Alternative Modes of Transportation

As far as I can recall TIF first used that 'phrase' for coins of this type and I've been after a few ever since..... and I feel comfortable blaming all the rest of you as well LOL. Obviously, it's a Roman Republic denarius with a sweet Roma obverse and a very decent goat driven biga reverse...and one of my oldest struck 138 BC.

Please feel free to indulge yourselves!!!


RENIA (138 BC) Caius Renius
Date: 138 B.C.
Workshop name: Rome
Metal: silver
Diameter: 16mm
Weight: 3.70g.
Crawford 231/1

Obverse titration: Anépigraphe.
Description obverse: Head helmeted from Rome to the right; Behind X.
Titulature reverse: C. RENI // ROMA.
Description reverse: Juno in a goat's beard galloping to the right, holding a scepter and the reins of the left hand and a whip of the right hand.

 

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Very nice coin but your historical description is for a completely different coin. The type it refers to was struck around 60 years later.

 

..i hate it when that happens....but.. super nice coin, just do a little revamping Z

 

Dang, I didn't notice this until I already posted...so I'll delete it

 

It's ok I think it just means you have to buy an example of the other type now.

 

Nice Denarius @Mikey Zee The goat biga is just plain cool! LOL, goats CHARGING!

I believe the C. REN reverse is a Moneyer from the famous Ren & Stimpy...
yes, true story.





I do not have a Goat Biga, just a Goat...


RR Fonteius 85 BC AR Den Apollo tbolt Cupid Goat Pilei Wreath Sear 271 Craw 353/1a


RR Cn Plancius 55 BCE Macedonia causia Cretan Goat quiver Sear 396 Craw 432/1

 

Very nice!

Someone please break out the serpent bigga

 

Yes, those are some BIG goats! Maybe good eating (not me, my sister once tried to trick me into drinking goats milk, one whiff and I knew it was not kosher!).

 

While we are waiting for the 'serpent biga', I'll throw in another 'goat' to complement Brian's cool post....

MN. FONTEIUS
Silver denarius, Crawford 353/2, Sydenham 726, Fonteia 12, BMCRR I Rome 2483, SRCV I 273, gVF, well centered, light toning, obverse die breaks, light scratches, Rome mint, weight 3.383g, maximum diameter 18.4mm, die axis 180o, c. 85 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Vejovis right, thunderbolt below, EX A P (ex Argento Publico) downward behind, no moneyer's name; reverse Cupid seated on goat right, flanked by caps of the Dioscuri, thyrsus of Bacchus in exergue, all within laurel wreath; from the Andrew McCabe Collection

 

Oh, yay! That's a fine pair of chariot-pulling goats you have there, Mikey!

There are so many oddball transportation coins still on my shopping list. The Republican era was particular full of fanciful chariots.

Hippocamp biga

ROMAN REPUBLIC, Moneyer Q. Crepereius M.f. Rocus
69 BCE (revised from Crawford's 72 BCE)
AR serrate denarius; 3.99 gm
Obv: draped bust of Amphitrite seen from behind, with head turned r.; behind, sea anemone; horizontal I to right of right shoulder (only partly visible on this coin)
Rev: Neptune in biga of hippocamps right, holding reins and brandishing trident; above, I and below, Q·CREPER·M·F / ROCVS
Ref: Crawford 399/1b; Babelon Crepereia 1. Sydenham 796a. Rare.
from HJB BBS 200, October 2016
ex NAC 78 lot 1828, from the JD Collection of Roman Republican Coins

Centaur biga:

ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Aurelius Cotta
139 BCE
AR Denarius, 20 mm, ? gm (can't find my scale right at the moment )
Obv: helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) behind; COTA before; dotted border
Rev: Hercules carrying a club, driving biga of centaurs right; centaurs each carrying a branch; M·AVRELI (AVR is ligate); in exergue, ROMA; line border
Ref: Crawford 229/1b; Sydenham 429; Aurelia 16
formerly slabbed, NGC bulk submission holder, "VF"

My Renius is a fourree mule:


Roman Republic fourée mule denarius
L. Antestius Gragulus, 136 BCE, and C. Renius, 138 BCE
ancient forgery, 3.18 gm
Obv: Roma helmeted head right, * below chin, GRAG behind
Rev: Juno Caprotina in a biga of goats, C・RENI below, ROMA in exergue
Ref: Obverse S.115, Cr.238/1, Syd.451, RSC Antestia 9; Reverse S.108, Cr.231/1, Syd.432, RSc Renia 1

Perhaps my favorite, a biga pulled by chubby cherubs:


Roman Republic
moneyer L. Julius L. f. Caesar, 103 BC
AR denarius, 17mm, 3.9 gm
Obv: Helmeted head of Mars left; CAESAR; ・C (retrograde)
Rev: Venus Genetrix in chariot left, drawn by two Cupids; lyre to left; ・C (retrograde) above
Ref: Crawford 320/1
ex RBW Collection



Apollo riding on a griffin, stylishly strumming his kithara:

TROAS, Alexandria. Trebonianus Gallus
CE 251-253
AE 21 mm, 4.76 gm
Obv: IMP VIB TREB GALVS AV; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: COL AV / TROA; Apollo, head right and holding kithara, seated facing on griffin springing right, head left
Ref: RPC IX 407; Bellinger A403

Asklepios catching a ride on a flying snake:

THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla
CE 198-217
AE29, 16.4 gm
Obv: AYT K M AY CEY ANTΩNEINOC; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: OYΛΠIAC ΠAYTAΛIAC; Asklepios seated right on back of winged serpent
Ref: Varbanov 5007

Hippocamp quadriga! Neato!

PHOENICIA, Berytos
1st century BCE
Æ19.5, 5.9 gm
Obv: Turreted head of Tyche right
Rev: Poseidon standing left in quadriga drawn by four hippocamps Ref: SNG Copenhagen 83

This one is hard to make out, but that's Triptolemos sitting on a wheelchair-ish biga drawn by serpents:

ATTICA, Athens. Eleusis mint
Eleusinian festival coinage
340-335 BC
AE16
Obv: Triptolemos, seated left in a winged chariot drawn by two snakes
Rev: Pig standing right on mystic staff, bucranium below
Ref: SNG Cop 415

 

WOW!!

What a spectacular group of coins!! LOVE 'em all TIF!!!

 

Excellent coin!

 

A really terrible biga of serpents

The obverse is barely identifiable as Elagabalus.

 

Sweet looking coin Mikey! I love that reverse.

 

huh! there's that dang wheelchair again...hmmm..

 

I got tired of paying the tolls when I went to NYINC, so I hitched up old Hippocrates and we went along the back roads.

 

NICE coins everyone! Roman Republican coins have great eye appeal

 

Put some pontoons on the cart and you've got yourself an amphibious vehicle. That should get you wherever you need to go in the greater NYC area

 

hahaha! TIFF, you are the master blaster on the coins gifs!><

 

That's a very nice example @Mikey Zee

C RENIUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind
REVERSE: Juno Capriotina in biga of goats right, C RENI below goats, ROMA in ex
Struck at Rome 138 BC
3.6g, 16mm
Cr231/1, Syd 432

L JULIUS CAESAR ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS JULIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: CAESAR Head of Mars left in crested helmet
REVERSE: Venus Genettris with scepter, in chariot drawn by two Cupids left, lyre in field, contolmark above, L IVLI L F in ex.
Struck at Rome, 103BC
3.85g, 17mm
Cr320/1, Syd 593a.

M. VOLTEIUS M.F. ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VOLTEIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Head of Bacchus or Liber right, wreathed with ivy
REVERSE: Ceres holding two torches, in biga of serpents right. Symbol in left field (double headed axe)
Rome 76BC
3.75g, 18mm
Volteia 3; Cr385/3; Sear 314

M. VOLTEIUS M.F. ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VOLTEIA
AR Fouree Denarius
OBVERSE: Laureate & helmeted bust of Attis right; shield behind
REVERSE: Cybele seated right in chariot drawn by two lions; OQ above
Rome 78BC
2.9g, 18mm
Cr385/4; Syd 777, Volteia 4