the lion sleeps tonight

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by ro1974, Oct 3, 2020.

  1. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    _DSC5409.JPG _DSC5405.JPG Sestertius \, Rome, 248. IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG Laurate, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip I to the right, seen from behind. Rev. SAECVLARES AVGG / S - C Lion advancing right. \, otherwise, good very fine.

     
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  3. +VGO.DVCKS

    +VGO.DVCKS Well-Known Member

    Seriously impressive coin, @ro1974. Best I'm likely to do is this, as a live complement to the reading of the song that you posted.
    ...Except, I've forgotten this part the few times I've started a thread: are you okay with people posting Any coins with lions on them? ...Maybe including medievals?
     
    Theodosius, Alegandron, IanG and 2 others like this.
  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Amazing strike on that reverse, @ro1974! Beautiful coin.

    Here's one of my favorite lion coins:

    [​IMG]
    Greek Ionia, Miletos.
    AE Hemiobol, 3.35 g, 18.3 mm, 12 h.
    Aeschylinos, magistrate, ca. 200 BC.
    Obv: Apollo Didymeus standing right, holding small stag and bow; monogram below.
    Rev: Lion seated right with head turned to left, star above, monogram right, ΑIΣXΥΛΙΝΟΥ in exergue.
    Refs: Deppert 941-56 var; Marcellesi 56.
     
  5. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    everything coin picture and music,
    is welcome
     
  6. Carl Wilmont

    Carl Wilmont Well-Known Member

    Those are nice images of lions, @ro1974 and @Roman Collector!

    Here's one fighting with a king:

    upload_2020-10-3_22-2-29.png

    PHOENICIA, Sidon. Ba`alšillem (Sakton) II. Circa 401-365 BC. AR Sixteenth Shekel (10 mm, 0.72g). Phoenician galley / Persian king or hero, holding dagger in right hand, standing right, fighting lion standing left on its hind legs; all within incuse square.
     
  7. Carl Wilmont

    Carl Wilmont Well-Known Member

    This one appears to have a neatly coiffed mane:

    [​IMG]

    Ionia, Miletos AR Obol. 325-475 BC
     
  8. +VGO.DVCKS

    +VGO.DVCKS Well-Known Member

    Thanks for that, @ro1974. And, Rats, pictures of my denier of Edward I as duke of Aquitaine are eluding capture. But here's a dirham of Baibars, the early Mamluk sultan of Egypt who nearly succeeded in ensuring that Edward didn't get home from his crusade. It's kind of cool how both used a lion passant (also called a leopard in Edward's context, and a panther in Baibars') in a heraldic capacity. The 'lion' is at the bottom of the obverse. (Album, Checklist of Islamic Coins, 2nd ed. /1998, #883.)
    baybars.jpg
    Back, a little less ambiguously, to lions, here's some more music. ...Kind of evokes C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I like how it ends with the singer saying, "Cheer up, little children...."
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
  9. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    Hey Ro! :) good to C ya again old friend....great song and very nice coin! (awingowot:p)..i don't believe i have an ancient with the critter...and i don't wanna be a lion><:p:D
     
    ro1974 and +VGO.DVCKS like this.
  10. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Taras, Calabria.jpg
    TARAS, CALABRIA
    AR Diobol
    OBVERSE: Head of Athena in crested helmet left decorated with Skylla
    REVERSE: Herakles kneeling right, strangling lion
    Struck at Taras 380-334 BC
    1.2g, 11mm
    Vlasto 1316
     
  11. +VGO.DVCKS

    +VGO.DVCKS Well-Known Member

    @Bing, I like how, as a concession to the module, Herakles is more squatting than kneeling.
     
  12. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Soon-to-be ex-lion, actually:
    [​IMG]
    Constantine I
    Bronze nummus
    Ticinum mint, A.D. 307-308
    RIC 99
    Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AGV[sic]
    Rev: VIRTVS PER-PETVA AVG - Hercules, strangling Nemean lion; club behind left leg
    ST in exergue
    26 mm, 7.1 g.
     
  13. +VGO.DVCKS

    +VGO.DVCKS Well-Known Member

    Well, @gsimonel, if that wasn't weird, I don't know what is. From my screen, your post showed a different coin, also very Constantinian, but now that I'm replying to it, a picture of the right one shows up. ...Hmm. Hope it's just my machine, which is dying of old age anyway. (...Like I say to myself, this is what you get for having lived this long.)
    Anyway, the one you were talking about in the first place, with the conspicuously early Constantinian, commensurately pagan motif, is nothing I ever saw before. As such (at least), very cool.
     
  14. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Oops. It happened again. I think the problem is on my end. Here's the coin I described above: temp.jpg
     
  15. Spaniard

    Spaniard Well-Known Member

    @ro1974.....Nice coin with lovely reverse detail...
    Here's a couple more..
    Shahis of Ohind AE Jital of Vakka Deva around 870 AD Dia 18mm / 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.
    lion and elephant.jpg
    Toramana II...Lakshmi seated on lion/lion rug?
    t lion.jpg
     
  16. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Exceptionnal sestertius @ro1974

    My only lion (appart from coins minted at Lyon (Lugdunum) ;) )

    [​IMG]
    Syracuse Agathokles 317-289 BC
    Head of Hercules right, SIPAKOSIWN in right field
    Lion walking right, bow above
    7.75 gr, 23 mm
    Ref : Sear #1201

    Q
     
  17. harrync

    harrync Well-Known Member

    And there is the Lion of Judah, Haile Selassie. Here is the back of the Ethiopia one dollar 1945:

    download.jpg
     
  18. Mr.Q

    Mr.Q Well-Known Member

    Cool pic's and a good lesson for us who know little about ancients, thanks.
     
    Theodosius likes this.
  19. Edessa

    Edessa Well-Known Member

    Islamic. Seljuks of Rum. Ghiyath al-Din Kay Khusraw II. First reign, AH 634-644 / AD 1237-1246. AR Dirhem (22mm, 3.01g). Siwas mint. Dated AH 640 (AD 1242/1243). Obv: Lion advancing right, with paw raised; star and sun above. Rev: Name and titles in four lines within square border; mint and date in outer margin. Ref: Album 1218.

    zzzz.jpg
     
  20. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    My ancient lions (not including lion-skin headdresses on Herakles/Hercules, Melqart, etc.):

    Mysia, Kyzikos, AR Diobol, ca. 450-400 BCE. Obv. Forepart of boar left; to right, tunny upwards. Rev. Head of roaring lion left within incuse square. Seaby 3846 [Sear, David, Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. 2: Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979)]; Von Fritze II, Group II, No. 9 (p. 36) [Von Fritze, H., "Die Silberprägung von Kyzikos" in Nomisma IX (1914), at pp. 34 - 56]; BMC 15 Mysia 108-113 [Wroth, Warwick, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 15, Mysia (London, 1892) at pp. 34-35]; SNG BnF 361-366 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France, Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothéque Nationale, Vol. 5, Mysia (Paris 2001)]. 10 mm., 1.22 g., 6 h.

    Mysia, Kyzikos, Boar-Lion diobol, jpg version.jpg

    Roman Republic. C. Poblicius Q.f. AR Serrate Denarius, 80 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right, wearing helmet decorated with grain ears; ROMA behind, V above / Rev. C•POBLICI•Q•F; Hercules standing left, strangling the Nemean Lion; bow and quiver to left, club below, V above lion. Crawford 380/1, RSC I Poblicia 9, Sear RCV I 308 (ill.), Harlan, RRM I Ch. 5 at pp. 23-27, BMCRR Rome 2896. 20.13 mm., 3.84 g.

    Poblicius (Hercules & Nemean Lion).jpg

    Septimius Severus, AR Denarius 203-204 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, SEVERVS PIVS AVG / Dea Caelestis in headdress riding side-saddle on lion right, facing right and holding thunderbolt & scepter; below, water gushing from rocks left; INDVLGENTIA AVGG; in exergue: IN CARTH [probable reference to water project in Carthage]. RIC IV-1 266, RSC III 222, Sear RCV II 6285. 18x20 mm., 3.9 g.

    Septimius Severus, Indulgentia, Dea Caelestis & lion - jpg version.jpg

    Septimius Severus, AR Denarius 207 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, SEVERVS - PIVS AVG / Rev. Africa in elephant-skin headdress standing facing, head right, holding out drapery containing basket of fruit[?], lion crouching to her right at her feet, head left, PM TR P XV CPOS III PP. RIC IV 207, RSC III 493, Sear RCV II 6341. 18.73 mm., 2.95 g. Ex. Madroosi Collection (Joe Blazick).

    Septimius Severus - Africa jpg version.jpg

    Philip I AR Antoninianus, 248 AD, Rome Mint, 1st Officina. Obv. Radiate, draped, & cuirassed bust right, IMP PHILIPPVS AVG/ Rev. Lion walking right, SAECVLARES AVGG; I in exergue. RIC IV-3 12, RSC IV 173, Sear RCV III 8956 (ill.). 23 mm., 3.41 g. (Games commemorating 1,000th anniversary of founding of Rome.)

    Philip I Antoninianus (Lion Reverse) jpg version.jpg


    And one more recent lion, from the James Mudie series of 40 medals struck in 1820 to commemorate British victories in the Napoleonic wars:

    Great Britain, Siege of Acre, 1799 (Struck 1820). Obv. Bust left, uniformed, ADMIRAL SIR S. SMITH/ Rev. British Lion, within a rocky pass, protects Syrian camel from menacing French tiger. In exergue: ACRE DEFENDED. BUONAPARTE REPULSED SYRIA SAVED. XX MAY MDCCLXXXXIX. AE 41 mm. By G. Mills/ N.G.A. Brenet. Mudie 7, Eimer 906, BHM 476. [Photo of reverse only]

    Mudie 7 Defense of Acre Lion Camel R1.jpg

    Note the impressive, comic book-sized bicep and forearm on the British lion, by contrast to the scrawniness of the cowardly French "tiger" (who doesn't even have any stripes!) skulking in the background.
     
  21. PeteB

    PeteB Well-Known Member

    KyzikosTet.jpg
    MYSIA, Kyzikos. Circa 390-341/0 BC. AR Tetradrachm (14.30 gm, 1h, 23mm) Obv: Head of Kore Soteira left, wearing single-pendant earring, hair in sphendone covered with a veil, two grain ears in hair; ΣΩTEIPA above (weak, but present in full). Rev: Head of lion left, mouth open with tongue protruding; below, tunny left; KY-ZI around, hydria behind. Pixodarus Type 2, Group C; von Fritze II 23, pl. V, 32; SNG France 400-1; SNG von Aulock 1218; SNG Copenhagen 53; SNG Fitzwilliam 4151; Kraay & Hirmer 719.
     
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