Featured A Souvenir From the Colosseum?

I was looking for the oddity that is the reverse of both of our coins. What is really out of place with it?

 

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The god Sobek? I've been to his temples in Tebtunis and Kom Ombo...

 

My coin is a dog when it comes to condition, but the animal is a hippo from Alexandria under Claudius, AD41-42. Bronze, 25 mm.

 

I read an interesting paper by Mika Rissanen. He wrote : “The treatment given to wolves differed from the treatment meted out to other large predators. The Romans generally seem to have refrained from intentionally harming wolves. For instance, they were not hunted for pleasure (but only in order to protect herds that were out at pasture), and not displayed in the venationes, either. The special status of the wolf was not based on national ideology, but rather was connected to the religious importance of the wolf to the Romans.”

 

I am sorry, I really do not collect this area (Roman Imperial / Provincial). I edited my post to the original Auction's attribution. Prima facia, I cannot really tell you what is different about the reverse(s).

 

I never knew that about left-facing Trajan. I couldn't remember which way my gift Trajan coin was facing. I ran to grab it. It is right facing!! Yaaayy!

 

I simply find it fascinating a coin from Arabia clearly has a Bactrian camel portrayed, not an Arabian one. The only idea I can come up with is they were advertising how Bostra was an end point of the great Silk Road, and there in Bostra the Silk Road merged with the Spice Road up from Yemen. If true, it would yield great wealth to Bostra.

Half the reason I collect this coin is because a have a fairly large Silk Road coin collection, and to me this is a Roman coin also depicting this historical trade connection.

 

AH! LOL, subliminally, I noticed it, but it just did not register! Thanks for pointing that out! That was a "DUH" moment for me!

Boy, I thought you were driving me down a rabbit-hole with various legends, or Greek letters, etc. that I just don't pursue... the Camel species almost bit me on the nose! Nice observation.

Best,
Brian

 

rooster from Teanum Sidicinum




Bull from Teanum

 

Not coins, but fully Roman none the less - Lamp depicting a bull charging and about to gore a condemned prisoner in the arena - and some other non numismatic "animalia romana'. Hatrian aes grave chicken...

 

I like Domitian's rhino series as well! Here is another one in the same grouping (correction RIC 253). Its hard to find roman coins with animals on both sides.

 

Is that your coin?? It's actually RIC 253 - the frequency rating is R3 (unique) in the catalogue, but the Addenda now records it as R2 (very few examples known).

 

Yes, mine. You’re correct- 253- my bad. Is the addenda published?

 

Awesome coin!

Sadly no, the Addenda is not published. Until it is, here is the listing for RIC 253.

 

I enjoy reading your information. I'm 71 and didn't know how much I didn't know until I read this blog. I don't know if any of you have been to Italy, Rome especially. My father was in the US Army and was stationed in Landstuhl, Germany and when I was 8, we took a vacation and traveled all over Europe in a 1950 Studebacker. Back then you could go down into the coliseum without anyone chasing you out. Anyway, while my parents weren't watching I got down lower and picked up some old "rocks" with pictures on them. I'm sure they were coins of some kind. But, when you are 8, some things aren't as important as others. They got lost. I wish I had kept them. I still have my baseball glove tho.

 

Great coin. Looks like a mule with another quadrans reverse. I have never seen one either, (and trust me I try to check out any rhinos I ever see). I am very jealous.

 

Pretty cool!

 

I really like that coin.

 

That is such a neat type.

I only have pictures of the Colosseum as souvenirs.

 

octavius, Aside from a spectacular coin collection you've got some important artifacts to go with them ! Has your collection ever been put on public display by a museum ? If not it should be .