CoinWeek: The influence of ancient coin designs on modern coins

Tyler Rossi has recently written an article for CoinWeek about the influence of ancient coin designs on modern coins. I know we've had a thread or two about this in the past, but it has been a few years and we have several new members who might be interested in the theme as well as old fogeys like myself who don't mind revisiting a topic now and then.

Here's one of my favorite examples -- a denarius of Vespasian and a trade dollar:



And imagine if Miss Liberty on the nickel had a right-facing bust. Kinda looks like a Roman empress with a stephane.



And my all-time favorite! This modern Italian coin with a lion quadriga reverse, which reminds me of a denarius of Julia Domna:



Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman AR denarius, 3.30 g, 19 mm, 6 h.
Rome, 21st emission, AD 205.
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: MATER AVGG, Julia Domna, as Cybele, seated left in quadriga of lions and holding branch in her right hand.
Refs: RIC 562; BMCRE 48; Cohen/RSC 117; RCV 6592; Hill 759; CRE 354.


Post your examples of ancient coins with modern counterparts!

 

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This is quite a famous example I've posted a few times (and is in the article). Britannia was first depicted by Hadrian in the 110s and use of her image was resumed by Charles II in the 1670s. She's a lot more assertive in the modern version, with a galea (soldier's helmet, added by George IIII) and a trident (added by George III, although she often previously had a spear).

I don't know why the modern Britannia from George IIII onwards is always facing the other way to the ancient one (and Charles II's). Perhaps they switched it around with the portrait (as was done for every monarch after William III) and forgot to switch it back.

Antoninus Pius As, 154-155 (left). Rome or Britain. Bronze, 8.6g. Britannia seated left on rock, resting head on hand; arms in background; BRITANNIA - COS IIII; SC in exergue (RIC III, 934).

George IIII Farthing, 1821 (right). London. Copper, 4.7g. Britannia seated right with lion at her feet, trident in left hand, shield with Union flag and olive branch in right; BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: (KM 677).

The obverses are also very similar. British monarchs were keen on the Roman Emperor look (again from Charles II onwards, although Victoria was less keen).

Antoninus Pius As, 154-155 (left). Laureate head right; ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVIII.

George IIII Farthing, 1821 (right). Laureate head left; GEORGIUS IIII DEI GRATIA.

Less well known in England is that one of our modern penny designs also came from earlier times - the first portcullis was on Henry VIII's coins.

Elizabeth I 6th coinage halfpenny, 1582-1584 (left). London. Silver, 9mm, 0.24g. Portcullis gate with chains, mintmark A above (S 2581, N 2017).

Elizabeth II penny, 1984 (right). Llantrisant. Bronze, 20mm, 3.6g. Portcullis gate with chains (S B2).

 

The front-facing heraldic eagle seen on the Massachusetts 1 cent coin reverse looks like it may have been inspired by the heraldic eagles seen on Antiochene 4 drachm coins. The eagle on the 1 cent coin is gripping an olive branch (symbol of peace) & a bunch of arrows (symbol of war) in it's talons. The tetradrachm of Philip II shows a heraldic eagle gripping a palm frond (symbol of victory) in it's talons.

Philip II, AD 247-247, Billon Tetradrachm: 11.68 gm, 26 mm, 12 h.

 

I think the 1927 10 Lire coin has borrowed some design from the RR biga coin. The RR example here is a Coelius Caldus denarius, issued in Rome at 104 BC. (17mm, 3.88g)

 

I always felt this of Roman Victory to Modern Angel...

(Both coins mine)

Roman Republic
Anonymous AR Didrachm. 6.55g, 18mm, 6h.
Rome, circa 265-242 BCE
Obv: Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet, cornucopiae behind
Rev: ROMANO, Victory standing right, attaching wreath to long palm, YY in right field.
Ref: Sear 25; Crawford 22/1; RSC 7.
From the Eucharius Collection

compared to:

Gold French 20 Franc lucky angel



These are some of my favorite Gold Coins...




But they remind me of this:

Makedonon
AE 17mm 3-2g
Amyntas III 393-369 BCE
Herakles - Eagle devouring serpent
SNG ANS 100ff

 

Neat.. Here is another cool CoinWeek article
https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/temples-on-ancient-coins/

 

The money of Egypt always has ancient motifs along with more recent Islamic monuments reflecting times long past...both on coins and the banknotes.





Since the exchange rate is 15 pounds to the dollar currently I call it a travelers paradise. For example, coffee in a cafe costs 2 pounds, 5 pounds for coffee and a shisha pipe smoke. Lunch such as a falafel wrap or fuul wrap might cost 2-3 pounds. A loaf of bread, usually bought five at a time costs 5 piastres (one hundred piastres to the Egyptian pound). If you avoid the tourist packages sold before one arrives in the country at Western prices you would be very wise! (Including the expensive $20k tours led by Zahi Hawass).

 

This one is funny

Inspired by a worn tetradrachm of Zenobia, like this one:


the Syrian mint printed in the 1980s SYL 100 banknotes with the portrait of Zenobia. But the artist did not see that Zenobia was depicted as a 3rd c. Roman empress, with the Roman coiffure and the stephane seen from profile, and invented for her a kind of bizarre unicorn helmet.



Some years later the Syrians realized the fail, and the SYL 500 banknotes of the 1990s corrected this :

 

This is one of the coins I intend to add in my modern collection

 

A reverse of a Napoleonic medal, taken directly from ancient Roman coins:

France AR Medal Peace of Luneville, 1801 Artist: Bertrand Andrieu, Minted by Paris Mint. Obv.: Bust of Bonaparte, head bare, facing right; around, BONAPARTE PREMIER CONSUL DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRAN.SE.; on bust truncation, ANDRIEU F./ Rev.: Pax standing left with olive branch in raised right hand and cornucopiae held in left arm; around, PAIX DE LUNEVILLE; in exergue, LE XX. PLUVOISE / AN IX [= 9 Feb. 1801]; on ground left in small letters, ANDRIEU F. Laskey XXI. 41 mm, 38.74 g.





For comparison purposes, here's a denarius of Octavian (not mine) from 32-31 BCE (RIC I 252), with a similar reverse design of Pax with olive branch and cornucopiae, that I found in the CNG Archives. (See https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=318332 for a full description.)




I have one coin with a Pax reverse that's also similar to the medal:

Commodus (son of Marcus Aurelius), AR Denarius 181 AD. Obv. Laureate head right, M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG/ Rev. Pax standing left, holding branch & cornucopiae, TR P VI IMP IIII COS III P P. RIC III 17, RSC II 806. 17 mm., 3.15 g.

 

Carthage, AR 5 shekels or decadrachm (not my coin ;-) ):


French 2nd and 3rd Republic, AR 5 francs (not my coin also ;-) )

 

Ancient coin designs or ancient symbols can also influence banknotes designs.
5000000 Lei 1947

 

Italy is a great contributor for "ancient design on modern coins"

Here's an italian commemorative minted 1970 on the occasion of the centenial of Rome as capital city of Italy reunited. I couldn't resist buying it



And the RR denarius the design has been taken from


L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus and L. Scribonius Libo, Denarius - Rome mint, 62 BC
PAVLLUS LEPIDVS CONCORD, diademed and draped bust of concordia right
PVTEAL SCRIBON above and LIBO below the puteal scribonianum, ornamented with garland between two lyres and hammer
3,11 gr - 19/20 mm
Ref : RCV #368, RSC, Aemilia #11

Q

 

I don't think the Britannia of the 19th to 20th c. British pence is inspired by the Britannia we can see on Roman coins. The real inspiration for Britannia was the goddess Roma herself ! Roma and Britannia were both empires, and if Britannia has a trident (and later an added lighthouse) it's because she rules the waves... Note also that Victorian times were not Neronian times, and due to stricter rules of decency Britannia had to cover her nude breast.
(Not my coins...)

 

Nice thread. There are quite a lot of examples that fit in here. I’ll try two: