RIC II 9 Anonymous Æ Quadrans / Olive Tree Date: time of Domitian to Antoninus Pius Obverse: Helmeted head of Minerva right Reverse: S-C, Olive tree Size: 13.50mm Weight: 2.46 grams Description: good Fine. From an interesting series of Roman coins: Although not a particular theme I have collected TREES would be a sweet one. Get into the season and post your TREES! The ornaments- "S & C" initials stand for you know who....
KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III. 336-323 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.04 gm). Arados mint. Civic issue, dated CY 59 (201/0 BC). Obv: Head of St. Nicholas right, wearing red hood with tufted trim. Rev: Muscular elf seated left, inspecting Christmas feast chicken; holding string of tinsel in right hand. Palm tree in left field decorated with three ornaments. AP monogram (gift nametag?) below throne, date in exergue. Price 3389; Müller -. Same obverse die as British Museum 1857, 1218.8 ex CNG 67, September 2004, lot 449.
yep- and the "S" and "C" are his initials-ornaments- in the OP and about the right years maybe? or did he appear in the fourth century? "The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends." and the theme found on many ancient coins.... so after he cut the Gordian's knot and conquered the entire known world he got kinda fat and then went around giving gifts to boys and girls who dream of ancient coins......
ITALY, Pesaro Francesco Maria II Della Rovere Billon Quattrino. 0.5g, 16.7mm. ITALY, Pesaro, AD 1574 - 1624. O: Coat-of-arms (Olive tree, symbol of the Della Rovere family). R: PI/SAV/R in three lines; all within wreath.
OSTROGOTHS. A.D. 493- 553. 20 Nummi or Half Follis (23x24mm 6.5gm) Municipal issue. Rome mint. INVICTA ROMA, helmeted and draped bust of Roma right. REV: Palm tree; to left and right, eagle standing outward, heads facing inward; in ex. •XX•.
TRAJAN DECIUS AE28. 19.77g, 27.8mm. SAMARIA, Caesarea Maritima, circa AD 249-251. Kadman 154; Rosenberger 129. O: IMP C C MES Q TRA DECI[VS AVG], laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: COL PR F AVG F C [CA]ES METR P, Altar of Apollo, with horns; behind, palm tree with dates on left, olive tree on right. Ex NAC 59 (4 April 2011), 1420 Notes courtesy of CNG : Kadman (p. 262) notes: "...it must be remembered that according to the myths of the Greeks, Apollo was born under a date-palm and an olive tree. His mother, Leto, who was known in Egypt and Palestine as Lat and in Italy as Latona, was regarded as the fertility goddess of the date-palm and the olive. We may, therefore, assume with virtual certainty, that this altar was consecrated to Apollo."
That's a really lovely tree, @Mike Margolis! I'm not sure if I have a lone tree, but I've got a whole grove of them in the reverse of this Philip II from Commagene... Philip II, 247-249 AD AE29, Commagene, Zeugma Obverse: AVTOK K M IOYΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CЄB, Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Reverse: ZЄYΓM-ATЄΩN, Tetrastyle temple, draped figure within, atop peribolos containing grove of trees; in exergue, capricorn to left. References: BMC 35, SNG Copenhagen 35 Size: 29mm, 15.8g
My favorite purchase this year that has a tree prominently featured on it. CARACALLA AE32. 17.31g, 32.3mm. PONTUS, Amasia, dated CY 208 (AD 206/7). SNG Cop 112; Dalaison 385. O: AV KAI M AVΡ ANTΩNINOC, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: AΔΡ CEV ANT AMACEIAC MH NE ΠΡ ΠO, High altar (of Zeus Stratios) surmounted by smaller flaming altar; tree to left, ET CH (date) in exergue.
Mike, That's a nice one. Here is my Ceiba tree which you may find interesting: 1950 Guatemala 5 Centavos From Wikipedia: The tree plays an important part in the mythologies of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. For example, several Amazonian tribes of eastern Peru believe deities live in Ceiba tree species throughout the jungle. The Ceiba, or ya’axché (in the Mopan Mayan language), symbolised to the Maya civilization an axis mundi which connects the planes of the Underworld (Xibalba) and the sky with that of the terrestrial realm. This concept of a central world tree is often depicted as a Ceiba trunk. The unmistakable thick conical thorns in clusters on the trunk were reproduced by the southern lowland Maya of the Classical Period on cylindrical ceramic burial urns or incense holders. Modern Maya still often respectfully leave the tree standing when harvesting forest timber. The Ceiba tree is represented by a cross and serves as an important architectural motif in the Temple of the Cross Complex at Palenque. and here is a festive S C : Trajan (98-117), Æ Orichalcum As, Rome, minted 114-117 AD
