A Roman themed chess-set!

Maybe it's one of Fischer's Chess960 starting positions!

 

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Very cool coin, @Alegandron. You sent me to (why lie?) Wiki for how long the Etruscans remained independent of Rome, and their trade contacts with Egypt, whether directly or through Phoenician intermediaries. ...Right, with Massilia just to the west.

 

Just found one on ebay auction https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393371481687?hash=item5b96c47657:g:v7QAAOSw6bFgotn~

 

Purportedly, this is the first coin featuring an African bust. Way cool to me.

 

Wish I had decent pics of my example, but here's a much better one, from ACSearch: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7472677

 

Awesome! I THOUGHT the Etrurian would not be the first. Nice coin of yours.

 

ah I hoped no one noticed it!

 

@A

@Alegandron, thanks for confirming something I always thought, that, with enough accumulated context, sometimes, first thoughts are best.
...Back to my example, Really, you're not missing much. Only got it because it was unattributed on ebay. The good old days....

 

Jay, The most famous antique chess set in the world is the Lewis Chessmen, carved from walrus ivory & whale teeth most likely in Norway, during the 12th or 13th century, property of the British Museum.




The Queen is hilarious, looking quite board holding up her head with one hand & a drinking horn in the other.


One of the most interesting depictions in the set is the Warder, here shown as a "Berserker" biting his shield . Berserkers were Viking warriors who ingested hallucinogenic drugs before battle, believing they couldn't be harmed by the enemy. They were the most feared medieval warriors.


This chess piece, also a Warder (equivalent to a rook) believed to be from the original set was auctioned in London about a year ago for $975,000 !

 

Great pics,@Al Kowsky.

 

The Romans actually had a board game of military strategy, Ludus Latrucunlorum, the game of mercenaries, though I don't know what the pieces looked like. It was supposed to have been popular as a diversion in the army. By the way, a form of chess was quite popular in ancient Persia and it is from them that we get Shah Mat, the king is dead. Well mate, what think you of that? Check.