River Gods

This coin came in today from Forum Ancients.

It is an AE 28, minted in Petra for Emperor Geta (older, later portrait), depicting Tyche, seated on a rock, on the reverse.

Spijkerman 53 (same dies)
BMC page 36, 17 (same)

15.76 grams

 

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Most of my river god coins have been shown already in this thread:

I can add this trias from Gela. I liked the wavy 'underwater' coiffe:


Also, earlier today I won a coin in an obol in an auction from Kebren in Troas.The reverse of these is described as alternetively a 'youthful male head' or Apollo. But, interestingly, a few examples I found on Acsearch have the same wavy underwater hair as the Gelan trias above. Even the facial features seem to match, making the resemblance uncanny. Compare: (the one I bought today)


Hence my guess: it's a river god as well! I haven't done the homework yet (the coins not even paid for), but a quick search on Wikipedia just now mentioned that the worship of river gods was widespread in Troas. So I think/hope I'm on the right track here.

 

This coin was minted in Selinos in Sicily. River god Selinos on the obverse (can't really see that he is horned, but there is meant to be a tiny horn there).

Rev: Apollo and Artemis on a quadriga.

 

Still in Sicily : Amenanos, the river god of Katane as a man-faced bull

 

CILICIA, Hieropolis-Kastabala (200-30 BC). Æ (20mm, 3.56 gm, 12h).
Obv: Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right. Rev: ΙΕΡΟ/ΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ - ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΩΙ / ΠΥΡΑΜΩΙ, River-god Pyramos swimming right, holding eagle in right hand. SNG BN 2215

 

A lot of nice coins and river gods in this thread! ~23 different Rivers or gods by my count...

 

We missed Neapolis!

 

More than Neapolis: Istros, Meandros and many more.

 

Heck, if we're trying to show them all, let's add the Rhine!


Postumus, AD 260-269.
Roman billon antoninianus, 2.54 g, 22.4 mm, 12 h.
Trier (some attribute to Cologne), 1st emission, 2nd phase, AD 260-261.
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: SALVS PROVINCIARVM, river god Rhinus, bearded and horned, reclining left, resting right hand on boat and holding anchor in left, left arm resting on urn.
Refs: RIC 87; RSC 355b; Mairat 1-5; RCV 10991; AGK 88c; De Witte 290; Hunter p. lxxxviii.

 

I didn't think of Neapolis. Nice coin. Here's my example.

 

Two different Hadrians from Roman Alexandria, with Nilus reverses:







Two different Tyches with Orontes swimming below, both minted in Antioch --one a Trajan from Seleucis and Pieria, the other a Maximinus II so-called "persecution issue."

 

Love your coin...my river god contribution.
CARIA. Antiochia ad Maeandrum. Gallienus, 253-268CARIA. Antiochia ad Maeandrum. Gallienus, 253-268. Hexassarion (?) (Bronze, 30 mm, 13.65 g, 6 h). AY•K•Î •Î“AΛ[ΛIHNOC] Radiate, helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to left, holding spear and shield. Rev. ANT[IOXЄΩN] Bridge of six arches spanning the Maeander, with gateway to left and river-god Maeander reclining left on bridge, holding reed. BMC 57. SNG von Aulock 2430

 

Here is Kyndos, swimming below Tyche:


Cilicia, Tarsos, 164-27 BC, AE26, 13.54g
Obv: ΤΑΡΣΕΩΝ / ΜΑΞΙΜΟΥ ΝΙΚΟ-ΛΑΟΝ; Zeus seated left, holding Nike with wreath and staff.
Rev: ΟΡΤΥΓΟΘΗ ΡΑ; Tyche seated right on stool, holding poppy and corn-ears, river-god Kyndos swimming right below.
ex-Stacks/Coin Galleries, April 2005, lot 135

Yesterday I posted the river-god Krimisos, in dog form, to another thread.

 

Campania, Neopolis
275-250 BCE
AE 18, 4.99g
Obv: Laureate Head of Apollo, NEOPOLITON (in Greek), Theta at r.
Rev: Achelous advancing r, crowned by flying Nike, IOTA SIGMA under Achelous
Ref: Sambon 663; HN Italy 589; SNG ANS 474; SNG Copenhage - ;

@Nicholas Molinari :
"Your first coin is a plate coin in Potamikon, number 343 in our catalog so Sambon 663; Taliercio IIIa.16; MSP I, 343, featuring Acheloios Sebethos as a man-faced bull. Taliercio cited three examples of this type, so yours is the fourth known of that particular variety."
"According to my notes, ACR E-Auction 28 lot 12."

 

River god Hebrus, Philippopolis, Thrace

 

..do Nymphs count?...i remembered this gal on the reverse..and just lQQked up who it is... Histiaia Euboea...associated with the river Callas... 13mm, 1.34gms

 

Very interesting coin, @Sulla80!

MARCUS AURELIUS
AE26. 12.74g, 25.6mm. THRACE, Pautalia, AD 161-180. Varbanov 4433; Ruzicka, Pautalia 54 var. (obv legend); RPC Online IV.1 temp 10208/2 (this coin). O: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΑVΡΗ ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟC, bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: ΟΥΛΠΙΑC ΠΑVΤΑΛΙΑC, River god Strymon reclining left, holding vine branch and reed; left elbow resting on water-urn.


SICILY, Segesta
AR Didrachm. 8.16g, 21.9mm. SICILY, Segesta, circa 440/35-420/16 BC. Hurter, Didrachmenprägung 129 (V39/R73); HGC 2, 1135. O: River-god Krimisos in the form of a hound standing left. R: Head of the nymph Segesta right, within linear circle.

 

With all the examples of Tyche and the river god, why has no one ever questioned why she appears to be drowning the river god with her feet? May he's trying to look up the vestments? ;-)

 

Borysthenes (Dnieper):

Skythia, Olbia, AE21, ca. 310–280 BC. Obv: Bearded and horned head of the river god Borysthenes left. Rev: ΟΛBIO, axe-scepter and bow in case, monogram. 21mm, 10.43g. Ref: SNG BM Black Sea 451–517.

Rhenus (Rhine):

Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, mid–end 260 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS. P. F. AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: SALVS PROVINCIARVM; river god reclining l., head horned, r. hand resting on knee, and holding pitcher and anchor in l. hand; to rear, l., forepart of boat. 23mm, 3.15g. Ref: Mairat 14; RIC V Postumus 87.

 

You should scratch the coin from Petra from the list. I thought there was a river god next to the seated Tyche, on the reverse, but after looking more closely, there apparently isn't one. I'm not sure what it is.

Sorry...