Thanks to members such as @TIF and @DonnaML, I've developed a fascination for chariots drawn by animals other than horses. I have a goat biga, a lion quadriga, and now an elephant biga! I'm waiting for this one to arrive from Germany, but I can't wait to show you guys! C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius, 125 BC. Roman AR denarius, 3.89 g. Rome, 125 BC. Obv: Head of Roma, right, wearing Phrygian helmet; XVI monogram below chin, ROMA behind. Rev: Jupiter, crowned by flying Victory, in biga of elephants left, holding thunderbolt in left hand and reins in right hand; C METELLVS in exergue. Refs: Crawford RRC 269/1; Sydenham CRR 485; RCV 145; RSC Caecilia 14. Let's see your chariots drawn by non-equine animals!
Great coin and cool idea for a thread. Here are some elephants drawing the divine Vespasian seated in a car. Divus Vespasian [Titus] Æ Sestertius, 25.01g Rome mint, 80-81 AD Obv: DIVO AVG VESPAS above; S P Q R in exergue; Deified Vespasian std. r. holding sceptre and Victory in car drawn by four elephants with riders Rev: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; S C, large, in centre RIC 259 (R2). BMC -. BNC -. Acquired from Wallin Mynt, November 2019.
Oh man, nice idea RC! And good golly does TIF have a collection of wild critters pulling bigas! Andres2 beat me to it, but still here's the smaller drachm version: And some other fun stuff
I am so envious! If I had seen that coin, I would have snapped it up myself. All I have is these two: C. Renius, goats: C. Allius Bala, stags: Are cupids animals? If so, I also have this L. Julius L.f. Caesar: I would love one with elephants and one with lions -- I think there are multiple types of each -- as well as an example of the M. Volteius denarius with Ceres in a biga of snakes. But I have yet to find one of any of these that's nice enough for me to want, but not too expensive to buy. (Shanna Schmidt has one of the Julia Domna lion quadriga coins available for purchase, and it's very nice, but it's almost $1,000, and I can't bring myself to spend that much.)
Ephelant Quadriga Seleukid Seleukos I 312-280 BCE AR Tet 14.46g Seleukia on Tigris. Zeus - Athena driving a quadriga of 4 horned elephants SC 130
Nice pickup, @Roman Collector. In addition to the elephant biga, I also like the crowning Victory on the reverse, and Roma's Phrygian helmet. Very unusual.
Great theme and nice coins. Yours, @Roman Collector, takes the cake! Snakes seem to be just as competent at pulling chariots. Cng picture.
Same here, RC. Seeing these cool coins in CT encourages me to pick up a goat biga a little while ago. Still in the mail, and it's only my second Roman Republic coin.
