Gods, Goddesses, Rulers - Anyone want to post a coin photo?

Anyone want to post a coin photo? How about we just go through the alphabet A through Z (as many time as we like) posting coins with Gods or rulers that begin with each letter. The first post should be a post with an “A” god or ruler such as Athena or Arcadia. The next post should be a “B” god or ruler such as Ba’al. C could be anything from Constantine to Chimera. Let’s include Gods, Goddesses demigods and many other divine and semi-divine figures and creatures you can think of from ancient times. (Yes, Pegasus for P if you like). Ruler names can be first names, given names, family names, etc. No rules except one- when someone plays a letter (and you actually see it before you post), then try to post the next letter. There should be lots of double post & there’s no worries because it only for fun (and education).

We just opened a bottle in the man cave & will begin with Anaxilas for A:

SICILY, Messana
AR Tetradrachm
480-461 BC
17.21 grams, 25 mm.
Obv: Biga of mules (an apene) driven right by seated charioteer. Nike above crowning mules.
Rev: Hare bounding to right with spray of olive beneath. MEΣΣA.ИIOИ. (retrograde Ns)
Grade: a nicely toned Good Fine coin with claims to aVF.
Other: Similar to Sear 843 & 847. SNGANS.314. From Pegasi Jan 2014.

According to something I read on the Internet, Anaxilas of Rhegium encouraged the Samians and other Ionian refugees to seize Zankle, which was then under the rule of the tyrant Skythes, who had been appointed to that post in 494 BC by Hippocrates of Gela. Shortly afterwards Anaxilas himself besieged the city, drove out the Samians, peopled it with fresh inhabitants and renamed it Messana in honor of his native city of Messene, which had itself been founded by Epaminondas after the battle of Leuktra. Whew.

OK, that is one coin for A.
Someone got a coin for “B”?

 

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OK I already said Ba'al so here it is:

BABALONIA, Babylon
AR Stater (or Dishekel)
328-321 B.C.

16.08 grams, 22 mm x 5.5 mm thick
Obv: Ba’al seated left holding scepter
Rev: Lion walking left, control mark Г above.
Grade: good Fine to a Very Fine nicely toned & centered.
Other: Good silver 5.5 mm thick. Anonymous mintage of Eastern Alexandrine empire under the successors of Mazaeus (Stamenes 328-323 B.C., Archon 323-321 B.C.) See BMC.34, BMC.184/36. Babylonian stater coin sometimes called a tetradrachm due to its 16 gram weight according to the Attic standard.
Ex Pegasi coin. From private sale January 11, 2014.

Got "C"?

 

Cybele



Julia Domna AR Denarius, 193-217 AD.
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, Bare-headed, draped bust right.
Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele, towered, seated left between two
lions, holding branch and sceptre, left elbow resting on drum.

 

Nice & nice thinking outside of the box.

 

Dionysus (deep deep inside the box)

 

double post ooops.

 

Erymanthian Boar. Not quite a God or ruler but what the hey.





M. Volteius M.f. 75 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.01g, 5h). Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion-skin headdress / Erymanthian Boar running right; M • VOLTEI•M• F in exergue. Crawford 385/2; Sydenham 775; Kestner 3251-2; BMCRR Rome 3158-9; Volteia 2.

 

Florian (not my coin)


Need a bigger photo. Here is Faustina Senior. She is my coin:


Faustina SeniorAR Denari ca. 141 AD
3.15 grams, 16 mmObv: Draped bust of Faustina Senior facing right. DIVA FAUSTINAReverse: Pietas standing sacrificing at altar AVGVSTAGrade: aEF coin that is sharp & clear even at the points of highest relief at Faustina’s ear.Other: Annia Galeria Faustina (Faustina Sr.) was the wife of Antoninus Pius & died in 141 AD. From Fairchester Numismatic Properties, Vincent Blume, August 2013.

 

That boar is awesome art.

 

No Geeees? How about Gautama Buddha

 

Okay, I'll take H to feature the coin I just bought from Red_Spork:



Kingdom of Macedon
Alexander III (the Great), r. 336-323 B.C. (c. 325-315 B.C.)
Pella Mint, AR Tetradrachm
25mm x 17.1 grams
Obv.: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin
Rev.: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, holding eagle and sceptre, ΣΙ in left field
Ref.: Price 236, Mueller 1397

And for something that hasn't been posted here before:



France, Duchy of Burgandy
Hugh IV, r. 1212-1278
Dijon Mint, BI Denier
15.5mm x 0.8 grams
Obv.: +VGO BVRGVNDIE, DVX between two lines on an anille
Rev.: + DIVIONENSIS, cross within circle, with a clover in the first and third quarters, whose tail comes from the center of the cross

 

Hugh IV should count as an "I"

 

ok then -- Jupiter



Constantine I AE2 Follis. Heraclea mint. IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, laureate head right / IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG, Jupiter standing facing with Victory on globe & sceptre; eagle with wreath in beak at feet; officina letter (epsilon) to right, SMHT in ex.
Heraclea
RIC VI 75.1

 

Charlemagne is King Karl for K. (Wish this was my coin).

This British Museum coin is a
Gold solidus of Charlemagne
Frankish, AD 768-814
Minted in Dorestad, Netherlands

 

Lysimachus

Kings of Thrace, Lysimachus, Lampsakos
AR Tetradrachm
297-281 BC
16.77 grams, 29 mm
Obv: Deified head of Alexander III the Great right w/ horn of Ammon
Rev: Athena seated left with Nike in right hand & left arm on shield
, Torch, monogram in left field.
Grade: VF+ nicely centered & toned.
Other: This coin depicts a very high relief true portrait of Alexander the Great as issued by Lysimachus. Thompson, Lysimachus, 50; Müller, Lysimacus, 91. From NGC slab 3599374-007, Lot #776 Sedwick Auction #14 October 2013.

 

I'll post Mithradates for M before we un-cork another bottle.

THRACE Odessos
Pontic Kingdom
Mithradates VI (The Great)
AR Tetradrachm83 – 82 B.C.15.97 gms, 27 mm
Obv: Portrait of Mithradates as
Alexander III as Hercules.
Rev: Zeus seated on throne holding
eagle on outstretched arm.
ΛA monogram below arm and
partially obscured monogram
OΔH (Odessus) in exergue.
BAΣIΛΕΩΣ AΛEΞNΔΡOY.
Grade: VF with good centering and
strike. Nicely toned good silver.
Other: This Odessus coin type was minted in between 125-70 B.C. This particular coin may have been struck 83-82 B.C. However, it is a point of speculation whether it was minted previous to the second Mithridatic War or during it to finance the battle.
Price 1191. Ex Harlan J Berk, Ltd., Dec 2013. From private sale Feb 22, 2014

 

Nike on a tetradrachm of Roman Alexandria under Gallienus (253-268).

 

Otacilia Severa

 

Pax on an early denarius of Vespasian.


Vespasian
AR Denarius
Rome Mint, 70-71 AD
RIC 41 (C2), BMC 61, RSC 566
Obv: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: TRI POT II COS III P P; Pax, draped, seated l., holding branch in extended r. hand and winged caduceus in l.

 

Wow, I stepped away after this thread posted and debated which A I'd post in the morning... now it's up to Q.

Nice coins, all