I bought a modern coin ...

This small 17th century English medal doesn't imitate the design of any specific ancient coin as far as I know, but there are elements in its style that nonetheless remind me of ancient Roman coins.

England 1625, Marriage of Charles I to Henrietta Maria of France. Obv. Busts face to face; above, celestial rays. He, head bare, is in ruff, doublet buttoned, and George of the Garter suspended to riband; she, hair jewelled, wears earrings, necklace, dress, and stiff ruff, CH. MAG. ET. HEN. MA. BRIT. REX. ET. REG [Charles the Great, and Henrietta Maria, King and Queen of Britain] / Rev. Cupid walking, right, scattering roses and lilies, above, celestial rays, FVNDIT. AMOR. LILIA. MIXTA. ROSIS [Love pours out lilies mixed with roses (alluding to the union of the lilies of France with the roses of England)]; in exergue: 1625. AR 24 mm. Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I p. 238 No. 1 (1885, reprinted 1969); Eimer 105A.





I have a number of Napoleonic-era medals that more directly borrow classical iconography, but don't have any photos of them to post.

 

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Hi @DonnaML,

Here's mine. Reverse type look familiar? Very Ptolemaic, I'd say.

Copper French Napoleonic Medal - Br 1348.
Plain edge, original strike. 41 mm By Andrieu
Bramsen #1348 1814: The victories of February 1814; Laskey #135

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Obverse: Head of Napoleon, laureate. NAPOLEON EMP. ET ROI.
Reverse: FEVRIER MDCCCXIV. An eagle perched on a thunderbolt, facing left, a
star above his head. In the left field a pair of fish; in the right a flying Victory holding out a wreath. Signed beneath the thunderbolt, BRENET F., DENON D


This medal celebrates the February successes Napoleon had against the invading armies; the fish are, of course, the zodiacal sign of Pisces. Encouraged by his success, Napoleon rejected offers of the allies to leave him in possession of France and continued fighting. March was disastrous. Napoleon sent a message to his brother Joseph in Paris, telling him to hold on, and explaining that Napoleon was marching east to pick up more troops from the besieged forts there. The message was intercepted; the allies seized the opportunity to attack and occupy Paris.

Laskey's 1818 image:

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- Broucheion

 

@Broucheion That is really one kind of a coin!

 

I've got a modern campgate! Got it for 25 cents when I struck out on ancients at a coin show (maybe overpaid... haha).

 

Also... check out my fantastic Otho! I also have a matching Galba but can't find the photo. (in the past, I've looked for more information on these but haven't been able to find anything about them. If anyone knows anything about 12 Caesars sets like this one, let me know!)

 

I don't collect coins from after the 17th century, and I only bought this 10 DM silver coin commemorating the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Teutonic Order because I collect the medieval Order's coins:



Here is my favorite medieval shilling minted by the Teutonic Order:

Teutonic Order, under Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode, AR shilling, 1351–1382, Thorn or Danzig mint (?). Obv: + MAGST WVNRICS PRIMS; eagle shield of the Grand Master. Rev: + MONETA DNORVM PRUCI; shield of the Teutonic Order. 21mm, 1.64g. Ref: Neumann 4.

 

I have a few of these left over from my travels. With one of these you can buy a morning breakfast of fuul and eggs wrapped in pita bread for the equivalent of 15 cents. Well, Tut struck no coins but it is a throwback image to ancient times.

 

I decided to take quick photos of one of my Napoleonic medals, just to show how directly the reverse designs on such medals can follow numismatic motifs found on Roman coins. It would be a nice-looking medal if it didn't have so many discolored areas on both sides. (It wasn't me; I swear!)

France AR Medal Peace of Luneville, 1801 Artist: Bertrand Andrieu; minted by Paris Mint. Obv.: Bust of Bonaparte, head bare, facing right; around, BONAPARTE PREMIER CONSUL DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRAN.SE.; on bust truncation, ANDRIEU F./ Rev.: Pax standing left with olive branch in raised right hand and cornucopia held in left arm; around, PAIX DE LUNEVILLE; in exergue, LE XX. PLUVOISE / AN IX [= 9 Feb. 1801]; on ground left in small letters, ANDRIEU F. Reference: Laskey XXI. 41 mm, 38.74 g.




For comparison purposes, here's a denarius of Octavian from 32-31 BCE (RIC I 252), with a similar reverse design of Pax with olive branch and cornucopia, that I found in the CNG Archives. (See https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=318332 for a full description.)

 

That is a gorgeous Bonaparte medal @DonnaML - never saw one before; the discolorations don't diminish its beauty, in my opinion.... Interesting that it uses the French republican calendar (Pluviose)

 

The legendary bird "Phoenix" is on obverse of this Greek 5-Drachma coin. 1930.

 

Thank you. It's true that I had never even noticed the disclorations much in "real life," and saw them as incredibly apparent only after I took the photos.

The Republican calendar was used, as far as I know, on all French coins and medals (as it was used generally for all purposes) until a year after Napoleon's coronation as Emperor -- namely, up through L'An 14 (1805/06, as each year began in September). I once learned the names of all the Republican months, to make genealogical research easier for my ancestors who lived in Alsace at the time, but have long forgotten them.

In any event, at the time this medal was issued, in "rainy" February of L'An 9 (1801), Napoleon was still only First Consul -- another borrowing from Rome! -- and the Republican calendar was still in use. I have to wonder if M. Andrieu, in designing the reverse (possibly using the coin of Octavian I posted as a model) was already thinking of Napoleon's future in Augustan terms.

 

@DonnaML, you brought back bittersweet memories with that Charles I & Henrietta Maria medalet. I found one at a local coin show in the late '80's, when I was just embarking on my second phase of collecting. It fell victim to one of what were then regularly-scheduled rent emergencies. But let me tell you about it.
In hand, it had beautiful, bluish toning. And it was neatly holed, from the top of the obverse, with much more wear on the reverse (from memory, both legends were clear, along with the date.) You could imagine some Royalist having worn it on their neck, maybe into the Civil War period. The net effect was 'content and esthetics' --the numismatic equivalent of the Ciceronian ideal.

 

It is awesome what one can learn through coins. Thank you so much for sharing. Bonaparte's bust is just magnificent.

 

I've got a couple of non-ancients. This one is rather impressive, both because of the detail, the size (39 mm!) and the spectacular toning. A bronze coin minted during the French Revolution in 1792. The obverse reminds me a bit of the large Roman denominations with the Emperor seated, receiving homage. Obviously, in the French Republic, this was not the case ...

FRENCH REPUBLIC, Anonymous. Denomination: AE 5 sols, minted: France; 1792
Obv: Row of French soldiers, facing left, swearing allegiance to the new Republic, seated, wearing helmet, holding constitution. Below, portrait of Louis XVI on plinth, head right.
Rev: MONNERON FRERES NEGOCIANS A PARIS
MEDAILLE/DE CONFIANCE/DE CINQ-SOLS/REMBOURSABLE/EN ASSIGNATS/DE 50 ET./AU DESSUS/ L'AN IV. DE LA/LIBERTÉ
Weight: 27.7g; Ø:3.9mm. Catalogue: VG.291 - Maz.145 - Br.223 - Dr / Mer.55d - BOUCHETR.55 / 3. Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 11-2017

 

nice! I’ve been thinking about adding one of these myself

 

I really like those Monnerons. See 'em all the time where I shop. Maybe someday....

 

How poignant. Even though I'm hardly a Royalist! I'm sorry you had to sell it.

 

Well, between you, me, and the lamp post, I'm the same way. There should be a Greek word for 'government by the frighteningly inbred.' (...Applicable to more than one context...?) Anyway, Many thanks for your kind commiseration.

 

You are very welcome. It's difficult to think of Napoleon as anything other than bloated and dissolute in appearance, as he was portrayed in British caricatures of the era, but he was definitely young and striking once upon a time. (Plus, he wasn't nearly as short as most believe!) And he looks more distinctively human in this portrait than in some other numismatic portraits I've seen. Here's a website with a number of good photos of Napoleonic medals: http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL WEB ENTRIES/THUMBNAILS/NAPOLEON/brand new thumbnails.htm

 

Here's one more "modern" commemorative medal with a reverse design using classical motifs -- although I don't know if the particular myth portrayed on this medal was ever depicted on an ancient coin. I remember reading it in childhood, though!

England, William & Mary Official AR Coronation Medal, 1689, by J. Roettier. Obv.: Busts of William & Mary right, conjoined and draped, he laureate, GVLIELMVS. ET. MARIA. REX. ET. REGINA./ Rev.: Jove hurls thunder from cloud at Phaethon, falling from his chariot, the earth in flames at left, NE TOTVS ABSVMATVR [That it may not all be consumed]; in exergue, INAVGVRAT. II AP 1690. MI I, 662/25 [Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I p. 662, No. 25 (1885, reprinted 1969)]; Eimer 312 & Plate 40 [Eimer, C.., British Commemorative Medals and their Values (2nd ed. 2010)]. 35 mm., 17.07 g.





This medal is quite hard to find in decent condition; I think this is a rather nice example, despite the cleaning scratches and the ding on the rim of the reverse a little after 3 o'clock. I would speculate, without having read it anywhere, that the figure of Phaethon struck from his chariot was intended to represent James II in his flight.