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<p>[QUOTE="Curtis, post: 6448660, member: 26430"]I love the writeup [USER=72790]@kevin McGonigal[/USER] , and great topic for everyone to contribute to, since, as you say, horses were such a universal and important part of the ancient world that they appear everywhere.</p><p><br /></p><p>How to focus and restrain myself when choosing which of my own horses to share? Okay, just 5. Besides the extra Byz. thumbnails at the end, I didn't include any with riders.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first three are free, no harnesses or anything (actually not 100% sure about the Numidian, whom I'm glad to have learned Virgil recommended). Re: the size of ancient horses, even without scale, some of these ones look intimidating to climb aboard! Then a pair ready for riders, but without any.</p><p><br /></p><p>Chronologically:</p><p><br /></p><p>Carthage EL Stater, circa 300 BCE. Such a simple design, but executed in the height of Classical style:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1256541[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Iberia, under Punic control, Halved AR Shekel (4.09g), c. 237 - 209 BCE. Even just half of the horse (and palm, behind) is enough to convey Punic style:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1256554[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Numidia, Massinissa or successors, AE or Pb Obol? (28mm, 13.6g), c. 208-118 BCE. Numidian coinage often comes across as rough combination of Carthaginian and Ptolemaic. Believe it or not, this one is actually in relatively good style and preservation for Numidian AE.</p><p><br /></p><p>Numidians: "One of the best breeds," according to Virgil, I was glad to learn from this post!</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1256544[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Aeolis, Kyme AR Tetradrachm, c. 150 BCE. For most coins, we're used to the obverse dies being much fresher than the reverse. I don't know if Kyme made a practice of replacing the reverse dies more frequently (though, anecdotally, I notice many more weak/worn die obv. than rev.), but I'm glad this one had a nice crisp rev. I'd happily take the better horse over the weaker obv. Amazon Kyme (though both are lovely designs):</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1256546[/ATTACH]</p><p>Roman Republic, L. Censori, AR Denarius, c. 88 BCE. I love how this coin employs parsimony and "economy of design," using the empty space and anepigraphic obv to create a more dramatic and compelling image:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1256543[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh, lastly, regarding [USER=72790]@kevin McGonigal[/USER] 's mention of absence of horses on Byzantine coins, I know of them only on the "equestrian" or "spearing fallen enemy" motifs on the shields of facing busts starting around the early 5th century, and through at least the 7th. This fits well with the generally "aniconic" and non-materialistic/other-worldly artistic style of Byzantium. Just thumbnails, now, but you can see it in the bottom right corner, though not always clearly, in my Justinian AE Follis and Constantine IV AV Solidus (my coin, CNG's photo) below</p><p>[ATTACH]1256567[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1256568[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Curtis, post: 6448660, member: 26430"]I love the writeup [USER=72790]@kevin McGonigal[/USER] , and great topic for everyone to contribute to, since, as you say, horses were such a universal and important part of the ancient world that they appear everywhere. How to focus and restrain myself when choosing which of my own horses to share? Okay, just 5. Besides the extra Byz. thumbnails at the end, I didn't include any with riders. The first three are free, no harnesses or anything (actually not 100% sure about the Numidian, whom I'm glad to have learned Virgil recommended). Re: the size of ancient horses, even without scale, some of these ones look intimidating to climb aboard! Then a pair ready for riders, but without any. Chronologically: Carthage EL Stater, circa 300 BCE. Such a simple design, but executed in the height of Classical style: [ATTACH=full]1256541[/ATTACH] Iberia, under Punic control, Halved AR Shekel (4.09g), c. 237 - 209 BCE. Even just half of the horse (and palm, behind) is enough to convey Punic style: [ATTACH=full]1256554[/ATTACH] Numidia, Massinissa or successors, AE or Pb Obol? (28mm, 13.6g), c. 208-118 BCE. Numidian coinage often comes across as rough combination of Carthaginian and Ptolemaic. Believe it or not, this one is actually in relatively good style and preservation for Numidian AE. Numidians: "One of the best breeds," according to Virgil, I was glad to learn from this post! [ATTACH=full]1256544[/ATTACH] Aeolis, Kyme AR Tetradrachm, c. 150 BCE. For most coins, we're used to the obverse dies being much fresher than the reverse. I don't know if Kyme made a practice of replacing the reverse dies more frequently (though, anecdotally, I notice many more weak/worn die obv. than rev.), but I'm glad this one had a nice crisp rev. I'd happily take the better horse over the weaker obv. Amazon Kyme (though both are lovely designs): [ATTACH=full]1256546[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, L. Censori, AR Denarius, c. 88 BCE. I love how this coin employs parsimony and "economy of design," using the empty space and anepigraphic obv to create a more dramatic and compelling image: [ATTACH=full]1256543[/ATTACH] Oh, lastly, regarding [USER=72790]@kevin McGonigal[/USER] 's mention of absence of horses on Byzantine coins, I know of them only on the "equestrian" or "spearing fallen enemy" motifs on the shields of facing busts starting around the early 5th century, and through at least the 7th. This fits well with the generally "aniconic" and non-materialistic/other-worldly artistic style of Byzantium. Just thumbnails, now, but you can see it in the bottom right corner, though not always clearly, in my Justinian AE Follis and Constantine IV AV Solidus (my coin, CNG's photo) below [ATTACH]1256567[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1256568[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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