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DONKEY https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1486489

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As far as I know, there are only two types of coin showing a moose -- this one, and the sestertius version of the same coin:

Philip II, Caesar AR Antoninianus, 248 AD, Rome Mint, 3rd Officina. Obv. Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right, IMP PHILIPVS AVG/ Rev. Moose [North European elk] standing left, SAECVLARES AVGG, III in exergue. RIC IV-3 224, RSC IV 72, Sear RCV III 9275 (ill.). 22 mm., 4.33 g., 12 h. (Games commemorating 1,000th anniversary of founding of Rome.)



And there don't seem to be a lot of different types that show an ibis, other than this one:

Hadrian AR Denarius, 136 AD, Travel Series, Rome Mint. Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right / Rev: AEGYPTOS, Egypt reclining left, holding sistrum in right hand and resting left arm on basket; to left, ibis standing right. RIC II-3 1482 (2019 ed.), old RIC II 297d (1926 ed.), RSC II 99, Sear RCV II 3456, BMCRE 801-3. 18 mm., 3.11 g., 7 h.

 

A little tiny elepahente

 

ZEBU / BRAHMAN

I grew up calling these Brahmans...

I never raised them, but knew folks who did.

Baktria Apollodotos I
180-160 BCE
Square AR Drachm
20mm 2.4g
Elephant
Zebu (Brahman)
SNG ANS 324-327

 

Cross a Male Donkey (a Jack) with a Mare = MULE!




RI
Julia Flavia Titi Diva
90-91 CE
daughter-Titus / -uncle Domitian
AE Sestertius
33mm 20.4g -
Carpentum pulled by MULES SPQR -
SC

 

I'm a STALLION BABY

 

LOL, A DONKEY??? No...

 

I wonder if a "type" count is the best measure of how difficult the coins are to acquire. You could have animals that show up on only a handful of types, but if the issues were large, they would still be relatively easy to acquire. For example, right now I see 15 coins with rhinos listed on Vcoins. On the other hand, only 3 ostriches, and 0 foxes.

Another I'd consider for the very rare category would be rays, as far as I know, only on two types (each representing a distinct species I think). Both hardly ever come up for sale. Not my coin, sadly:



This one is usually called a skate fish, the example below, unfortunately, also not my coin:

 

I love the "zoo" coins of Gallienus and Salonina.


Gallienus, 253-268 AD.
Roman AE Antoninianus, 18 mm, 2.27 g.
Rome Mint 267-268 AD.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right.
Rev: DIANAE CONS AVG, "antelope" walking left, XII in exergue.
Refs: RIC 181; Cohen 165; RCV 10200; Göbl 750b.

I think the coin depicts a Grant's gazelle, but I don't know enough about the various types of gazelle to be sure:

 

Does a scorpion count?


Antiochus IV of Commagene, 38-72 CE.
29 mm. 14.31 grams. Appointed King by Caligula.
Sear Greek 5507. RPC 3854.

 

That's a fun thread! Here are some more not-so-usual animals:

Crab and crabby headdress:

Bruttium, The Brettii, AE ¼ unit, ca. 211–208 BC. Obv: head of Amphitrite l., wearing crab headdress. Rev: BRET-TIΩN; crab; racing torch above. 13mm, 1.73g. Ref: HN Italy 1990; SNG ANS 123–125; Scheu (1962), no. 51.

Wolf:

Lycaonia, Laranda, AR obol, 324–323 BC. Obv: Baal Tars seated on throne n.l., holding grain ears and grapes in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand. Rev: forepart of wolf r., in field l., ⌒. 10mm, 0.59g. Göktürk: Small Coins from Cilicia (2000), no. 82 ff.; SNG Levante 223 (for Cilicia); SNG France 443 (for Cilicia).

Lizard and goose:

Macedonia, Eion, AR trihemiobol, ca. 460-400 BC. Obv: Goose standing r., head turned l.; lizard curving l. above; H to lower r. Rev: quadripartite incuse square. 12 mm, 0,71g. Ref: SNG Cop 179. Ex AMCC 1, lot 329.

Lion, boar, and tunny:

Mysia, Kyzikos, AR hemiobol (?), c. 480–450 BC. Obv: roaring lion’s head l.; star above. Rev: forepart of boar l.; tunny behind. 8mm, 0.25g. Ref: BMC 120; Sear Greek 3850.

Crayfish:

Thrace, Apollonia Pontika, AR diobol, 4th century BC. Obv: laureate head of Apollo facing. Rev: upright anchor; A to l., crayfish to r. 11mm, 1.35g. Ref: SNG Copenhagen 459–461.

Stork and elephant:

Roman Republic, imperatorial issue of Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius, AR denarius, 81 BC, Northern Italian mint. Obv: diademed head of Pietas r.; to r., stork standing r. Rev: Q C M P I; elephant standing l., wearing bell around neck. 17mm, 3.55g. Ref: RRC 374/1. Ex JB collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 105.

Medieval animals would be a separate thread, I guess, and thus I'll resist my urge to post some.

 

I have updated the list with everyones comments I believe.

 

And here's an Octopus:


Syracuse Sicily Bronze Tetras Octopus

Bronze, 15.4 mm, 3.84 gm, Catalog: SNG Cop 653
Struck: BC 425-420 Syracuse mint
Obverse: Head of Arethusa right with dolphins, ΣΥΡΑ to right of head
Reverse: Octopus
A tetras was 1/4 of an obol, an obol was 1/6 of a drachm.

 

Had to dig this one up - Grasshopper on an AE of Kainon (no longer in my collection). Not sure how many other grasshoppers are out there.


Here's a sheep/ram from Troas, Neandreia


Are we doing scarcity rankings based on type variety with the animal, or absolute number of specimens out there? Because if the latter, I would say the Kyzikos fractions would bump the boar up to Common


I would also argue that India would bump the bull/cow up to Very Common, due to the huge number of coins that depict Nandi, the lord Shiva's bull



And not sure what our cutoff is, but here is a rare weasel/marten on a late 13th century Slavonian denar of Stephen V

 

Here is a Roman Republican denarius with a rat:



Ti. Quinctius (or Quincitilius) 112 or 111 BC
18 mm. 3.95 grams.
Bust of Hercules left, club behind, lion-skin over shoulder
Desultor left, riding the nearer of two horses, N in upper right
Incuse on tablet: DSS, which might abbreviate D(e) S(enatus) S(ententia), which Crawford says is common in building inscriptions. Rat between TI and Q. Crawford 297/1b. Quinctia 6. Sear I 174.

 

TIBERIUS, SESTERTIUS, RIC, Vol. I, Rome, No. 68, AD 36-37
(35mm, 22.6gm)

Cataloged in Wildwinds under Augustus - Sear 1784
Cataloged in BMCRE under Tiberius - No. 126

Obverse depiction: Augustus, radiate, togate, holding laurel branch in r. hand and long sceptre in l., seated on throne, placed on a car, drawn l. by four elephants, each bearing a mahout on its neck. The side of the car is ornamented with shields.
Inscription across top in three lines DIVO AVGVSTO SPQR

Reverse depiction: Large, centered S C
Inscription clockwise from top: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST PM TR POTXXXIII

 

..my 1st thought, when i saw the title of this thread, was George Orwell.... Otacilia Severa pachyderm sestertius

 

I like galloping horses:


RIC Vol. II, TRAJAN, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 534, 98-117AD, (35mm, 22.6gm)
Obverse depiction: Trajan, head facing right, wearing aegis
Inscription: IMP CAES NERVAE TRIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V PP
Reverse depiction: Trajan galloping on horseback spearing a fallen Dacian soldier
Inscription: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI - in exergue S C

 

I've wondered for quite sometime what the significance of the bell hanging under the neck of those elephants mean. The bells show up fairly frequently on ancient coins depicting elephants.
Were they war elephants with bells clanging as they charged to frighten the enemy?
Were they intended to tell the owners where the huge beasts were as they grazed in local woods/tall grasses....as possibly with some cattle and sheep?
Any thoughts....or facts?
Another example:

Etruria, Arretium (?) The Chiana Valley, circa 208-207 BC. Æ quartunica (18x20 mm, 4.9 g, 5h). Obv: Head of African, right; border of dots. Rev: Indian elephant standing right, bell around neck; monogram below. Border of dots. BMC Italy, p. 15, #18. SNG Copenhagen 48 var. (no monogram on obv.).

 

I didn't realize until I looked up "pachyderm" just now that it applies to elephants, hippos, and rhinos. I'd never before heard the word applied to anything other than elephants. How interesting.