Ancients Bearing Weapons

Artemis/Diana brandishing weapons:

 

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Trajan Spears a Dacian soldier:


RIC Vol. II, TRAJAN, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 534, 98-117AD, (35mm, 22.6gm)
Obverse depiction: Trajan, head facing right, wearing aegis
Inscription: IMP CAES NERVAE TRIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V PP
Reverse depiction: Trajan galloping on horseback spearing a fallen Dacian soldier
Inscription: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI - in exergue S C

 

Claudius with a panoply of weapons:


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 109, 42-43AD (38mm, 28.0gm)
Obverse depiction: Nero Claudius Drusus (father of Claudius), bare head facing left
Inscription: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP
Reverse depiction: Claudius seated left on curule chair holding olive branch,
panoply of weapons and armor beneath
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP - S C -

 

AV Solidus ND Constantinople Mint
obv. Zeno with spear

 

panzerman, The coin you have pictured last appeared in the CNG 106 auction, lot #862, & they listed the coin as "Uncertain mint, 5th officina", & not Constantinople Mint. The coin has appeared in a number of auctions going back to NFA Auction XVIII, lot #635, see attached info. NFA attributed the coin to Theodoric, AD 493-526. This coin & a number of similar issues have been hotly debated for a long time. The coin is presently in my collection.

 

There are plenty of weapons.
Does the prow of a Roman warship count?

I have a few with clubs, most are not held.


More recent are some civil war metal detector finds (not mine).

 

Wonderful coins @rrdenarius and to all whom have shared thus far! Absolutely does a war ship count! My favorite weapons are the ones involving innovation and ingenuity. And one of the coolest stories of the peloponnesian war involved a massively out numbered group of Athenian (as I recall) ships fleeing while one crazy (like a fox) man in their number decided to boomerang his ship. Whirling his ship around so quickly the enemy armada didn't have time to straighten their ships he plowed the fortified front of his ship through 5 enemy vessels. Seeing the wreckage the enemy didn't know what hit them and retreated.
I'm also a big fan of the @dougsmit's spear man (?) atop an elephant, the WMDs of the ancient world.
But am probably most humbly over @zumbly's Macedonian dart sling! I collect the bronze Macedonian shield coins and was not aware of this awesome coin nor innovation of theirs. Thanks for the description of its usage!
Here's some more fun O mine:
Great use of the word panoply @jamesicus and even greater coin! Here's a trophy room of weapons and young Caesars!


Augustus
Silver Denarius, 27 BC-CE 14. Lugdunum, 2 BC-AD
12. CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER
PATRIAE, laureate head of Augustus right. Reverse:
AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT around,
CL CAESARES in exergue, Gaius and Lucius
Caesars standing facing, each togate and resting a
hand on one of two shields set on ground between
them; behind shields, two crossed spears; above, on
left, simpulum right, and on right, lituus left. RIC 207

When I come across ancient weaponry I do get excited as well @Bob L.

Barbed Greek arrow head 4th century BCE


Roman lead sling bullet (recovered From 54 CE battlefield near Caesaragost, Spain. modern Zaragosa)

Though, of all weapons, or so they say, the pen is the mightiest:


Ionia, Smyrna. Circa 125-
115 BC. Æ 20mm
(21mm, 8.27g).
Phanokrates, magistrate.
Laureate head of Apollo
right / The poet Homer
seatedleft, holding scroll.
Milne, Autonomous 194a;
SNG
Copenhagen. Former
Kairos Numismatik

 

Wow! Amazing history. I have a mint state example from NFA too. I do have a crappy photo. It was described as possible Thessalonika Mint?

 

Here is my Sasanian/Kushano AV Dinar Balkh Mint/ Ardashir I 270-300AD. This Sasanian Prince is shown with sword and trident.
Kushan Empire example with sword.

 

Amazing coin! I've never seen its type.
What's going on on that detailed and jam packed reverse?

 

panzerman, That's a stunning example of a Zeno solidus . The portrait on your coin is very refined & not barbaric like mine is.

 

panzerman, Your Kushan dinar is the finest example of its type I've seen , it must be a special strike for a specific occasion. The depiction of Shiva (the destroyer) on the reverse is an interesting blend of Hinduism & native Kushan mythology.

 

Thanks Al
It was from the "Adams Collection" Triton XIX. It was the ANS plate coin.
John

 

Thanks, it was one of my first ever ancients, in fact my second ever ancient coin. Most of my early collecting was thru Tkalec/ NFA auctions back in 80's.

 

Thanks Ryro
The Sasanians pretty well at first struck coins that imitated the Kushan style of coinage. This coin from Ardashir was a Sasanian copy of the Vasu Deva I AV Dinar. The reverse features the Siva standing beside the bull, "Nandi".
John

 

Bob L., I've got a Luristan dagger of the same type & age as the one in your collection, about a half in. longer, see photo below. The handles must have been inlaid with carved bone or hardwood. Below the dagger is a paleo spear point of the Clovis type I bought from an amateur archaeologist about 25 years ago. The point was allegedly found at a site in Nevada, & measures about 4.25 in. long. If (and that's a big if) genuine it would date 9,500 - 10,500 years old. Today there are expert flint knappers who can copy almost anything .

 

Here is one of mine with "bow" and "club"
AV Quarter Stater ND Pella Mint
Philip II of Macedon
Struck circa 345-35AD

 

Don't forget stones!

Seleukeia ad Calycadnum, Gallienus, BMC 57
A scene from the gigantomachia: A serpent-footed giant hurling a stone against Athena


Best regards

 

Here is one of my Kushan coins/ depicting Vima Kadphises holding a mace.
AV Dinar ND Peshawar Mint
Wima Kadphises 127-46AD