In Roman Provincial coinage, reverse types depicting various dieties and their associated animals are not uncommon. Here are a few from my collection. I'd love to see your coins with a similar theme! ARTEMIS WITH STAGS: Faustina Jr., 147-175 Roman provincial AE 20 Samaria, Neapolis, AD 161/162 5.32 gm; 19.8 mm Obv: ΦΑVCΤϵΙΝΑΝ CΕΒΑCΤΗΝ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΦΛ ΝϵΑC ΠΟΛϵωC CVΡ ΠΑΛϵ, cultus-statue, resembling Ephesian Artemis, standing facing, flanked by stags; her head-dress surmounted by small temple; across field, ϵΤ-Ϟ (= year 90 of the Era of Neapolis = AD 161/162). Refs: SGI 1801v; BMC 67-69 Otacilia Severa AD 244-249 Thrace, Bizya AE 24 6.89 gm, 23.5 mm Obv: M WTAKEIΛIA CEBHPA CEB, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΒΙΖVΗΝΩΝ, Artemis standing right, holding arrow and torch; stag at her feet. Refs: Moushmov 3514; SGI 3991; Varbanov 1592; Lindgren I 759; Youroukova 148; Milano IV/3 --; BMC Thrace --; SNG Tubingen --; SNG Copenhagen --; Mionnet -- ARTEMIS WITH HUNTING DOG: Faustina Jr., 147-175 Roman provincial AE 25 Thrace, Augusta Trajana, AD 161-175 8.88 gm; 25.1 mm Obv: ΦΑVCΤEΙΝΑ CΕΒΑCΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑVΓΟVCΤΗC ΤΡΑΙΑΝΗC, Artemis standing right, holding bow, drawing arrow from quiver, hound at her side. Refs: Moushmov 2982; similar to SGI 1729 and BMC 3.177.1 DIONYSOS WITH PANTHER: Faustina Jr., 147-175 Roman provincial AE 25 Thrace, Anchialus, AD 147-175 9.06 gm; 24.7 mm Obv: ΦΑVCΤΕΙΝΑ ΝΕΑ CΕΒΑCΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑΓΧΙΑΛΕΩΝ, Dionysos standing left, holding cantharus and thyrsus; panther at feet, left. Refs: AMNG 434; Varbanov 90; BMC --; SNG Copenhagen --
HADRIAN AE 22 OBVERSE: Laureate head right REVERSE: Europa riding bull right Struck at Sidon, Phoenicia, 117/118 AD 8.9g, 22mm BMC Phoenicia 225 HADRIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, Laureate head right REVERSE: AFRICA, Africa reclining left holding scorpion & cornucopiae, basket of grain at feet Struck at Rome, 136 AD 2.76g. 18.5mm RIC 299/RSC 138 MACRINUS AE 26 OBVERSE: ΑΥ Κ ΟΠΕΛ ΣΕΥ ΜΑΚΡΕΙΝΟΣ Κ Μ ΟΠΕΛ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟΣ Κ, laureate head of Macrinus right facing bare headed head of Diadumenian left REVERSE: ΥΠ ΠΟΝΤΙΑΝΟΥ ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩ/Ν, Artemis, huntress, advancing r., reaching for an arrow in quiver at shoulder and in her l. hand holding a bow; below a hound. E to centre l Struck at Markianopolis, Moesia Inferior, 217 - 218 AD 10.4g, 26mm Moushmov 532 GORDIAN III AE30 OBVERSE: Laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right REVERSE: PMSC OLVIM City goddess standing left between bull & lion; AN IIII in e Struck at Anchialus, 242 AD 17.2g, 30mm AMNG 83 PHILIP I AE30 OBVERSE: AVTOK K M IOVLI FILIPPOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: ANTIOCEWN MHTRO KOLWN D-E S-C, turreted & draped bust of Tyche right, ram leaping right above, star beneath Struck at Antioch, 244-249 AD 30mm, 14g BMC 528 ALEXANDER TROAS CIVIC ISSUE AE25 OBVERSE: COL ALEX TRO, Turreted & draped bust of city goddess or Tyche right; vexillum behind REVERSE: COL AL [EX TRO], Horse feeding right, tree behind; beside the horse, a herdsman wearing chlamys, holding pedum in right hand, standing right Struck at Alexandria Troas, 250-70 AD 5.6g, 24.9mm BMC 52
Gordian III AE 24mm of Viminacium. Year 3 = 241/242 AD. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate draped bust right / PMS COL VIM, Moesia standing between bull & lion; AN IIII in ex.
Very cool examples, gang ... congrats Hey, how 'bout the nymph deity Larissa and her horses? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larissa_(mythology)
Wow, never knew I had these "Deities with Animals" as you described @Roman Collector. You have some great examples, and great idea for the Thread! I had to look HARD for Provincial, Goddess, and "Animules"... Under Nero: LYDIA. Hierocaesarea. Pseudo-autonomous. Ae (Circa 1st century AD). Obv: Draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder. Rev: IEPOKAICAPEΩN. Artemis standing right, holding stag kneeling right by its antlers. RPC 2391-2 RI Aemilianus 253 CE AE24 Viminacium mint City Goddess: Moesia Bull-Lion - Damnatio Memoriae RI Hostilian 251 CE AE 27 Viminnacium Moesia Bull-Lion
It is harder keeping to the requirements of (1) Provincial and (2) reverses where the two are together but there are a few others that I have not seen above. A few come with questions as to whether they count for this thread. Does the animal have to be real? Here is Hades with his three headed dog Cerberus on Septimius Severus from Nikopolis. Hermes sometimes, but not often, has a rooster at his feet. In his hand is a purse made from an udder (goat?) but that is just an animal part. Septimius/Nikopolis, again Does it have to be an Olympian god or can we accept Men with chicken? Julia Domna/Antioch Pisidia Apollo as a boy hunted a lizard on a tree as 'Sauroktonos' on this Geta from Nikopolis. Aphrodite with dolphin on Diadumenian from Nikopolis Cybele needs a pair of Lions on Philip II from Marcianopolis
Thoth-Hermes with Ibis GALLIENUS Very Rare. AE Dichalkon. 14.21g, 30.9mm. PHOENICIA, Tyre, circa AD 253-268. Rouvier 2529 var. (rev legend); AUB –; BMC –. O: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from front. R: COL TVRO MET, Hermes-Thoth, half-naked, standing left, holding papyrus roll and caduceus; to left, ibis standing left; to right, murex shell set upon palm tree. Ex Dennis Rider Collection of the Coins of Tyre; Ex John A. Seeger Collection (CNG 172, 5 Sep 2007), lot 125
How about Minerva (Athena) with her rampant snake? Gordian III (238-244) at Hadrianopolis, Thrace. 5 assaria. 28 mm. 12.17 grams. Sear GI --, Lindgren I-III --, SNG Cop --, BMC --, Weber --, McClean --
Zeus riding in style on his eagle. ANTONINUS PIUS AE Drachm. 23.53g, 35.5mm, EGYPT, Alexandria, Year 10 = AD 146/7. Emmett 1699.10; Dattari 2933. O: AVT K T AIΛ AΔP ANTωNINOC, laureate head right. R: Zeus, holding patera and scepter, reclining left on eagle standing left with wings spread; L ΔЄKA TOV (date) around.
All excellent examples, @dougsmit @Bing @randygeki @Alegandron @stevex6 @zumbly @Sallent @Valentinian @zumbly @chrsmat71 How could I forget Cybele and her lions?
