Weapons on Ancient Coins

I have not seen one of the more defensive weapons yet, the castle with several turrets...

 

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I forgot to post a trident:

Agrippa (d. 12 BCE), AE As, Memorial issue struck by Caligula, 37-41 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Head of Agrippa left, wearing rostral crown, M AGRIPPA L - F COS III / Rev. Neptune standing left, holding trident in left hand; dolphin resting left on his right forearm; S - C on either side of Neptune. RIC I Caligula [Gaius] 58, Sear RCV I 1812, Cohen Agrippa 3. 31 mm., 11.0 g.

 

Fun thread @Roman Collector ! Here are a few.

Spear and Bow


Sling


Trident


Thunder Bolt


Aegis


Fasces


Bow and Arrow


Club


Curved Knife

 

How about a Parzonium, held here (inverted in scabbard) by Virtus. It seems these were more ceremonial than fighting weapons, but hey - it's still a blade.

 

I didn't see a FEL TEMP yet so....

Constantius II
337-361 AD
AE16
Cyzicus
Obverse: DN CONSTAN-TIVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Reverse: FEL TEMP-REPARATIO, soldier standing left, spearing fallen horseman who is unbearded, wearing Phrygian helmet, reaching backwards. Dot M dot in left field. Mintmark SMKΓ

 

A simple spear and shield...
Licinius II (Caesar, 317-324). AE Follis, 2.96 gram, 19.0mm, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint,
Obverse..D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C ("Our Lord Valerius Licinianus Licinius, Noblest Caesar"), helmeted, cuirassed bust left, shield in left hand and spear in right held over shoulder;
Reverse..IOVI CONSERVATORI ("To Jupiter the protector"), Jupiter standing facing, head left, nude but for chlamys over shoulder, Victory on globe offering wreath in his right hand, eagle-topped scepter vertical in left, eagle with wreath in beak on left, X/IIΓ (12 1/2) on right above bearded captive at feet seated right with head turned looking back at Jupiter, SMANTZ in exergue (7th officina)

 

BONUS! She is holding a KILLER PEANUT!

 

Terrific thread, @Roman Collector. ...Of course, where weapons are concerned, you need something medieval....

Duchy of (Upper) Lorraine, Feri I, second half of the 13th century. Petit denier of Nancy ('nAn ...C[E]I'). Feri on horseback, with shield and sword; mailed arm holding another sword.
And my only Freisacher, reposted just a few days ago, but here it is anyway; Bernhard, Duke of Carinthia (in Austria), more mid-13th century. Featuring the duke in chain mail, holding a shield and brandishing another sword. I love the minimalism of the propoganda; 'Try messing with me:'

Funly, the fess (bar) on the shield corresponds to one of the contemporary coats of arms of the dynasty.

 

Roman pugio, c. 3rd century AD...


Roman pilum points...



Roman spears dated to @ AD 50 - 120...


Roman tip of scorpion bolt...



RR denarius T. Didius , with whip vs sword.

 

A depiction of some more ancient weapons, albeit on an Attic black-figure lekythos from ca. 525-500 BCE rather than on a coin:

 

OK, I found an image of a small wheeled "carroballista" designed to accompany infantry as they moved about the battlefield. Think WW II 37mm or 57 mmm anti tank gun. It is on Trajan's column and can be viewed on modern photos there or you can look at the reverse of my avatar, a Trajan dupondius, showing the column on the reverse. You may have difficulty spotting it but if your imagination is as good as mine it's no problem. Again think, WW II 12 o'clock high.

 

An enjoyable, if vicious thread indeed. Here's a big old sword from Pontos; it is sheathed so you know Mithradates VI was a peace-lovin' guy:


Pontos, Amisos Æ 17
Mithradates VI Eupator
(c. 120-63 B.C.)
Helmeted head of Ares right / AMI-Σ[OY] across fields, sword in sheath, star in crescent upper left, IB at upper right, ΡΠMK monogram at lower left, no monogram at lower right.
SNG BM Black Sea 1162.
(6.10 grams / 17 mm)
eBay Aug. 2019

Here's a weapon countermark, maybe - what I think is a club on a Pergamum AE. I have never been able to find a reference to this one.


Pergamum, Mysia Æ 19
(c. 200-27 B.C.)
Helmeted head of Athena right / AΘHNA[Σ] [N]IKHΦOΡO[Y] to left & right of trophy of arms. O on ΔI monogram in left field.
Weber 5198; BMC 179.
Countermark: Club of Hercules reverse? Unattributed.
(4.87 grams / 17 x 19 mm)
eBay Feb. 2018

 

Unfortunately not clear on my example, but here's a weapon that hasn't been shown yet, with a Thessalian cavalryman about to clobber his enemy with a "bifurcate flail."

THESSALY, Pharsalos
AE Trichalkon. 8.65g, 22.1mm. THESSALY, Pharsalos, 3rd century BC. HGC 4, 650 (R1); BCD Thessaly II 672.4. O: Helmeted head of Athena Parthenos facing slightly left, with shield and spear over shoulder. R: ΦAP, Armored Thessalian warrior on horse rearing right, brandishing flail at enemy warrior fleeing to right; soldier behind to left.
Ex BCD Collection, with handwritten tag stating, "Found nr. Loutro, Bt. Nov. 86, 2000 drs"

Different variety from the same city, but with the cavalryman's flail clearly shown (not my coin):

 

A very pretty bow and spear. Maybe consider the dog a weapon too?

 

While much more of a medieval coin, AH 596 (1199-1200 CE), this Turkoman figural AE dirham, Artuqids of of Mardin, graphically shows the result of using a long curved sword to make a point, so to speak:



And, from Phoenicia, a Bybos shekel, 435-425 BCE, a galley, with its pointed extension on the bow, used to ram other vessels, not very good manners on the high seas, but very popular and effective for the maritime powers.

 

Does Zeus’s lightning bolt count as a weapon? xD

 

Then there's the plain old spear...


Kassander (minted by Pleistarchos)

 

I’m gonna put my auction win from today just because it’s hilarious that I won a coin today that features a weapon and you asked about coins with weapons today xD

Minerva with spear AND thunderbolt.





(Minerva standing facing, head left, thunderbolt in right hand, spear in left, shield behind her leaning against her legs.)

In your face Zeus!!