The Greek Pantheon/Hall of Fame

This has been a childhood dream, shoutout to @Spaniard who inspired me to finally start. See his quest for the 12 Olympians in his thread here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-succumbed-to-the-greeks-the-12-olympian-gods.361206/

My goal is to collect as many gods, goddesses, and mythological creatures as I possibly can that fit into the Greek Pantheon. I'll focus on bronzes as they often come cheaper. Some gods might be hard/impossible to find and in those cases I will settle for silver if they exist and if I can afford it. High standard is important to me which means I don't expect to acquire more than a few coins a year.

To start I'll assemble the 12 Olympians, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus.. But as I can't control what's available on the market I'll add other deities, monsters and heroes that comes my way if they fit the theme.

So what's more suitable than to start with the king of the gods himself? My new Zeus Eleutherios arrived earlier this week, I really love the green toning on bronzes! I hope to add a beardless version of Zeus Hellanios later which is another common type for Sicily. This one had me for the portrait. The obverse is a bit weak but I still think it’s a fantastic coin, and ofcourse looks much better in hand than on picture but I think the video kind of shows a bit of how it looks IRL.
When I've been searching for coins on the theme I deviate toward coins from Sicily and Magna Gracia so I guess many of my future acquisitions will be from these regions.



HGCS 2 1440 (S)
Date: c. 343-339/8 BC or 332-317 BC
Weight: 14.16 g
Mint: Syracuse
Obverse: IEYΣ ΕΛ-ΕΥ-ΘΕΡΙΟΣ. Laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios r.
Reverse: ΣYΡAKOΣIΩN. Thunderbolt. Eagle to r.
Struck under Timoleon or the Third Democracy

Please feel free to post any of the 12 Olympians (especially bronzes!). I would love to see them, and maybe I can get ideas of what to look for on my journey to assemble my own little Greek Pantheon.

 

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Magnificent coin! That has to be one of the best portraits of Zeus I have seen

 

What a fantastic coin!

 

Beautifull syracusion coin , Spargrodan.

Here a few coins from Sicily:

 

Wow!...A wonderful looking coin!
Glad the thread set off a spark and really look forward to seeing your collection grow especially if you keep to this kind of quality, Stunning.....

Phrygia, Eumeneia Circa 200-133 BC. AE 15mm (3.98 gm).
Obv...Laureate head of Zeus right.
Rev...EYME-NEΩN, legend in two lines within oak-wreath.
SNG Copenhagen 377-378

 

Some more sicilians:

 

What a beauty! Congrats on your new purchase
Here's Neptune in action on one of my favorite RRs:

 

Most of my Greek coins are silver, but I do have one bronze with a Greek Olympian, namely Dionysos:

Lydia, Philadelphia, AE 17, Late 2nd/Early 1st Centuries BCE, Hermippos, son of Hermogenes [father's name known from other coins], archiereus [magistrate]. Obv. Head of young Dionysos right, wearing ivy-wreath and band across forehead, [Φ]ΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΕ[ΩΝ] vertically behind / Rev. Spotted pantheress [leopard] walking left, with head turned back to right, cradling thyrsos bound with fillet (ribbon) against left shoulder, right foreleg raised; ΑΡΧΙΕΡ-ΕΥΣ above, ΕΡΜΙΠΠΟΣ in exergue. Seaby II 4720 [Sear, D., Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. II, Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979), at p. 430 (ill.)]; BMC 22 Lydia 16 [Head, B.V. A Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum, Lydia (London 1901) at p. 189]; SNG Von Aulock II 3057; SNG Copenhagen 340; Imhoof-Blumer 8; Mionnet IV No. 536. 17 mm., 5.02 g.



I'm expecting one more soon, and will post it when it arrives.

 

Thanks @The Trachy Enjoyer and @DonnaML!

You've got a nice collection there yourself! So many interesting types. I would like to add a Zeus Hellanios myself and I'm looking for a nice version of that Syracuse Athena type. I've seen that the reverses in some cases are attributed "Ares with spear" like the one Pentokion you have. I guess we only can guess but I don't find it unlikely if it's supposed to portrait the god of war?

Thanks! Yeah your thread was that little extra spark needed to get me going. I Hope I can match the quality going forward but with bronzes it's hard as I'm sure you're aware of. Nevertheless it's a fun challenge. Your is a great representation of Zeus from the other side of the Greek world.

 

That is an absolutely stunning coin!
If the other 11 Olympians are going to be anything like that then it's going to be a great collection.
I have the same coin and like the bust of Zeus on it, but it's nothing compared to yours.
I'll post this bronze Olympian instead. Not from Sicily, but not too far off.

I like the portrait. The reverse not so much...

Bruttium, the Brettii. Double unit 214-203 BC. 26,2 mm, 13,56 gr.
Obv: Ares, wearing a Corinthian helmet decorated with a griffin; ear of grain below.
Rev: Nike crowning a trophy.
SNG ANS 26

Best of luck with the Pantheon. Looking forward to see the rest.

 

Thanks! Great coin yourself. Is that two hippocamps that Neptune is riding?

Other metals are welcome in this thread even though I will try to keep the focus on bronzes.
That's a nice Dionysus, I have never seen that type before. I wonder if that engraver had ever seen a leopard? That's a long neck. It's interesting with Dionysus being the youngest Olympian sometimes left out for Hestia. I think Hestia is a hard one to find, at least compared to Dionysus.
I'm looking forward to see your new acquisition.

 

Thanks @Ignoramus Maximus!
What a great Ares! That's a pretty rare one, I have actually been on the hunt for the same type but it's hard to find one in feasible condition. Yours however is one of the better I've seen. And also has the nice Hulk green patina that I really like.

 

Here's a Parthia version of Athena.

Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series'
AR Tetradrachm.
Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard.
Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; prow behind, AΘE before.

Roma XIV, 329; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS -; H. Nicolet-Pierre / M. Amandry, "Un nouveau trésor de monnaies d'argent pseudo-Athéniennes venu d'Afghanistan", RN 1994, 36-39; Mitchiner 13a = G.F. Hill, "Greek coins acquired by the British Museum in 1920" in NC 1921, 17. 16.96g.

 

Fantastic Syracuse coin Spargrodan, my collection is not big on Greek Olympian's with the exception of this Hera from Elis around the time of the 101st Olympics.
ELIS, Olympia. Time of the 101st-102nd Olympiad. Circa 421-365 BC. AR Hemidrachm (15mm, 2.54 gm, 1h). Hera mint. Struck circa 376-372 BC. Head of Hera right, wearing stephane / F A, eagle standing right, head reverted. Seltman, Temple -; BCD 111; BMC Peloponnesus -; SNG Copenhagen -. Fine, toned. Extremely rare.

 

Very nice Zeus, @Spargrodan , very nice portrait

AE ZEUS

Sicily Mamertini 220-200 BCE AE Pentonkion Zeus Warrior Shield Spear Merc Samnites- Messana


AE HERA

Campania CAPUA AE 14-5mm 216-211 Hera Oscan Grain ear Hannibal capital Italia SNG Fr 517 SNG ANS 219 HN Italy 500 EE Clain Stefanelli


AE POSEIDON

Lucania Paestum (Poseidoneia) 218-201 BCE AE Semuncia Poseidon-Dolphin (started cut for change) Craw 4-1


AR DEMETER (Ceres)


RI Titus 79-81 CE AR Denarius Ceres seated corn ear poppy torch


AE ATHENA

Apulia Luceria AE Quincunx 26mm 14.75g- Spoked Wheel 250-217 BCE Athena-Wheel Grose 443 HN Italy 678 SNG ANS 699


AE APOLLO


Campania AE Apollo Left-Achelous -275-250BCE PLATE COIN 3 KNOWN RARE SNG ANS 474 - Listed Potamikon pg 232 Plate 343

 

AE ARTEMIS


Lydia Hierocaesareia AE15 Artemis Persica - Stag 1st C CE


AE ARES (Mars)


Sicily Messana Mamertini 288-278 BCE AE 28 16.8g Ares - Bull Butting


Roman Repblic Anon AE Litra 241-235 BC Mars Beardless Horse Head Craw 25-3 Sear 594


AE APHRODITE (Venus)


RI Magnia Urbica 285 CE silvered Ant AE 23mm 3.4g cresent - Venus helmet scepter shield RIC 343 Rare


AE HEPHAESTIUS (Vulcan)


Samnium Aesernia 263-240 BC AE 20 Vulcan Pilos Tongs Jupiter Biga Left


AE HERMES (Mercury)

RI Prv Thrace Deultum Tranquillina 241-244 CE Æ 22mm 6.6 g Hermes purse caduceus SNG Bulgaria 1504-8

(I just like this better)

RR Anon AE 19mm Semuncia 217-215 Mercury Prow Sear 620 Craw 38-7


AE DIONYSOS (AR Bacchus)


Thrace Maroneia 146 BC Dionysos AE 17 Grapes Narthex


RR AR Quinarius 89 BCE M Porcius Cato Liber Bacchus - Victory- Crawford 343-2. Sear 248

 

Wonderful coin and honorable collecting direction. Your Timoleon is a type I've been seeking and wanting. Here's is my only Timoleon... So far.


Syracuse, Sicily
Timoleon and the Third Democracy, Ruling 344-317 BC
AE Dilitron, Timoleontic Symmachy coinage
2nd series, struck circa 339/8-334 BC
Obverse: [ZEYΣ EΛ-EYΘEPIOΣ], Laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios with long hair left (Eleutherios is “Pertaining to Freedom”).
Reverse: [ΣYPA-K-OΣIΩ-N], free horse prancing or galloping left.
References: Castrizio Series II, 1; CNS 80; HGC 6, 1439
Size: 27mm, 18.06g

 

Perhaps it's the very elusive giraffopard.

 

That really is a beautiful Zeus!

 

That's a terrific coin to start such a set!

I tried something similar with the Roman pantheon, the twelve dei consentes. Here they are: