Ancient Coin Animals by Alphabet

Ummmm, Bear is spelled with a "B" ...



... sorry, I guess it's kinda modern, eh?

 

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Bulls





Boars

 

Does anyone have butterflies? They do exist as control marks (or perhaps decorative devices) on certain RR denarii. Then there's this extremely rare aureus of Augustus, which I doubt anyone here has, so I'll post it from CNG Triton XI 707...

 

and last, but not least ...

=> Da Boars!!



... my last coin-photo was enhanced by our coin-princess (she's swell)

 

And there are certain (again, very rare) Rhodian drachms and tets with insects that get described as butterflies, but they look more like dragonflies to me. CNG 804459...

 

Sorry to post all these coins I don't own, but maybe they'll be helpful as wish-list additions. The two above are unlikely to go on my wish list unless I win the Powerball, but here's a type of RR denarius that's got a butterfly that actually looks like a butterfly, replete with ornamented wings. CNG Nomos 5 220...

 

One last butterfly. There is a series of RR bronzes called the "butterfly on vine" types. These are actually affordable to me, but I have not come across one where the device is little more than an amorphous blob. Here's another one from CNG, which, although very worn, gives you an idea of what it should look like: a butterfly perched on a grapevine with a leaf to the left and bunch of grapes underneath (on the reverse with prow below)...



That's it for my butterfly kick - now y'all know where to get your ancient butterflies. Go buy one so I can enjoy it vicariously, because the coins I want I can't afford, and the coins I can afford I don't want.

 

... wow JA, I "love" your CNG butterfly example (I have a semi-similar example which is labelled as "fly" ... man, how wonderful that CNG example would look beside my sweetie, eh?)



... yah, these AE RR's are among my favourite coin-types (big, cool and fantastic!!)

=> thanks for hunting-down and sharing that sweet example!! (yummy-yummy ... but sadly, I have zero fuel in the ol' coin gas-tank ... I am runnin' on fumes, my friend ... fantastic and gluttonous vacation)

 

... apparently I spelled "gluttonous" correctly, for once!!

 

I think this is the only "B" animal I've got:
Mysia, Kyzicus, AR hemiobol, (0.4g) 480-450 BC. Obv: Forepart of running boar left, tunny fish behind upward. Rev: Head of roaring lion left within incuse square. Sear 3850.

 

TITUS 69 - 79 A.D.
AV Aureus (7.39 g.) Rome mint 73 A.D. RIC Vespasian 857
T CAESAR - IMP VESPASIAN Laureate head r. Rev. COS V Bull standing r.

 

Bulls :


Augustus, Denarius Denarius struck in Lyon c.12 BC
AUGUSTUS DIVI F, Bare head of Augustus right
IMP X, Bull butting right
3.77 gr
Ref : RCV #1610, Cohen #137



Julian II, AE 1 Double Maiorina struck in Antioch, 3 rd officina
D N FL CL IVLI ANVS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julianus right
SECURITAS REIPUB, Bull to right, two stars above. ANT gamma between two branches at exergue
8.73 gr
Ref : Cohen #38, RC #4072, LRBC #2641



Syracuse Agathokles 317-289 BC
SYPAKOSYWN. Head of Kore left
Bull butting left, two dolphins and linked VA in field
6.0 gr, 20 mm
Ref : Sear #1195 var

Q

 

My trio of animal B's...

BEE

IONIA, Ephesos
Circa 202 - 162 BC
AR Drachm
4.17g, 18mm
Ekatokles as magistrate
SNG von Aulock 7826.
O: Bee between E-Φ
R: Stag standing right, in front of palm tree, magistrate's name to right.

BOAR

ROMAN REPUBLIC
C. Hosidius C.f. Geta
AR Denarius
4.03g, 18.8mm
Rome mint, 64 BC
Crawford 407/2; Hosidia 1, 1a
O: Draped bust of Diana right, wearing stephane, earring, and double necklace of pendants; bow and quiver over shoulder; III VIR down left, GETA down right.
R: Calydonian Boar standing right, pierced by spear and harried by hound below; C HOSIDI C F in exergue.

BULL

SELEUKID KINGDOM
Seleukos I Nikator
AE Half-Unit
2.35g, 14.3mm
Sardes mint, circa 312-281 BC
SC 6.1; HGC 9, 107a.
O: Winged head of Medusa (resembling Alexander the Great) right.
R: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣΕΛΕΥΚOY, bull butting right; ΣΙ between hind legs.

 

a pair of bulls....



Nagas of Narwar 1/2 kakini and 1 kakini


a boar...



Celtic Gaul, 1st Century BC
O: head, R: board and hills, 18 mm, 3.2g, LT 9155

not quite ancient...but a buffalo!

 

Awesome BBBBBBBBBBB's, Zumbly Bee's, Boars and Bullvines.

I showed my little Bee earlier..
Ionia, Ephesos..
Late 2nd. early 1st. Century..BC.
Obv. Bee in Wreath
Rev. Stag stag standing right.
19mmx 3.53g.


You heard the story of the old bull and the young Bull!! never mine!
Julian ll..360-363..AD.
AE
Obv. draped, cuir. bust right.
Rev. Old bull standing right, two stars above.
29mm x 8.40g.

 

Awesome coins everyone. My two b's.

 

Oops, another B before we move on to C.

Bird (descriptions do not specify the type of bird on these coins)


Roman Republic, Anonymous
Rome, 115-114 BCE
AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.91 g, 10 h
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind, ROMA below
Rev: Roma, helmeted, seated on two shields, holding spear before her, she-wolf standing right at her feet, head turned back, sucking Romulus and Remus. In left and right fields, two birds flying towards her.
Ref: Crawford 287/1

 

Wow, how did I miss this one? It has an A animal, Ass. And two Bs, Bison and Bear... a total of seven different animals! Looks like I'll get to post it a few more times in this thread .

(oblique lighting to better show the animals)

Septimius Severus
Rome, CE 206
AR denarius, 3.41 gm, 20 mm, 12h
Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev: LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison
Ref: RIC 274; BMC 343.
ex Colosseo Collection

 

C is for Cockle or Clam


SICILY, Messana
420-413 BCE
AR litra. 13 mm, 0.6 gm
Obv: hare springing right; shell below
Rev: MEΣ within wreath
Ref: Caltabiano 569; SNG ANS 349

Some listings refer to this as a scallop but I don't think that is correct. Scallops have "ears" at the hinge; the shell on this coin does not.

Cockle shell:


Scallop shell:


C is for Cow:

THRACE, Byzantion
340-320 BCE
AR siglos, 17 mm, 5.0 gm
Obv: Heifer standing left on dolphin swimming to left
Rev: Incuse mill-sail pattern
Ref: SNG BM Black Sea 21

C is for Crocodile (man, I really need to upgrade this coin!)

Augustus & Agrippa
Gaul, Nemausus, c. CE 10-14
AE dupondius
Obv: IMP/DIVI F P-P, back-to-back heads of Agrippa, in combined rostral crown & laurel wreath, and Augustus, laureate
Rev: COL-NEM, long, vertical palm with crocodile chained below, wreath to left of palm tip with ties trailing to right
Ref: RIC 160
ex Professor James R. Eaton (1834-1897) Collection; this coin was in his family until I purchased it from Stack's.

C is for Crab (hooboy, another coin badly in need of upgrade)

SICILY, Akragas
425-406 BCE
AE hexas
Obv: Eagle, with head lowered, standing right on hare
Rev: Crab, two fish (?) below, dots above and to one side
Ref: Calciati 63v?

I know many of you have other interesting C animals: cuttlefish, cock or chicken, camel, etc.

 

Well, I have a repeat performance of this sweet coin ... here is the flip-side

Macedon, Mende AR Tritartemorion
460-423 BC
Ass & Crow (incuse square)