It's Valentine's Day -- show us your Eros/Cupid coins

Yes, flip it upside down, and you have an AE 'As'.

 

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Thank you Silphium Addict for the kind words.
I do agree with you that Gallica is a hoard for us, but there are other very good sites. High resolution photos are not free… and the 1024x1054 photos are decorated with a logo. Since the BnF have to work with Gallica devoted to books, it’s actually not functional. I hope that when the site introduced to ensure the presentation of the BnF’s numismatic collections will become operational, it will be possible to look for legends, or key words, what’s impossible till now.

 

I really like these CUPID flying over a Biga style coins... Reminds me of Casper:


Roman Republic
L and C Memmius L F Galeria
87 BCE
AR Denarius
Saturn harpa EX S C
Venus driving Biga Cupid flying holding wreath
Sear 262 Craw 349-1

 

Orra, a Messapian mint in ancient Calabria (now Apulia) minted triuncias, biuncias, and quincuncias with the head of Venus on one side between the end of the second and beginning of the first century BC. Like other Magna Graecian coinage, the pellets signify the denomination of the coin.

I have seen examples of these coins with a fine classical style as well as with a more barbaric style. I am not entirely sure if this was because there were official and unofficial mints, or whether these coins were originally produced in the classical style and their quality degenerated over time.

I've posted an example of both types here for reference (neither are mine, but I have examples of both - I need to start photographing my examples).

Obv: head of Venus facing right, wearing laurel wreath crown, lance or sceptre behind.

Rev: Eros advancing right, playing lyre, ORRA ethnic to right, five pellets to left indicating value of the coin.

 

I finally found the right example of Crawford 353/1c:



Phil Davis

 

Here is Eros on the obverse of a Roman provincial coin. I don't have the weight but the size is 15 mm.

Lycaonia, Ilistra
Obv: bust of winged Eros
Rev: grape bunch with leaf (leaf covers right half of the grape bunch)
RPC IV 7245 (temp)

 

Interesting. That's the first time I've seen that type.

 

Diadumenian
City/Mint Markianopolis
Ob. Leg. M OPELLIOC ANTWNINOC
Ob. Desc. Bare headed and draped bust of Diadumenian, right
Meaning Marcus Opellius Antonius
Rev. Leg. MARKIANO-POLEITWN
Rev. Desc. Eros/Thanatos standing left, resting chin on palm, leaning on (extinguished) inverted brand
Meaning (Coin) of the people of Markianopolis – A prince crowned by the gods

Eros was worshiped as a fertility god and associated with love and sexual desire. Sometimes thought of as Thanatos, ‘god of death’, due to his association with the concept of life after death. The symbolism here, of the extinguished torch, may represent joy after sexual fulfilment, or hope for life after death.

 

Here are a couple of Eros types for you from my starter collection of Eros-types.

 

So a day later and 1,000 calories later after eating all the sweats..time for a nap..
Eros's sibling Hypnos! Another I can't afford.