Ancients => Hey, how 'bout postin' your "2" favourite Gods(ess) and/or Deities

I've tossed around the idea of building a "Victory" set featuring coins of Victory/Nike, but too expensive & I think I would get bored after awhile :/

 

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how about an eastern deity?

shiva (on reverse, with many faces, cow and 4 pronged tomga...2nd century ad kushan coin)





kind of like this statue i think..

 

"shiva"

nice => cool choice, crsmat71

 

How about Mars:

TI VETURIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VETURIA AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Helmeted bust of Mars right
REVERSE: Youth kneeling l., between two warriors who touch with their swords a pig which he holds., ROMA above
Struck at Rome 137 BC
3.7g, 18mm
Cr.234/1; RSC Veturia 1

 

Roma, who represented the city of Rome and the Roman state. She was remembered as a symbol of Rome's greatness and prestige, even after Roman power faded away.

City of Rome, Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy
AE Half-Follis (20 nummi)
Obv: INVIC-TA ROMA, Roma helmeted, facing right
Rev: She-wolf standing left, suckling Romulus and Remus, two stars above, XX in ex
Rome mint (struck during Theodoric the Great's reign: 493-526 AD)
Ref: BMC 30

 

And of course Roma:

C.CLAUDIUS PULCHER ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CLAUDIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Head of Roma r., wearing helmet decorated with circular device REVERSE: Victory in biga r., holding reins in both hands; in exergue, C. PVLCHER Struck at Rome 110-109 BC
3.76g, 19mm
Cr300/1, Syd 569, Claudia 1

 

Ummm, Shiva is a chick, right? ...

 

Victory, was worshiped to ensure military successes in war and victory over death, she later was seen as the spirit of victory itself, and became the basis for Christian angels:

Anastasius, Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire
AV Tremissis
Obv: DN ANASTA-SIVS PP AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM, Victory advancing right with head left, holding wreath and cross on globe, CONOB in ex
Constantinople mint
16 mm, 1.5 gr
Ref: SB 8

 

well....as i understand it...shiva is a guy...but can also be a half guy/girl....it's kind of confusing..





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva

 

*stevex6 self-edit*

... great joke, but I had to pull it ...

 

Dang it! I was thinking the same thing, but oh well.

I guess I'll go with Aries instead, sadly I have no coins with him.

Aries is one of my picks because...IDK, I can't express it in words.

Halleluiah!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Long before Katniss Everdeen, there was Artemis/Diana, the original badass chick with a bow.

Before the Battle of Lake Regillus, where the Roman army triumphed over the Latin League and Lucius Tarquinus Superbus, the expelled last king of Rome, a sacrifice was made to Diana at her temple on the Aventine Hill for her divine favor.



ROMAN REPUBLIC
A. Postumius A.f. Sp.n. Albinus
Serrate Denarius (3.99g, 20mm)
Rome mint, 81 BC.
Crawford 372/1; Sydenham 745; Postumia 7.
O: Draped bust of Diana right; bow and quiver over shoulder, bucranium above.
R: A. POST. A.F. S.N. ALBIN, togate figure standing left on rock before lighted altar; ox standing right about to be sacrificed.
Ex Ivar Gault Collection

And here on a provincial bronze of Domitian, she is shown as the bringer of light. She is usually referenced as Artemis Tauropolos (the principal deity of Amphipolis) on issues from Amphipolis, even though the typical depiction of Artemis Tauropolos is the goddess astride a bull.



DOMITIAN
AE20 (5.76g, 20mm)
MACEDONIA Amphipolis, 81 - 96 AD.
RPC 340 (3 examples).
O: AUTO KAISAR DOMITIANOS, laureate head right.
R: AMFIPOLITWN, Artemis Tauropolos standing left, holding long torch and branch, shield at her feet.

 

Not sure if this is cheating since Heracles/Hercules was only semi-divine, but in his mythology he did become a god upon his death. In the Roman era, the cult of Hercules was popular and he was quite widely worshipped.

The legends of Hercules also make for great coin designs. The Twelve Labour of Hercules are frequently seen on the reverse of Roman provincial issues from Alexandria to Moesia to Thrace. This Septimius Severus bronze from Marcianopolis depicts the First Labour of Hercules - the slaying of the Nemean Lion.



SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AE17 (3.21g, 17mm)
MOESIA INFERIOR Marcianopolis, 193 - 211 AD.
H&J, Marcianopolis 6.14.14.1; Varbanov 732; Moushmov 397.
O: AV L CEPT CEVHPOC, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right.
R: MARKIANOPOLITWN, Hercules strangling the Nemean lion.

Heracles also gave his name to numerous cities, like Heraclea Pontica in Bithynia (modern day Karadeniz Eregli in Turkey), where the following coin was minted.



BITHYNIA, Heraclea Pontica
Circa 250 - 200 BC(?)
Æ (3.35g, 18mm)
Stancomb, Autonomous 7a, dies A2/– (unlisted rev. die); SNG BM Black Sea 1631; HGC 7, 489.
O: Head of Heracles right, wearing lion skin.
R: HRAKLEWTAN, Lion right; monogram above, facing boukranion between forelegs, club below.
Ex Ronald J. Hansen Collection

 

This post does not exist because it does not comply with the OP request but those having trouble selecting a god or personification might get some hints on my pages listing ver 30 of each. These are old pages and by no means complete for Roman. They don't even touch Indian or other gods of other systems.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/pers.html
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/gods.html

 

Is Helios a Titan or a God?

CARIAN ISLANDS, Rhodes.
AR Drachm.
188-170 B.C.

3.16 grams, 17 mm.
Obv: Radiant head of Helios facing right.
Rev: Rose with P to left and O to right, AINHTΩP (Ainetor magistrate) above, all within an incuse square.
Grade: aEF, with attractive cabinet tone.
Other: Plinthophoric standard coinage. Jenkins, Rhodian, Group A, 7.

 

There are some statements that imply Jesus was a deity.

Venice
ca. 1275 - 1280
Obv: Jesus Christ on throne
Rev: Doge Jacopo Contarini together with Saint Mark

 

helios is a titan!

 

=> Doug, you showed those to me when I first started collecting ancients and I found them amazingly interesting and helpful ... you also sent me a link to "animals on Roman coins"

=> and the rest is history!! (you lit the fuse!!)

 

Or he provided the fuel to your fire.

 

I believe the OP was referring to "ancient" gods and goddess, I (and I think the mods too) would prefer if we kept it to that.