Collect mammals on ancient coins? Here is a Panther.

The god Dionysos favored the panther, a big cat normally depicted with spots. Here is one on a mosaic in the Archaeological Museum of Pella:


I wonder how many of us have some interest in ancient coins depicting animals? I would think everyone would like a coin with a bold lion or elephant.

Here is my panther:

Hadrian. 19 mm. 5.67 grams.
An obol (according to Emmett) struck at Roman Alexandria.
AVT KAI - TPAIAΔPIACEB
Emmett 1167, year 11, AD 125/6.
Sear RCV II 3825 (He calls it a hemiobol. I don't know why Emmett and Sear disagree on the denomination. Sear's books on "Roman Coins and their Values" include a good representation of coins struck at Roman Alexandria, unlike the earlier single-volume editions.)
Geissen II 974.

I wonder how many different types of mammals we can post? Show us your different ancient mammal!

 

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How about a couple of pachyderms:

PHILIP I
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right
REVERSE: AETERNITAS AVGG, elephant and driver walking left, SC in ex.
Struck at Rome, 247-8 AD
20.6g, 28mm
RIC 161a


OTACILIA SEVERA
Æ Sestertius
OBVERSE: MARCIA OTACILIA SEVERA AVG, diademed and draped bust right
REVERSE: SAECVLARES AVGG, SC in ex, Hippopotamus standing right, head raised
Struck at Rome, 248 AD
18.6g, 30mm
RIC 200a, Cohen 65
ex Warren Esty

 

BTW, I love your Hadrian and panther

 

Nice panther. I have an elephant too.

 

I do have a slain panther...

Provincial Rome - Thrace
Caracalla, r. 198-217 A.D.
Hadrianopolis, AE 26, 25.88 x 11 grams; Obv.: AVT K M AVR CE ANTΩNEINOC. Laureate bust right
Rev.: AΔRIANO-ΠOΛEITΩN. Pan standing right, with horns and legs of goat, holding crook next to head and lionskin fleece over left arm, left foot on panther lying on its back
Ex. DC Collections

And of course a wolf:

Imperial Rome
Constantine I, r. 307-337 A.D. (332-333 A.D.)
Trier Mint, AE3, 17.25mm x 3 grams
Obv.: URBS ROMA, Roma bust left, helmet with plume, wearing imperial mantle and ornamental necklace
Rev.: She-wolf standing left suckling twins; two stars above. Mintmark TRS Star
Ref.: SRCV 16488

Lion:

Imperial Rome
Caracalla, r. 198-217 A.D. (203 A.D.)
Rome Mint, AR Denarius, 20.4mm x 3.21 grams
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right
Rev.: INDVLGENTIA AVGG, IN CARTH in ex, Dea Caelestis seated facing on lion galloping right over rushing waters, holding thunderbolt and scepter
Ref.: RIC IV-1 Caracalla 130a, p. 231.

Two Elephants:

Roman Imperitorial
Julius Caesar, (49-48 B.C. Original)
Fouree Denarius, 18.32mm x 3 grams
Obv.: CAESAR in exergue, elephant right, trampling on serpent
Rev.: Simpulum, sprinkler, axe and priest's hat


Kingdom of Bactria
Menander I Soter, r. c. 165/55-130 B.C.
AE Square Chalkos, 13.13 x 13.34 mm x 2.3 grams
Obv.: BASILEWS SWTHR MENANDROU around Elephant head right with trunk raised, wearing bell around neck
Rev.: Kharosthi around Club of Herakles; monogram to left, A to right
Ref.: Bopearachchi 28E

And a horse if you let me go medieval...:

Norman Italy - Calabria
Roger I, r. 1072-1101 (1098-1101)
Mileto Mint AE Trifollaro, 28.04 mm x 8.3 grams
Obv.: ROG [ERVS] COME +S. Roger, mounted left wearing Norman helm, holding kite shield and striped banner
Rev.: + MARIA [MATE]R DNI (’N’ retrograde). Enthroned nimbate Virgin Mary holding on lap Christ child, nimbate and in swaddling clothes right
Ref.: NCKS 131var., De Wit 3789, [MEC 14, 93]

 

ANTELOPE


RI Philip I 244-249 CE AR Ant radiate zoo Antelope 1000 yr anniv Rome

 

GOATS


RR C Renius AR Denarius 18mm 3.8g Roma 138 BC Helmeted hd Roma r X - C RENI ROMA Juno driving biga goats r whip reins scepter Cr 231-1

 

RAM / SHEEP


TROAS Neandria AR Obol 4thC BCE 0.56g 8mm Laur hd Apollo r - NEA N Ram stdng right within incuse sq SNG Cop 446

 

An elephant and a Zebu


Horses


Dolphin


A bull


Lion and wild boar


An ass (wild donkey) behind Roma's shoulder


A goat


A camel


Wolf

And let's not forget this planet's dominant mammal species and superpredator at the top of the world's food chain.

Mankind! Yes, us humans are mammals.




Ok, that's all the mammals I have (a total of 12 animal species ---including man). Other coins repeat many of the mamals I posted above, so I won't post those.

 

DEER


RI Salonina wife of Gallienus 254-268 CE AE Ant 3.61g 20mm Rome mint 267-268 CE crescent Deer Walking delta RIC 15


DOG

RR Anon AE Half-Litra 234-231 BC Roma Phrygian Dog S 598 Cr 26-4

 

MYTHICAL MAMMALS?

SPHYNX

Iberia Castulo Late 2nd C BC AE As 25mm Bust Nose Hand Sphinx

MAN-FACED-BULL

Sicily Gela AR Litra Horse-Achelous 0.63g 13mm 465-450 BCE HGC 2 p 373

FLYING PIG

Ionia Klazomenai 480-400 BC AR Drachm Pentobol 3.5g 13mm Forepart winged boar r gorgoneion incuse sq Cf SNG Copenhagen 12 Rare

PEGASUS

RR Q Titius AR Quinarius 90 BCE PEGASUS Sear 240

CENTAUR

Frentani - Larinum AE 18mm Quadrans 210-175 BCE Herakles - Centaur SNG COP 272

 

Hare - AR litra of Messana

 

A wolf

 

That panther obol is great!

Mouse/rat on a Ti. Quinctius denarius.


Possible fox on a L. Papius denarius.

 

A camel

This one is pretty neat what is it?

 

EEYORE:

RR Prv Macedon Province 168-166 BC Tamios Quaestor Athena Cow - Eeyore

COUPLE CAMELS:

RR Aemilius Scaurus and Plautius Hypsaeus 58 BC AR Denarius camel scorpion quadriga 4.1g 19mm Rome Cr 422-1b


RI Trajan CE 98-117 AR drachm Struck CE 114-116 Arabia Petraea Bostra - Camel SNG ANS 1158

 

Ok. This camel comes with cinnamon sticks to knaw on.

 

That coin of mine is an M. Scaurus denarius from 58 BCE, so towards the end of the Republican period for Rome. It celebrates a victory over the Nabateans. On the obverse, King Aretas III kneeling in submission, and holding a palm branch (a symbol of peace), and he is also holding the reigns of the camel.

On the reverse we see Jupiter riding a quadriga, and a scorpion.

It is a very unusual design for a denarius, and these coins have such a busy design that it is almost impossible to find one with the entire design on the flan, as the crowded dies were usually larger than the flans being struck by it.

It doesn't look very Roman at all with the unusual design, but I assure you it is.

 

A nice menagerie we have going.