Ancient Coin Animals by Alphabet

We're winding down... not a ton of options left for the remaining letters of the alphabet.

Here's what's been shown so far. Please feel free to add animals you missed posting for prior letters.

Updated list through the letter R:

Blue: shown but not owned
Red: mythological
Green: not ancient

Antelope
Aquila/eagle
Ass
Bear
Bee
Bird
Bison
Boar
Bull
Butterfly
Camel
Capricorn
Chimera
Centaur
Cobra/Uraeus
Cockle/Clam
Cow
Crab
Crayfish
Crocodile
Crow
Doe/Deer
Dog
Dolphin
Dove
Dragon
Eagle
Elephant
Fish
Fly
Fox
Frog
Goat
Goose
Grasshopper
Griffin/gryphon
Hare
Heron
Hawk
Hippo
Hippocamp
Horse
Hound
Ibis
Impala
Insect (nonspecific)
Ketos
Jackal-headed god (Hermanubis)
Jerboa (maybe )
Lion
Lizard
Monkey
Mule
Murex sea snail
Octopus
Ostrich
Owl
Oxen
Panther
Peacock
Pegasus
Phoenix
Pig
Ram
Rat
Raven
Rhino
Rooster


And now the day so many have been waiting for, S-day!

S is for Snake or Serpent:


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Trebonianus Gallus
CE 251-253
Æ dichalkon, 25 mm, 13.39 gm, 6h
Obv: IMP C C VIBIVS TREBO GALLVS AVG; laureate and draped bust right
Rev: COL TYRO METR[O?]; serpent-entwined baetyl; murex shell to left, palm tree to right
Ref: RPC IX online 1961; Rouvier 2476; Babelon 2296; AUB –; BMC –. Rare


SICILY, Selinos
Circa 410 BCE
AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h
Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above
Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right
Ref: HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Rare.
ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich;
ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404;
ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript.


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, holding staff with snake, seated right on back of winged serpent
Ref: Varbanov 5007


CELTIC, Central Europe (Rhineland). "Dancing Mannikin" type
65 -40 BCE, or thereabouts
AR Quinarius, 13 mm, 1.62 gm
Obv: dancing mannikin right, head turned left, holding snake in right hand, torque in left hand.
Rev: horse standing right, head turned left; around, zig zag border.
Ref: SLM 1118. Dembski 73, 396. (I'll have to take the seller's word on that for now. If any of you have a Celtic reference and find this inaccurate, please let me know.)


MYSIA, Pergamon
76 BCE
12.4 gm
Obv: cista mystica with serpent; all within ivy wreath
Rev: bow-case with serpents; snake-entwined staff to the right; monogram left; AΠ above; monogram & star above
Ref: Kleiner, Pergamum 25; Pinder 122


Roman Imperatorial
moneyer L. Plautius Plancus, 47 BCE
AR Denarius, 3.79 gm
Obv: L. PLAVTIVS; facing mask of Medusa, serpents at either side of face
Rev: PLANCVS; Aurora flying right and conducting the four horses of the sun. Banker's mark in left field.
Ref: Plautia 15b Sear 429, Cr453/1b; Syd 959a.
ex Jonathan K Kern Collection; formerly slabbed by NGC, XF, strike 5/5, surfaces 3/5, cert # 2400920-14



Julius Caesar. 49-48 BCE
AR denarius
Struck by the military mint traveling with Caesar.
Obv: elephant standing right, trampling on serpent; CAESAR in exergue
Rev: simpulum, sprinkler, axe and priest's hat.
Ref: Crawford 443/1; Sydenham 1006

 

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S is for Scorpion:


CARIA, Mylasa
450-400 BCE
AR hemiobol, 7 x 9 mm, 0.5 gm
Obv: facing forepart of lion
Rev: scorpion within incuse square
Ref: SNG von Aulock 7803; Klein 429 (Milet)


HADRIAN
AR Denarius. 18 mm, 3.53 gm. struck CE 134-138, Rome
Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head right
Rev: AFRICA, Africa with elephant skin headdress, reclining on rock, holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of fruit before her
Ref: RIC II 299

 

S is for Scallop:


CALABRIA, Tarentum
325-280 BCE
AR litra, 11 mm, 0.56 gm
Obv: scallop shell
Rev: dolphin right, trident below (I think it might be a bunch of grapes)
Ref: Vlasto 1530 (if grapes rather than trident, Vlasto 1527)
from Heritage Auctions 13 Nov. 2014
freed from its slab, NGC Choice VF 5/5-3/5; cert# 3601372-003

 

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Diobol 129-30 AD Agathodaimon serpent

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Tetradrachm 125-26 AD Agathodaemon

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Tetradrachm 120-21 AD Agathodaemon

 

SCORPION

 

Well, here's my Fouree again - it's supposed to have a snake on it!

 

IT'S SEAFOOD-TIME!!

SEASTAR


SCALLOP


SHRIMP

 

SPHINX



... Euthenia leaning against sphinx (pretty cool)

 

S is for Swan and Snake


SICILY, Kamarina 460-450 BC
AR litra .45gm. - 13 mm
Obv: KAMAPINA Athena standing left, holding spear, shield in front.
Rx: Nike flying left, swan at her feet before; all within olive wreath
Ref: SNG ANS 1211ff



Struck Coinage: Post-Reform Quadrans, 211-206 BC
AE Quadrans 6.4gm - 20 mm
Obv: Head of young Hercules r., clad in boar's skin, three pellets behind
Rx: Bull charging r., snake on ground below, corn-ear and three pellets above, ROMA in ex
Ref: Crawford 72/7

Roman Republic, L. Rubruis Dossenus, 87 BC
AR quinarius 1.93 gm - 13 mm
Obv: Laureate head of Neptune right with trident over shoulder, DOS-SEN behind
Rx: Victory left holding wreath and palm over an altar with snake in foreground, L R VBRI behind
Ref: RRC 348/4, Syd 708, SR261

 

What did you say Steve, about you and me having same taste in coins ?
Yes Sphinx !


Castulo, Spain, AE As - 2nd century BC
Virile head right, a hand before
Sphinx walking right. Iberian for KASTILO at exergue
15.9 gr
Ref : Sear GIC #15, Catalogue 38 and 39 CNH (CORPVS NVMMUM HISPANIAE, L. Villaronga) (looks like a can opener, which it is NOT )


And of course, Serpent or Snake !


Julius Caesar, Denarius minted in Italy, c.49 BC
CAESAR, elephant walking rigth, trampling on snake
No legend, Simpulum, sprinkler, axe and apex
4.05 gr
Ref : HCRI # 9, RCV #1399, Cohen #49

As for the She-wolf, shall we have to wait until W or is it OK right now ?

Q

 

Whichever you prefer

 

This Pergamon coin comes to mind.
S is for Slithering Serpents & Snakes.

MYSIA. Pergamon.
Cistophoric Tetradrachm
AR 133 - 67 B.C.
12.63 grams, 27 mm
Obv: Snake emerging from basket (Cista Mystica) all within ivy wreath
Rev: Serpents entwined about bow case with Pergamon monogram (∏ΕPΓ) to left & KP/(∏PY) above. Grade: aEF fully struck, Reverse perfectly centered and obverse slightly off center with old toning.
Other: Purportedly purchased from Stacks in 2009. Pergamon became the capital of the Roman province of Asia in 133 B.C. Pergamon was allowed to continue striking coins in the style of the Greek times while they were part of the Roman empire. One Cistophoric Tet equals three Roman Denarius.

 

SPHINX

IBERIA, Castulo
AE
13.18g, 26mm
Late 3rd century BC
ACIP 2112; CNH 7; SNG BM Spain 1230-1.
O: Diademed male head right.
R: Sphinx standing right, raising forepaw, star to right, KASTILO (in Iberian script).
Ex Archer M. Huntington Collection

 

SCORPION

HADRIAN
Denarius
3.24g, 18mm
Rome mint, AD 136
RIC 299
O: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head right.
R: AFRICA, Africa reclining left holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of grain at feet.

 

Wonderful posts to start 'S' !!!!

Hmmm, 'Q' has already posted my Sphinx (and now Zumbly) but I'll add it anyway....Hell, I waited too long to get to 'S' LOL

AR Denarius, T. Carisius; 46 BC, 17.7 mm; 3.92 g
Head of Sibyl Herophile and Sphinx seated right

 

S is also for Satyr.

THRACE, Thasos
AR Stater
510-463 B.C.

8.86 Grams, 21 mm
Obv: Nude Satyr rushing right, carrying protesting nymph.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square.
Grade: Very Fine attractive coin
Other: SNG Copenhagen 1010. Pecunem #19 lot 70 July 2014.


In addition to Satyr, I suggest adding the Human animal & the Pan animal (God) to the master list. (Pan is a satyr & Pan is also a God). Satyrs are a mythical creatures with the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat. Humans are the same as Satyrs except for the hindquarters, legs, and horns.

 

My tiny Satyr and Amphora example----Hmmm, I guess going at it from both the left and the right is what Satyrs do LOL

 

Let's "She-wolfing" then...can't wait for Dubbia !!!


Republic, Didrachm
Rome mint c. 269-266 BC
No legend, Diademed head of young Hercules right, with club and lion's skin over shoulder
ROMANO, She wolf right, suckling Romulus and Remus
7.29 gr
Ref : RCV # 24, RSC # 8



P. Satrienus, Denarius
Rome mint, 77 BC
Head of helmeted Mars right, XXX behind
ROMA, She wolf passing left, [P] SATRI[E/NUS] at exergue
3.79 gr
Ref : RCV #319, RSC, Satriena # 1



Philippus I, Antoninianus
Rome mint, AD 248, 2nd officina
IMP PHILIPPVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
SAECVLARES AVGG, She wolf left, suckling Romulus and Remus, II at exergue
3.7 gr
Ref : RCV # 8957, RIC # 15, Cohen # 178



Gallienus, Antoninianus
Antioch mint, AD 265-266
GALLIENVS AVG radiate head left
AETERNITAS AVG she wolf standing right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus. Branch at exergue
3,9 gr, 20 mm
Ref : RIC V-1 # 628, Göbl # 1628a

Q

 

Maxentius, Follis
Aquilea mint, 1st officina, AD 309-310
IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG, Laureate head of Maxentius right
CONSERV VRBS SVAE, Tetrastyle temple, Roma seated left, a foot on captive, giving a globe to Maxentius standing right. She wolf suckling Romulus and Remus in pediment. AQP at exergue
6.55 gr
Ref : RCV # 14992 (100), Cohen #42

Maxentius, Follis
Ostia mint, 3rd officina AD 309
IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, Laureate head of Maxentius right
AET ERNITAS AVGN, Dioscuri facing each other, holding their horse by bridle. Between them she wolf suckling Remus and Romulus. MOSTΓ at exergue
7.43 gr
Ref : Cohen # 10, RCV # 14976 (100), RIC VI # 16

Maxentius, Follis
Ostia mint, 1st officina AD 309-312
IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, Laureate head of Maxentius right
SAECVLI FELICITAS AVG N, She wolf left, suckling Romulus and Remus, MOSTP at exergue

Ref : RIC VI # 52, RCV # 15024, Cohen # 101 (12)

Urbs Roma, AE 3
Siscia mint, 3rd officina, ca. AD 330-333
VRBS ROMA, Helmeted Roma left
Anepigraph, She wolf suckling twins Remus and Romulus, two stars in field, gamma SIS at exergue
2.34 gr
Ref : RC #3894, Cohen #17, RIC # 222

Q

 

Love that one! I've been kick'n tires on a few of these but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Man I do really like your example!

Here shortly I'll post my few snake examples. I need to keep a better eye open for the cobra types, those just really appeal to me.

Anyone have a coin featuring a serpent bigga?