CoinWeek: bugs on ancient coins

Steve Benner published this interesting CoinWeek article about bugs on ancient coins.

From the article:



"My cursory search yielded nine major bugs that appear on ancient Greek and Roman coins: the grasshopper; the ant; the butterfly; the scarab; the cicada; the cricket; and the bee, wasp, or fly. I’m sure this is not a complete set, but it is a good sample."

Let's see your bugs. I don't have any in my collection.

 

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Bee

 

This is probably my favorite


Ionia. Ephesos circa 500-420 BC.
Diobol AR 11 mm., 0,92 g
Bee with slightly curved wings, on it spiral decoration. R / Quadripartite incuse square
Karwiese Series VI, 2A; SNG Kayhan 124

 

A tiny scorpion...


M. Aemilius Scaurus and P. Plautius Hypsaeus. Denarius - Rome mint, 58 BC
M SCAVR AED CVR In two lines above camel, EX | SC, in exergue REX ARETAS, King Aretas of Nabataea, kneeling right beside a camel, holding an olive branch
P HVPSAEVS AED CVR in two lines, CAPTVM in the right field, C HVPSAE COS PREIVER in two lines, Jupiter driving a quadriga left, holding a thunderbolt. Scorpion in lower left field.
Ref : RCV #379

Q

 

Interesting article! Thank you for posting it.

There is a fly on the reverse of my Lampsakos diobol:

Mysia, Lampsakos, diobol, ca. 400–300 BC. Obv: Janiform female heads. Rev: Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet, ΛΑΜ around, fly right. 10mm, 1.2g. Ref: SNG France 1190; Baldwin 1924, group B, type I,19.

 

Fun article RC!
This winged thunderbolt always looks to my eyes like a half winged thunderbolt and half insect. I just don't get the artists intent, other than making room for the shields. I'm sure it's symbolic for something. Probably something lost to the ages:

Sicily, Katane

AR Litra. Circa 415/3-404 BC. Head of Silenos to left, wearing ivy wreath / ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ Winged thunderbolt between two shields. Boehringer, Kataneische LI 6-7. Rizzo pl. XIV, 18 var. SNG ANS 1266. 0.71g, 10mm, 6h

 

I have both/ real/ on coin....both are from Papua New Guinea/ formerly Deutsches Neu-Guinea Companie.
Ornithoptera Goliath Procus form Joviae

 

An interesting article, RC.

There is a grasshopper below the stag biga.

C. Allius Bala 92 BC. Rome
AR Denarius. 14 mm., 3,66 g.
Obv: BALA, diademed head of Diana right, wearing necklace of beads
Rev: C • ALLI, Diana driving gallopingbiga of stags right, spear and reins in left hand, torch in right, grasshopper right below, all within laurel wreath.
Crawford 336/1b; Sydenham 595; Aelia 4.

 

FLY


Sicily Akragas AE Onkia 16mm 3.8g 425-406 BCE Eagle r fish fly - Crab conch SNG ANS 1062 var



Amber w- Fly

 

Not well centered but at least the ant is nice

 

Another bee from Ephesus with a python too, sorta:


Ionia, Ephesos Æ 14
Python, Magistrate
(c. 48-27 B.C.)
E-Φ, Bee with straight wings, within laurel wreath / ΠYΘΩN beneath stag standing right, head turned left, torch in background.
(3.25 grams / 14 x 12 mm)
eBay Feb. 2021
Attribution Notes:
From Wildwinds:
SNG Cop 347; SNG Tuebingen 2805; SNG von Aulock 1873; Head Chronology, p. 76, 13; Subhi 2767.

 

..i have the proverbial Ephesus bee/stag coin...it was stuck in such a way as to make the deer look as if its grazing.. Ae Ephesus Ionia, c.180BC, Bee/Stag. 15mm 3.70gms

 

That coin is on my want list. Very nice.

 

so cool.

 

Thank you for posting this article. I do not collect ancient coin yet. My first ancient coins will be coins with insects. I will start saving up for this type when I am able too do so....

 

I am fascinated with "Coins with Insects". Here is my link to my "Coins with Insects" collection so far....link: https://collectivecoin.com/spirityoda/hDU8RfxfZCIb6xD0pqGd/nJ4jcxZJePbbAuChbguO

Click on the pics to enlarge them bigger.

Enjoy.

Belize gold coin...

 

Down the road I want these...

 

Bugs are the one creature that actually appear on coins life-sized!

 

My biggest mistake was to collect butterflies/ moths back in the 1990s. I should have stuck with coins. Now, I am cashing that collection in, to acquire nice coins better late/ then never.
John