This coin is my second exception to my "imperial Flavian coins in silver" rule. I now have 2 imperial bronzes. (I have some Alexandrian Dattari plate coins in bronze as well). Besides the fact that this coin is a Flavian coin there is one other obvious reason I wanted this very worn coin. I have seen other post their quadrigae of creatures other than horses and I wanted one so this coin ticks both boxes. Of all the quadrigae that appear on Roman coins I really like the elephants, the snakes, and the cupids the best. I do not think there are any snakes or cupids on Flavian coins so I have to venture outside of my focus to get them. They are cool so I can justify it. Besides it is my collection and I will include whatever I like. Post your coins with elephants. Orichalcum sestertius, Rome mint, weight (34.6mm, 24.300g, die axis 180o), Struck under Titus, 80 - 81 A.D.; Obverse DIVO / AVG / VESP in three lines, S P Q R (Senatus Populusque Romanus - the Senate and the Roman people) in exergue, statue of Vespasian seated in an ornate quadriga of elephants right, each elephant with its own mahout, statue holds a scepter in right hand, Victory in left hand; Rev: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII, legend around large S C (Senatus Consulto); RIC 257; BMCRE II 221; SRCV I 2572 Ex Numismatik Naumann auction 88 (5 Apr 2020), lot 1088 (part of); rare; Purchased from Forum Ancient coins June 5, 2021
Very cool, @Orfew! Not something I recall ever seeing! Elephants are cool! I'm still grooving on this elephant-drawn biga! C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius, 125 BC. Roman AR denarius, 3.89 g. Rome, 125 BC. Obv: Head of Roma, right, wearing Phrygian helmet; XVI monogram below chin, ROMA behind. Rev: Jupiter, crowned by flying Victory, in biga of elephants left, holding thunderbolt in left hand and reins in right hand; C METELLVS in exergue. Refs: Crawford RRC 269/1; Sydenham CRR 485; RCV 145; RSC Caecilia 14.
Congrats! Even with the wear, one can tell how well engraved that obverse die was. And who doesn't love elephants! While I don't have an elephant quadriga, here are a trio that I picked up this year. KINGDOM OF NUMIDIA. Juba I. AE28. 16.49g, 28.2mm. Uncertain Numidian mint, circa 60-46 BC. Mazard 92; MAA 35; SNG Copenhagen 529. O: Head of Zeus-Ammon right. R: Elephant standing right; Punic inscription IOBAI HMMLKT in two lines above. Ex Vitangelo Collection SELEUKID KINGDOM. Antiochos III Megas. AE19. 5.66g, 19.2mm. Uncertain military mint in Coele-Syria, circa 202-187 BC. HGC 9, 490 (S). O: Macedonian shield with central gorgoneion. R: Elephant standing right; anchor above, BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIOXOY below. ELAGABALUS AE17. 3.73g, 17mm. MOESIA INFERIOR, Nicopolis, AD 218-222. Varbanov 3835 (R3); Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov (2018) 8.26.53.1 corr. (obv legend). O: AV K M AVP ANTΩNEINOC, laureate head right. R: NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPOC ICT PON, Elephant standing right.
An interesting scene, Orfew. Congrats Elephant quadriga: EGYPT. Alexandria. Trajan AE drachm, 32.3 mm, 19.8 gm Regnal year 14 (110/11 CE) Obv: AYT TPAIANC EBΓEPM∆AKIK; laureate bust right, with aegis on left shoulder Rev: Trajan, laureate, wearing a toga and holding an eagle-tipped sceptre and branch, standing in an elephant quadriga right; LIΔ above. Ref: Emmett 462.14; Dattari-Savio Pl. 31, 766 (this coin); RPC 4510.3 (this coin) ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923) Solo elephant: Julius Caesar. 49-48 BCE AR denarius Struck by the military mint traveling with Caesar. Obv: elephant standing right, trampling on serpent; CAESAR in exergue Rev: simpulum, sprinkler, axe, and priest's hat. Ref: Crawford 443/1; Sydenham 1006 Elephants on Roman coins are some of the most comically misrendered critters of all coindom. Elephant headdress: EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter AR tetradrachm, 27 mm, 17.0 gm (Attic standard) Alexandreia mint, struck 313/12 BCE Obv: Head of the deified Alexander III to right, wearing mitra of Dionysos and elephant skin headdress, with aegis around his neck, and with horn of Ammon on his forehead Rev: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Athena Alkidemos advancing right, hurling spear with her right hand and with shield over her extended left arm; to right, eagle with closed wings standing on thunderbolt to right with ΔΙ below Ref: Svoronos 33; Zervos series D, issue XIII; SNG Copenhagen 14; BMC 7