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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Orielensis, post: 3970224, member: 96898&quot;]<font size="4">Nice coin, [USER=78950]@NLL[/USER] ! I love pretty much all pachyderms and the coins depicting them.</font></p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p><font size="4">The Q. Caecilius Metellus denarius is especially interesting insofar as according to a very sensible <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/caesars-elephant-and-snake-what-do-they-mean.343865/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/caesars-elephant-and-snake-what-do-they-mean.343865/">interpretation</a> proposed by [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER] , Caesar&#039;s better known elephant denarius constitutes a reference to this coin and its iconography. My example is from the last AMCC auction.</font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1044669[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, imperatorial issue of Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius, AR denarius, 81 BC, Northern Italian mint. Obv: diademed head of Pietas r.; to right, stork standing r. Rev: Q C M P I; elephant standing l., wearing bell around neck. 17mm, 3.55g. Ref: RRC 374/1. Ex JB collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 105 (their picture).</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Here is my Julius Caesar elephant. Note the many banker&#039;s marks. I&#039;ve seen quite a number of fourrée elephant denarii on the market, indicating that the type was heavily forged. Maybe this explains the heavy testing on my example?</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1044668[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, Imperatorial Coinage, Julius Caesar, AR denarius, 49–48 BC, military mint moving with Caesar. Obv: [CA]ESAR; elephant walking r., trampling snake. Rev: priestly implements: culullus, aspergillum, axe, apex. 20mm, 3.70g. Ref: RRC 443/1.</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">An Indian elephant. I have a little theory on the production of these karshapanas. It seems that the dies used to strike them were cast (or maybe struck?), showing the basic design. Details and legends apparently were added to the cast die by engraving. The obverse of this example shows the difference between cast elements (elephant&#039;s body, head, and trunk) and engraved elements (legend, elephant&#039;s eye, ear, leash?, lip, and tusk) quite clearly:</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1044667[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Satavahana Empire, later Satakarni ruler, BI karshapana, ca. 107–248 AD, minted in northern Deccan region. Obv: elephant with raised trunk r., remains of legend. Rev: dynastic symbol. 17mm, 2.58g. Ref: see Mitchiner 4963–4967 (different legends).</font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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