Featured A Now-Extinct Animal on a Roman Coin

There is an ostrich farm near us so I have tried it, I didn't think it was worth the price difference against beef. I didn't ask for a drumstick.

 

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What a coincidence! I just found a "weird" animal on a tiny coin. I wanted to soak it in distilled water and shoot it again in sunlight tomorrow. But after reading this interesting thread of TIF, I decided to post the obverse even though the condition is not very fine. The reverse also shows another animal. Please help me identify the sort of this animal. The coin weighs only 1.66 g.

 

Ooo... Apicius has two recepies for Ostrich...





Love the tasty coin TIF!

 

Looks like two horses with head turned back (maybe).

 

Book VI. Fowl

CHAP. IV. FIGPECKER [2]


So I google and come up with Orphean Warbler.......Apparently these little guys like to gorge themselves with figs. Makes sense to me.


[edit to add] And I hear they taste just like chicken.........

 

You're awesome, Marsha

 

Excellent thread!!

 

Edited to remove quote with language violation. You guys know better!!!

[?? Sorry if I didn't notice a language infraction and if I quoted it.-- TIF]

Hmm. When you take the new/better pictures post both sides. A standing horse with head reverted always make me think Carthage. Maybe you can find some possibilities there.

 

The closest match for this seems to be the extinct North African elephant.


Antiochus IV Epiphanes. AE16. Queen Laodice
SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Antiochus IV Epiphanes serrated AE16. 175 - 164 B.C. Seleucia-in-Pieria mint. Veiled bust of Laodice IV r. Border of dots / BASILEWS ANTIOCOU, Elephant head left, prow of galley right. Houghton 113

 

The North African 'Forest' elephant is the one I believe you're thinking of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_elephant It went extinct sometime in the First or Second century AD. Forvm member gallienus1 was kind enough to illustrate.




Titus
AR Denarius, 3.18g
Rome mint, 80 AD
RIC 116 (C), BMC 47, RSC 304
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
Rev: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P; Elephant, stg. l.
Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.

 

@7Calbrey Like Ancientone I think its an elephant. Similar to this Seratus
View attachment 560142
Antiochos VI Seratus Ae Dionysos
21mm, 7.8g, Antioch 145-142 BC

*Edited* better pic.

 

Your post has really stimulated me to start seriously considering ancients. New to coin collecting, and from what I've learned, I've been picking all the wrong coins. Oye. But I'm learning and very interested. Thank you for your very informative post.

 

Welcome Sapphire!

There are so many interested aspects to ancient coins you never get bored.

 

Yes, thank you!

 

That ostrich is just in an awesomely nutty pose . Win!

 

Here are two shots showing both obverse and reverse. Hope they help a little bit.
Thank you.

 

Big eggs to you @TIF for that excellent (as usual) thread about an excellent (as usual) coin !

Q

 

Just wanted to say the coin wickedly cool on numerous levels. Me wants!

 

Excellent history and illustrations. Fascinating and somewhat saddening to learn that even in ancient times, great animals sometimes became extinct.

Incorrectly, I had assumed that the elephants on these coins were African elephants, which can be distinguished by having ears roughly in the shape of the African continent. I had never noticed that the elephants on these coins had differently shaped ears. Here's mine (yet again):



TITUS 69 - 79 A.D.
AR Denarius (3.31 g.), Rome 80 A.D. RIC 115
IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM Laureate head of Titus right. Rev. TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P Elephant, wearing cuirass, advancing left.