A Severus Alexander Veterinarian coin – hand shaking with Bull

I would like to share a cute-looking coin I picked up earlier this year. I have not seen this coin type before. The reverse design simply captures my eyes, since it looks like a man “hand shaking” with a bull.

On further research, the seated man is actually Aesculapius, god of medicine and son of Apollo. He is examining the bull in front of him. He is performing a veterinarian task. I tried to locate any Roman painting or carving of similar theme, but found none. Further research indicates that the veterinarian theme is quite rare on Roman coins. Some sources even say this is the only ancient coin design regarding the veterinarian theme.

I like this coin a lot. Would surely include it in my Top 10 2021 "bronze coin" list (I am thinking to prepare two Top 10 coin lists this year: one on silver coins, and another on bronze)


SEVERUS ALEXANDER. Parium, Mysia. AD 222-235
AE23. 5.42g. 23mm
Obverse: IMP CAEƧ L ƧEP ƧEV ALEXANDER. Laureate bust right, wearing cuirass.
Reverse: DEO AEƧ VB. Aesculapius seated on throne, examining hoof of bull standing left; C G I H P in exergue.
RPC 3871 (temp.)
Lodge Antiquities, 2021

You are welcome to post any coin design involving bulls. Thanks!

 

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I think I made a mistake in the title. The reverse design should be a bull instead of a cow. Typed too fast.

Wonder if there is any way to edit title.

 

Yes, go to Thread Tools under the title.

Beautiful coin, and very unusual indeed.

 

Many thanks, Donna!

 

Fun coin! I've always liked that reverse type.

 

Thanks, @Roman Collector

 

I did not even know such a coin existed !

 

Same here. I found it cool-looking in vcoins. Purchased it, and then do research afterwards.

 

Really great coin! Like others, I had no idea the type even existed. Nice find!

 

Very unique coin! This is the only bull I can think of. A Neapolis didrachm 325 - 241BC. 7.12g.
Hoping to find a better centered example one day.

 

What an adorable scene! The bull looks grateful for the care.

Here's a heifer


THRACE, Byzantion
Circa 340-320 BCE
AR; Half Siglos; 14 mm, 2.53 gm
Obv: monogram; Bovine standing left on dolphin left
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square of mill sail pattern
Ref: Schönert-Geiss 291. SNG BM Black Sea 36–41


And a bull


PHLIASIA, Phlius
400-350 BC
AR obol, 11 mm, 0.84 gm
Obv: forepart of butting bull left
Rev: large Φ surrounded by four pellets
Ref: SNG Copenhagen 8-9
from Triskeles Auctions, Oct. 2013
ex BCD Collection, not in previous BCD sales.
Handwritten round tag and auction clipping indicates that BCD acquired this coin from Sotheby's, 26-27 May 1976, lot 88, for £55 + 10% VAT

 

Terrific coin! Mine is a Commodus in very low grade, but from the same city and with the same reverse scene. The horns of the bull are all but missing, and I spent a long time thinking it was a panther or lioness.


COMMODUS
AE22. 5.47g, 21.8mm. MYSIA, Parium, circa AD 188-190. RPC IV.2 Online Temp 3164; SNG Cop 290; BMC 104. O: [IMP CA(I sic) M AV COMMODVS], laureate bust of Commodus with long and wide beard right, wearing cuirass and paludamentum, seen from rear. R: [DEO AESC SVB C G I H P], Asklepios seated right, holding with right hand the right fore-hoof of bull standing left.

 

I had never seen this type before either. I'm very envious!

Here's a bull, on a double maiorina from Julian II:



A Gallienus legionary bull (the emblem of Leg. VIII Augusta)



A bull on a coin of Tiberius from Hispania Tarraconensis, Turiaso Mint:



And finally, a heifer that's often been wrongly identified as a bull, being sacrificed to Diana on the Aventine Hill as portrayed on a denarius issued by Postumus Albinus:



Which leads me to raise the following question: look at the three bulls I posted, and then look at yours. Are you sure yours is a bull? There seems to be something missing. (Although it does seem to be present on @zumbly's specimen.)

 

Thanks, John.

Thanks, @iameatingjam. I also like the Neapolis didrachm coin design.

 

These are very nice coin designs, @TIF. Thanks for sharing.
The Phliasia charging bull looks like trying to break out from the coin!

 

A similar coin design, but under Commodus! Very nice, @zumbly.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[QUOTE
Which leads me to raise the following question: look at the three bulls I posted, and then look at yours. Are you sure yours is a bull? There seems to be something missing. (Although it does seem to be present on @zumbly's specimen.)[/QUOTE]
I think Elagabalus has them!

 

Thanks for sharing your very nice coins with bull designs, Donna.

I agree something looks "off". The "bull" in my coin has no muscles as well. Maybe that's why Aesculapius is doing the checkup.

 

Tiberius from Calagurris in Spain; bought it especially because of the bull!

 

@happy_collector, I fell in love with the reverse on your coin, but never expected to see another one like it for sale. But I recently noticed that the very same dealer from whom you bought yours (Lodge Antiquities in the UK) had another example for sale. So I bought it, even though the coin (especially the rather poor obverse!) is in much lesser condition than yours. But the reverse is still very nice, I think, and that's the reason for buying the coin anyway. I'm happy to have it.

Severus Alexander, AE 22, AD 218-222, Mysia, Parion. Obv. Laureate bust right, wearing cuirass with Gorgoneion, seen from front, IMP CAEƧ L ƧEP ƧEV ALEXANDER (all S retrograde) / Rev. Asklepios seated right on throne, with right hand extended, holding raised right fore-hoof of bovid (bull or cow) standing left with head raised towards his face, DEO AEƧ VB above, C G H I P in exergue.* RCP VI Online 3871 (temp.) (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6/3871). 20.03 mm., 4.24 g. Purchased from Lodge Antiquities, UK, Jan. 2022.



*According to RCP VI 3871, the blundered reverse legend “is presumably an attempt at DEO AESCVLAP.” Along with a similar reverse on a coin of Commodus from the same location (see RPC IV.2 Online 3164 [temp.]), this is a rare depiction on an ancient coin of a veterinarian at work.

Note that the dealer's description of this coin said that it was "The last example I have of the type." I wonder how many he had to begin with. Hopefully he wasn't striking them in his basement! (Just kidding, really: coincidentally, Lodge was the dealer from whom I purchased the Roman Alexandrian tetradrachm of Antoninus Pius with Isis Pharia on the reverse that turned out to be a very good fake listed in the Forvum Fake Coins Reports, but I'm sure that was unintentional, and he promptly gave me a refund. I'm not actually suspicious of this one; I scrolled through all 9 pages of the Fake Coin Reports on Severus Alexander, and saw nothing like this type.)