I plumb forgot. Yesterday, December 18th, was the date for the Roman Festival of Epona. Fascinatingly, she was the only Celtic deity to be worshiped across the Empire and be given her own festival. Epona was a protector of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility. Sculptures of Epona fall into five types: riding, standing or seated before a horse, standing or seated between two horses, a tamer of horses and the symbolic mare and foal. In the Equestrian type, common in Gaul, she is depicted sitting side-saddle on a horse or lying on one; in the Imperial type she sits on a throne flanked by two or more horses or foals. Epona and her horses, from Köngen, Germany, about 200 AD. I do not have any coins with Epona, but I wanted to honor her in some way. It's an old coin of mine I haven't shown in some time with one of her favorites. SEPTIMIUS SEVERUSAR Denarius OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIII - Laureate head right REVERSE: ADVENTI FELICISSIMO, Severus on horseback right raising hand Struck at Rome, 196 AD 3.4g, 17mm RIC 74, S 6256, C 6 Also I need to show my only Celtic coin with one of her favorites which I've shown many times over: EASTERN CELTS, DACHREITER TYPE AR Drachm OBVERSE: Celticized head of Zeus right REVERSE: Celticized horseman riding left; wheel of four spokes above Struck by the Skordoski in Syrmia, 2d Century BC 1.87g, 14mm OTA 188/2-3 Post any coins you feel appropriate to this festival.
Hmmm, I can't tell if Epona was unknown to me or I simply can't recall LOL A cool and interesting thread!! Since I also lack any example of that deity, I'll throw in a 'horse' from a Philip II tetradrachm:
Cool! I did not know any of this. I'll toss in my favorite Roman (provincial) coin with a horse on it. SEVERUS ALEXANDER AE24. 6.97g, 24.6mm. TROAS, Alexandria Troas, 222-235 AD. Bellinger 341cf (Bellinger obv A341 & rev A338), possibly unrecorded. O: IMP SEV ALEXANDER AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust left, holding spear & shield decorated with head of Medusa. R: COL AVG, horse grazing right, herdsman (Ordes?) behind holding pedum (shepherd's crook), tree to left, TROAC in exergue. And since I'm reading that Epona was equated with the Welsh goddess Rhiannon, it would be remiss of me to not post the old Fleetwood Mac classic.
I have never heard of Epona or her festival. Are there any coins featuring her Bing? I love to ride and owned a horse many years ago. I would love to do a week long cross country horse trek out west someday... John
Never heard of her before either, so I'll toss in my favorite RR denari featuring a horse..an equestrian statue to be precise. L. Philippus 113-112 B.C. AR Denarius 19mm. 3.80g. Rome Mint Head of Philip V of Macedon r., wearing royal Macedonian helmet; (phi) under chin, ROMA monogram behind. Equestrian statue r., base inscribed L.PHILIPPV, flower below horse; In ex.: X Craw 293/1; RSC I Marcia 12 Note: Lightly toned with much remaining lustre. Faint scratches Plus I'll make sure to smoke my next bowl of pipe tobacco in Epona's honor, LOL
I love that Celtic Deity! The Festival of Epona, Protectress of Equinii ! I have beau coup horses in my Coin Stable, and have owned and ridden several over the years. How about a Variety of Horses Across Lands conquered by the Empire: BRITANNICA: CELTIC BRITAIN The Inceni Celts Queen Boudicca, 61 AD. AR Unit (Quinarius size) 1.03 g Obv: Celticized head right Rev: Celticized horse galloping right. Ref: vArs.794. CARTHAGE: Carthage Zeugitana AR Shekel / Didrachm 300-264 BCE, 7.42g, 21.0mm Comment: EF Grade: EF great details Obv: Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain, earrings and necklace; dotted border Rev: Horse standing right on exergual line with head turned left, palm tree in background, star in right field GREECE - THESSALY: Thessaly Larissa 344-337 BCE AR Obol 0.68g Nymph Larissa Horse Grazing SNG Cop 1 ITALIA - ROMAN REPUBLIC: Roman Republic Anonymous AR Didrachm 6.63g, 20mm, 12h Rome mint, 234-231 BCE Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right Rev: Horse prancing left, ROMA above. Ref: Sear 28; Crawford 26/1; RSC 37 HISPANIA - IBERIA: Iberia Secaisa Segeda AE 25 2nd-1st C BCE Male Hd Dolphin Horseman Galloping SICILY: Sicily, Gela. AR Litra, 0.63g, 13mm, 8h; 465-450 BC Obv: Bridled horse advancing right; wreath above. Rev: ΓEΛA; Forepart of man-headed bull right. Reference: HGC 2, 373 DANUBE / DACIA AREA: Celtic Imitation Philip II AR drachm Danube Region ASIA - Alexandria Troas: Roman Empire Valerian I 253-260 CE AE 20mm Alexandria Troas mint Horse Grazing
Well, apparently you dudes brought the horses, so I'll be the ass in this thread!! (again) MACEDON, Mende. AR Tritartemorion Circa 460-423 BC Diameter: 10 mm Weight: 0.62 grams Obverse: Ass standing right Reverse: Crow standing left within incuse square Reference: SNG ANS 358 (same obverse die) SICILY, Messana. AR Drachm (60 Onkia) 445-439 BC Diameter: 18 mm Weight: 3.59 grams Obverse: Charioteer driving biga of mules right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses; olive leaf and berry in exergue Reverse: Hare springing right within wreath, ΜΕΣΣΑ-ΝION Reference: Caltabiano Series IX, 388 (D175/R168); HGC 2, 807; SNG Lloyd 1111; SNG Lockett 820; Boston MFA 288; Jameson 651; Pozzi 487; Rizzo pl. 27, 11 (all from the same dies) Diva Julia Titi. Æ Sestertius Struck under Domitian Rome mint AD 91 Died AD 91 Diameter: 34 mm Weight: 24.31 grams Obverse: Carpentum drawn right by two mules Reverse: Legend around large S C Reference: RIC II 717 (Domitian)
Link's epic horse, Epona, from the video game series "Zelda," must be a derivative. In honor, although not specifically Epona; I'll post a horse I have not posted before. *horses Sicily, Syracuse 485-465 BC Tetradrachm Nike Over Quadriga / Arethusa and dolphins 16.98g -Michael
I learned something today Never heard of Epona before. ACsearch shows only 4 coins which might depict Epona, although each description noted that the identification was questionable. All four coins were Celtic. Here's a Celtic pony in honor of Epona: CELTIC, Central Europe (Rhineland). "Dancing Mannikin" type 65 BCE - CE 1 AR Quinarius, 13 mm, 1.62 gm Obv: dancing mannikin right, head turned left, holding snake in right hand, torque in left hand. Rev: horse standing right, head turned left; around, zig zag border. Ref: SLM 1118. Dembski 73, 396. (I'll have to take the seller's word on that for now. If any of you have a Celtic reference and find this inaccurate, please let me know.) https://www.cointalk.com/threads/snakebit-celtic-quinarius-little-dancing-man.256052/
