SNG ANS 180; Noe, Caulonia 93; HN Italy 2046. O: KAVΛ, Apollo, naked, advancing right, holding a branch in uplifted right hand; small daimon running left on Apollo's outstretched left arm; stag standing right, head turned back. R: KAVΛ (retrograde), Stag standing right; laurel branch to right. Ex Leu Zürich, Auktion 77 (2000), Lot 60 IONIA, Ephesos AR Drachm. 4.17g, 17.8mm. IONIA, Ephesos, circa 202-162 BC, Ekatokles as magistrate. Kinns, The Attic Weight Drachms of Ephesos, NC 1999, S.86; SNG von Aulock 7826. O: Bee between E-Φ. R: Stag standing right, in front of palm tree, EKATOKΛHΣ to right.
How about a Secular Games stag? Philip I (Augustus) Coin: VF Silver Antoninianus IMP PHILIPPVS AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. SAECVLARES AVGG - Stag walking right; U in exergue. Exergue: U Mint: Rome (248 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.08g / 23.5mm / 1h References: RIC IV 19 RSC 182 Cohen 182 Acquisition/Sale: ancientcoins.market eBay $0.00 Notes: Jun 1, 19 - (9th Issue, 5th Officina) = RIC IViii, 19, page 70 The Gary R. Wilson Collection
I'll assume that I'm invited too! Philip I AR Antoninianus, 248 AD, Rome Mint, 5th Officina. Obv. Radiate, draped, & cuirassed bust right, IMP PHILIPPVS AVG/ Rev. Stag standing right, SAECVLARES AVGG, V in exergue. RIC IV-3 19, RSC IV 182, Sear RCV III 8958. 22 mm., 4.32 g. (Games commemorating 1,000th anniversary of founding of Rome.) I know that it looks like a "U" in the exergue on the reverse, but I think it must have been intended as a "V," for the 5th officina. There was no such thing as a "U" back then, right?
I sure have enjoyed seeing the coins in this thread but I have no stag in the stable - I've been looking for a while for a Philip I Secular Games Stag issue that I like.
That Tetricus barb of @Orielensis is a real stunner - to me, never seen a coin like that! And this is really a top thread, so many artistic beauties! AE Hadrianus 117-138, Roman Egypt. Mint Alexandria. AE Obol, AD 126-7. Obv.: AVT KAI - TRAI A∆PIA CEB, laureate head right. Rev.: Stag with large antlers standing right, head looking upward, date L IA (year 11) in fields. 17 mm, 5.68 g, 17 mm. Pic by John Anthony, who sold this coin to me. Emmett 1169.11.
Interestingly, if you look at the reverse of the coin I posted, both the "V's" in the SAECVLARES AVGG legend also look very much like "U's," just like the V in the exergue. That's not the case on the obverse, for which the die was clearly carved by a different person. It also doesn't seem to be true of the reverse of your coin, on which the "V's" in the legend look like "V's," by contrast to the V in the exergue. Still, I think it demonstrates that there was some personal stylistic variation in the way particular letters/numbers were carved. And, in any event, a brief Google search confirmed for me that "U" did not appear for the first time as a separate letter from "V" in the written Latin alphabet vntil the 1300s, i.e., abovt 1,100 years after these coins were issved. And wasn't vsed vniversally for another few hvndred years after that.
These two Roman Provincial coins more or less have the same setup. AE Volusianus (251-253, son of Trebonianus), Eukarpeia, Phrygia. Obv. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. AV K OVOΛOVCCIA. Rev. Artemis standing facing, drawing arrow from quiver, holding bow, on left a stag, on right a small cult-statue of Kybele. EVKAPΠEΩN. 24 mm, 5.95 gr. Valerian I (253-260), AE Anemurium, Cilicia. Dated Year 2 (AD 254/5). Obv. Laureate and draped bust r. AVT K ΠO ΛI OVAΛЄPIANO, laureate and draped bust right. Rev. Mummiform statue of Artemis facing, holding branch in each hand; stag to left, doe or hound to right. ЄT B (date) ANЄ-MOVPЄωN. 30 mm, 11.59 gr.