Featured Animal Farm

I accidentally started this on another thread, but I thought it might be fun to list animal on ancient coins in terms of rarity. I will throw something against the wall, if you disagree or want to add to it, just post and we can update it. It could actually be helpful to newcomers to the hobby if they want to buy a coin of their favorite animal to know how challenging it will be, (*cough* rhinos *cough*). Sorry, it still greaves me personally the low number of rhino coins, but I digress.

Here is a rough attempt to start it:

Very Common: Eagle, horses, lions, elephants, snakes
Common: Dolphins, "fish", bull/cow, Owl, bee, turtle,
Scarce: Pigs/boar, camel, crabs, mollusks, dogs/wolf, chickens, ducks, gazelle/deer, crocodile, goat, peacock, crayfish, rabbit/hare, donkey/mule, scorpion, octopus
Rare: Hippos, Ostrich, swan, stork/ibis, leopard/snow leopard, raven, fox, moose, manta ray
Very Rare: Apes, (1 type), rhino (2 types), Bear, (know of 1 now), seal
Extinct:

I had Bear as extinct but someone kindly showed me a Hadrian provincial with one. Any animals you would expect on ancient coins but are not there?

 

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RHINO


RI
Trajan
Egypt
AE Dichalkon
Laureate hd L
Rhinoceros walking Left LI-Z yr 17
CE 113-114
12.9mm 1.25g
Emmet 719 var. rhino right (I believe mine is a more scarcer version with Rhino walking LEFT).
Ex: SteveX6 Collection...

 

SWAN


Sicily, Kamarina.
AR litra, 11mm, 0.56g, 9h;
c. 461-440/35 BC.
Obv.: Nike flying left; below, swan standing left; all within wreath.
Rev.: KAMAPI-NAION; Athena standing left, holding spear; at her feet, shield.
Ref: Westermark & Jenkins series 2C; SNG ANS 1212-6.
Comments: From John - The ancient city of Kamarina was originally founded by Syracuse in the 6th century BC, but destroyed some 50 years later. It was rebuilt in 461 by the Genoans, under the Olympic charioteer Psaumis. Kamarina takes its place in the annals of weird history with the following episode. The people were plagued by a mysterious disease, which was widely thought to originate in the swamp north of the city. It was suggested that the swamp be drained, but the city’s oracle advised against it, as the swamp protected the city from invaders. The inhabitants rejected the oracle’s advice, drained the swamp, and were immediately invaded and exterminated by the Carthaginians.
Here is a litra minted during the safe, swampy days of the 5th century, with lovely detail all around and what they call a “find patina,” that is, only lightly cleaned and darkly toned.
Ex: @John Anthony

 

@Alegandron......OOOOhhhh that rhino is NICE!

EDIT... The swan too!

 

Thank you.

If you are referring to the Rhino, I was excited to score this from Steve. I grew up with a Buddy that we all called Rhino. Besides, I thought it was such a cool coin (AND, it walked LEFT)

The Litra I got cuz it was such a cool coin. AR Litrae are always nice to find!

 

@medoraman...Nice idea for a thread...But where is the Peacock...

Julia Mamaea. Augusta, 222-235 AD. AR Denarius (2,81 gm, 19mm). Rome mint. Struck 222 AD.
Obverse: IVLIA MAMAEA AVG, bare headed, draped bust right.
Reverse: IVNO CONS-E-RVATRIX, Juno standing slightly left, holding patera and scepter; to left, peacock standing left.
RIC IV 343 (Severus Alexander); BMCRRE 43-5 (Severus Alexander); RSC 35.

And here's an elephant...

Chalukyas of Gujarat - Rana Hastin (900-1000 AD)-Silver Dirham
9mm diameter/0.50gr
Obverse- Elephant facing right.
Reverse- Legend in two lines 'Rana Hasti'.
Fishman / Todd U8.7

 

Fair enough about the peacock. Actually, I updated as scarce due to it being used quite a bit on Roman imperials in relation to empresses.

 

I would bet that there are way more different coins with snakes than with elephants. Think of all the different cistophoric tetradrachms.

 

OK, updated to very common.

 

Stork [Sear], Crane [SNG Cop], or Heron [Kraay].



Stater. 23 mm. 7.58 grams.
Kroton, Bruttium, Italy
Sear Greek 466, SNG Copenhagen I plate 33, 1747-1750
Kraay 619 "c. 500" BC.
Tripod / tripod incuse

Do we have an ornithologist in the house?

 

I am sorry, @medoraman , I meant to comment that this is a cool idea for a thread! You need to post some of YOUR cool "animules".

Akragas always had very interesting coins. This one has a few of your listed critters. But I really like this one for the FLY. It kinda "spoils" the beach-party Crab-Boil going on in the coin...


SICILY, Akragas.
Æ Onkia,
16mm, 3.8g, 12h;
425-406 BC,
Obv.: AKP-A, Eagle right, with head turned back; below fish, in left field, fly.
Rev.: Crab, above pellet, below conch shell.
Ref: CNS I 84; SNG ANS 1062 var. (obv. type left).
Comments: On the southern coast of Sicily, Akragas (modern-day Agrigento) was one of the most important colonies of ancient Magna Graecia, boasting a population of 100,000 to 200,000 people. Akragas came to prominence during the 6th century BC, under the tyrants Phalaris and Theron. However, after the brief and brutal reign of Theron’s son Thrasydaeus, the citizens of the city opted for a democracy, which lasted until the Carthaginian sack of 406. The city never quite recovered from that, although it did experience a period of revival under the 3rd-century ruler Timoleon.
Various eagle and crab types are well-known as didrachms, but they also occur in bronze. It would seem that all of the bronze issues are rare, probably because bronze does not survive the vicissitudes of time as well as silver.

 

It seems foxes are not popular subjects on ancient coins. I’d say they qualify under the “very rare” category.


THRACE, Alopekonnesos
AE13. 2.33g, 13.5mm. THRACE, Alopekonnesos, circa 3rd-2nd centuries BC. HGC 3.2, 1307; Yarkin 59. O: Helmeted head of Athena to right. R: ΑΛΩ-ΠΕΚΟΝ, Fox standing to right; ear of grain before. Notes: Very Rare.
Ex Thrax Collection

 

GMT is setting in...zzzzz.....Here's a couple more to finish off..

Nagas of Padmavati 335-340AD 1/4 Kakini with quite nice detail for this type of coin and reasonably central.
9mm dia and 0.69gr.
Obverse - Humped bull standing left.
Reverse- Maharaja sri ga (Ganendra) in Brahmi script.


And 2 4 1...

Shahis of Ohind AE Jital of Vakka Deva around 870 AD

Diameter 18mm and 1.9 grams.

Obv. Elephant facing left with the name "Sri Vakka Deva" above in Nagari.

Rev. Lion to the right with gaping mouth, tongue out and one front paw raised. Diamond symbol in the rump.

 

I don't consider Akragas AE all that rare but you certainly do have to look hard for high grade ones or put up with coins like mine.

 

Yeah, I agree as I have other AE Akragas too. I just copied John's original comments.

 

I've been looking recently to try and pick up a crab...(singular!).....And some nice crustaceans already shown....
@dougsmit.....Just wondering why you don't put the attribution with your coins as it would make it a lot easier for other collectors, such as myself, to search for specific coins!?

 

I like the RAVEN on this series, although my coin is purdy ruddy...


Lepidus & Mark Antony.
43 B.C. AR quinarius (13.93 mm, 1.82 g, 5 h).
Military mint traveling with Antony and Lepidus in Transalpine Gaul, 43 B.C. M ANT IMP, emblems of the augurate;
lituus, capis, and raven standing left / LEP IMP, emblems of the pontificate: simpulum, aspergillum, securis, and apex.
Crawford 489/3; CRI 120; Sydenham 1158a; RSC 3. aVF. Scarce
Ex: RBW Collection

 

This coin from c.7th-8th century AD Chach in Central Asia features a snow leopard:

 

...Greenwich Mean Time!?......set your Zulu clocks...

 

True, with and without a line underneath. The line is rarer.

The scarce copper-nickel pieces from Bactria have a leopard since that animal was associated with Dionysus.

Updated list with all suggestion so far. Feel free to challenge my classifications.