Featured Follow the coin theme GAME - ancient edition - post ‘em if you got ‘em

I consider this one as the hand of God:


next as Curtis said, scyphate

 

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Sogdia, Samarqand, AR "obol," 4th–5th c. AD. Obv: stylized bust l. Rev: archer standing r. 9mm, 0.3g. Ref: Senior A8.7i; HGC 12, 512.

Next: Silk Road

 

This one matches for the [Maritime] Silk Road but is also scyphate. This was minted by one of the successive kingdoms of East Java following the Mataram Kingdom's shift east from the Kedu Plain to the Brantas River Delta around 929 AD due to disastrous volcanic eruptions. These were issued anonymously by the Mataram, Kediri, Jenggala, Singhasari, and later Majapahit Kingdoms. They are most commonly simply attributed to the Majapahit but this is mostly incorrect as it seems the Majapahit phased out the native silver/gold coins within a decade or two of coming to power, ending the roughly half millennium that one could find a small silver coin stamped with the sandalwood flower and Nagari Ma character in Javanese markets.

Buddhist/Hindu Kingdoms of East Java
Present-day Indonesia
c. 930-1300 AD
AR Kupang | 0.45 grams
Obv: Sandalwood flower motif, double struck in error
Rev: Nagari script Ma in later Javanese style
​

Next: Another coin whose issuing kingdom is unknown (or at least controversial)

 

I've been answering often lately, so I wanted to skip one, but I can't let that prompt get 12-hour'd! (An interesting one, @TuckHard !)

Here's one that's been a matter of some dispute since I think as early as Eckhel. Even for those who are certain the monogram types are of Brutus (for the monogram staters I think the metallurgy is pretty strong evidence), they still really don't know for sure who "Koson" would be (there are hypotheses).

Others believe they are nothing more than imitations of Roman Republican coins by the Getae or other Dacian or Danubian tribes. (Perhaps so for the non-monogram AV Staters.) Or, just... who knows? Some people who hoarded gold for the mountain god?

Some people don't even believe the silver ones are ancient at all.

But RPC has now finally accepted them, and I think the die and metallurgy evidence is strong. They're just all from one find c. 2003, maybe 85 of them. And were all struck with reverse die “Type b” (Hourmouziadis 2010), previously known only from a single example in the AV Stater (Dima et al. 2007, no. 145, as illustrated in Hourmouziadis 2010: P. 294, Fig 3a):

All of them were struck with the same pair of dies. These dies are A / b. Such a combination was found only in a single specimen of the Târsa (1996) treasure (Dima et al. 2007 [sic (?), Dima et al. 2004?]). This would indicate that the reverse die was primarily used for minting silver drachmae.​

It would be hard to fake 85 coins based on a die known only from a single specimen (held by a museum)!

The Brutus-Koson-Skythia-Dacia-Olbia-or-are-they-all-modern-forgeries AR Drachm:


And the AV Stater (monogram type) that goes with it


A couple others in thumbnail (Olbia vs. Parion Drachm; Eythrae vs. Herakleia Hekte)



NEXT: A coin that appeared in multiple metals (or at least series of very similar coins, AE, AR, AV, BI, EL, PB, and/or Other, any two or more; you don't have to post both, but please tell, cuz I'm curious about those!)

 

My bi-metallic example of a commemorative Chola issue.
A silver stater (970-985 AD) of Uttama Chola portraying the subjugation of neighboring kingdoms of Chera, and Pandya, depicted as the royal emblems-Cholan tiger, flanked by the Pandyan twin fish to its right, and the Cheran bow behind the tiger, all under the single rule symbolized by the umbrella. And the legends in Nagari states, Uttama Chola.


A 1/10th kahavanu (1014-1044 AD) of Rajendra Chola, same theme on obv, however on the rev, it reads Yudha-malla, aka one who's strong in battles.


Next, same imagery/theme on two or more different metallic coins.

 

Super interesting answer, exactly the type of thing I was hoping for. Fascinating that all of the hoard's coins were of the same die pair, they must have been deposited soon after minting or possibly have had a different use than circulation, like you mention with the mountain god reverence. Numismatic mysteries are my favorite!

Tying to my earlier Javanese silver coin, these match into this theme too. I know I've shared these around a good few times but I think they're too good of a fit not to post here. The silver sandalwood coins, as they are often referred, were first minted in Central Java around 800 AD and were copied by following Javanese kingdoms for around 500 years until the Majapahit stopped minting the coins and swapped to imported Chinese copper coins. Meanwhile, the Srivijaya who inhabited the nearby island of Sumatra began to copy/imitate the Javanese silver sandalwood coins in a unique Sumatran style in both silver and gold alloys. The Sumatran sandalwood coins were circulating in the 900s at the latest but it's unclear how long they were in circulation. The Javanese on the other hand never minted gold sandalwood coins; they had a unique gold coinage called the gold piloncito. JayAg47 has a nice early Java gold piloncito and a good thread, definitely worth checking out.

Here is my silver sandalwood coin from Java along with a very small Sumatran gold version.

Buddhist/Hindu Kingdoms of East Java
c. 930-1300 AD
AR Atak | 1.04 grams
Obv: Sandalwood flower motif, double struck in error
Rev: Nagari script Ma in later Javanese style


Srivijaya of Sumatra
c. 930-1300 AD
AV 1/4 Kupang | 0.16 grams | 5mm wide
Obv: Sandalwood flower motif
Rev: Nagari script Ma in Sumatran style

​

Next: Same theme!

 

12-hour bump.
How about a new theme. An Alphabet of Roman Emperors!
I'll start with "A". Obviously, Augustus:

Augustus, AR tetradrachm
2 B.C., Syria, Antioch mint
OBV: ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ, laureate head of Augustus right
REV: ΕΤΟΥΣ ΟΚ ΝΙΚΗΣ, Tyche of Antioch seated, right, with palm branch; before river god Orontes; ΥΠΑ ΙΓ and ΑΝΤ (in field)
28mm, 12.56g; RPC I 4156
Ex Seaby, London, April 1980


Next up: a Roman Emperor whose name begins with "B". Let's see how far in the alphabet we can get!

 

Well, let's go with "Lucius Septimius Bassianus".

"The two sons left by Septimius Severus, Geta and Bassianus, both received the surname Antoninus, one from the army, the other from his father, but Geta was declared a public enemy, while Bassianus got the empire."
-Historia Augusta, The Life of Antoninus Caracalla, 1.1


Bassianus (Caracalla), AR Denarius, Rome, AD 216
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head to right
Rev: P M TR P XVIIII COS IIII P P, Jupiter seated to left, holding Victory and sceptre, eagle at feet
Ref: RIC IV 277c

Next up: a Roman Emperor whose name begins with "C". Let's see how far in the alphabet we can get!

 

Caligula, and Carus if anyone argues that Caligula wasn't his real name:





Next, emperor beginning with "D."

 

Next: curule

 

Vespasian in a curule chair. Next, emperor beginning with "E."

 

Well, I was thinking about posting one of my Eugenius AV Solidi, but I don't have any yet, so I think I'll go with Elagabalus Tetradrachm:

Roman Provincial. Elagabalus (Augustus, 218-222 CE) AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 14.77g, 12h). Uncertain mint in Syria (Laodicea ad Mare or Antioch?), c. 218-222. Ref: Prieur 257. Prov: Naville 4 (14 Dec 2013), 123.​

NEXT: "F" -- but I think we're going to have allow Latin Ladies / Empresses for this one (or, perhaps someone who knows more about names than I do may have an Emperor).

 

I would post by Fespasian, Fraian or Flaudius coins, but only after somebody confirms something more interesting than a Faustina exists.

 

I was going to post my Eugenius siliqua, but you beat me to the punch with Elagabalus. Florian or Flavius Victor are the only emperors I can think of that begin with F, but I have no coins of either....

 

NEXT: "F" -- but I think we're going to have allow Latin Ladies / Empresses for this one (or, perhaps someone who knows more about names than I do may have an Emperor).

Florianus:

Next up: a Roman Emperor whose name begins with "G". Let's see how far in the alphabet we can get!

 

Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 4.63 g, 21.4 mm, 7 h.
Rome, officina 5, AD 267-268.
Obv: IMP GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right.
Rev: DIANAE CONS AVG, doe standing right, head turned left over shoulder. Є in exergue.
Refs: RIC 176K; Göbl 728z; Cohen 155; RCV 10199; La Venera 87e.

Next: H

 

Next: I (J)

 

Does J count for I?

 

Good call! Iulian would be a smooth move her...

 

Actually, correct Roman names where Iulia, Iulian. Just saying.