Post your "well-known" Ancient Coins

Post coins that, to a person not studying classical coins, they would still know what it is with a bit on explanation.

example- a EID MAR Denarius, since everyone knows that Julius Caesar was assassinated.

 

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I'll post a roach. Antoniniani of Gordian III are so common they are called "roaches". Oftentimes coin stores will have one on display even if they do not specialize in ancient coins.

Gordian III, A.D. 238-244

AR Antoninianus, 24mm, 4.9 grams

Rome mint, A.D. 241-243

Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: PM TRP III CIS II PP; Apollo seated left, holding laurel branch and leaning on lyre

Reference: RIC IV 114

 

Alexander the Great Tet
Probably the best known ancient type to non-collectors


Athenian Owl Tet
The second best known ancient type to non-collectors


Tribute Penny
All Christians know the story


Constantine Rome Commemorative
Everyone knows about the she-wolf story and the symbol of the wolf with the babies is recognized worldwide as a symbol of Rome.


Nero As
If there is one ancient emperor that is most readily recognizable to the general public, that emperor is Nero. I'm willing to bet more random people could probably recognize his portrait too above that of any other emperor.

 

SILVER ANTONINIANUS OF GORDIAN III FROM 238 - 244 AD. GORDIAN WAS MADE EMPEROR AT AGE 13, AND DIED IN BATTLE AT AGE 19.

Size is 21.3 mm and 4.88 grams.
Sear 8615
OBVERSE – IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG Radiate, draped bust, right
REVERSE – IOVI STATORI Jupiter standing right with scepter & thunderbolt.

Marcus Antonius Gordianus (January 20 225 – February 11, 244), known in English as Gordian III, was Roman Emperor from 238 to 244.

Jupiter was the god of the sky and thunder and king of the gods in Ancient Roman religion and mythology.
Jupiter was the chief deity of Roman state religion throughout the Republican and Imperial eras, until Christianity became the dominant religion of the Empire.

 

Here are my Attica and Alexander tetradrachm. I first saw these types in history books during my high school years. Never thought I would be owning examples back then.

 

I would add a Bee as a well known classic coin that some non-collectors may recognize...


Ionia, Ephesus
Obv: Bee in laurel wreath
Rev: Stag grazing, right
16.6 mm, 3.2g
280-258 BC

 

For people that have either visited Rome or seen pics, this landmark is easily recognizable on coins. Trajan's Column.

 

Undoubtedly, the most iconic of all Flavian coins.


Vespasian
Æ Sestertius, 24.60g
Rome mint, 71 AD
RIC 167 (C3). BMC 543.
Obv: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M TR P P P COS III; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: IVDAEA CAPTA; S C in exergue; Palm tree; to l., Vespasian stg. r. with spear and parazonium, foot on helmet; to r., Judaea std. r. on cuirass

The Jewish War was an important event for the fledgling Flavian dynasty - in essence it gave them the legitimacy to rule. The ensuing propaganda onslaught after the 'Gotterdammerung' fall of Jerusalem in August of 70 is awe inspiring. We have Josephus' description of the joint triumph of 71 held for Vespasian and Titus in book 7 of his 'Jewish War', the buildings and monuments erected by the regime, and more importantly for our purposes we have the coins. Judaea Capta types were struck in all metals for almost as long as the dynasty ruled. The first flurry of these came in 71, presumably in conjunction with the triumph, amidst a great issue of bronze coinage that same year. One of the most iconic Judaea Capta types is this sestertius' reverse featuring a triumphal Vespasian with a defeated Judaea at his feet, not surprisingly one of the more common types from the issue. Vespasian is seen proudly standing holding a spear and parazonium (a triangular sword) with his foot on an enemy helmet, while Judaea is sitting on a captured cuirass in abject despair - take note of their size discrepancy. The iconography on display here strongly hints at what the spectators of the triumph likely witnessed. The slight of hand the Flavian regime devised which transformed defeated rebel provincials into a foreign menace is truly amazing.

'Ambition sighed: she found it vain to trust
The faithless column and the crumbling bust;
Huge moles, whose shadow stretched from shore to shore,
Their ruins perished, and their place no more!
Convinced, she now contracts her vast design,
And all her triumphs shrink into a coin.
A narrow orb each crowded conquest keeps,
Beneath her palm here sad Judea weeps.' -
Alexander Pope, To Mr. Addison, Occasioned by his Dialogues on Medals II. 19-26

 

Struck last two weeks of Caesar’s life...

Roman Imperiatorial
Julius Caesar Lifetime
P Sepullius Macer
AR Denarius, 1st 2 weeks-Mar 44 BCE, 19 mm, 4.03g.
Obv: CAESAR – DICT PERPETVO Veiled and wreathed head of Caesar R.
Rev: P·SEPVLLIVS – MACER Venus standing l., holding Victory and sceptre resting on star.
Ref: Syd 1074a Sear Imperators 107e Cr 480-14 Rare

And who did it?

Mine

Slavei

 

That's one of the nicest forgeries of an Eid Mar I've seen. I have seriously considered buying some Slavei fakes / Bulgarian School of Forgery examples and starting a separate coin collection of Slavei/Bulgarian fakes.

I have a feeling in 200 years collectors might like at Slavei/Bulgarian fakes with the same love an passion some of us now look at Paduan medals/forgeries with. Who knows, some of the better examples might even sell for our modern equivalent of hundreds of dollars one day.

Here's my real Julius Caesar since you showed yours off:

 

Here are 2 commemorating the sack of Jerusalem, an As of Nero "fiddling" while Rome burns, and a prutah of Pontius Pilate (though the latter might be pushing it).

 

Wow... thank you for posting those.. just wonderful!!

 

The cool thing is that the silver for those coins came from the temple. From holy gifts to the Judean God, to money some Roman probably paid a prostitute with for sex in some dark brothel in the Subura. How cool is that? The sacred and obscene all rolled up nearly into one tiny disk of silver.

 

Butcher and Ponting have shown that the silver that produced much of Vespasian's Rome mint silver coinage was the same composition as that struck late in Nero's reign through the Civil War at Rome. It likely came from recycled republican and early imperial stock, which explains why so many antiquarian types were revised during his reign. I'm not sure where the myth that most, if not all of it, came from the sacked temple's wealth, which was seriously depleted upon Titus' arrival after years of civil strife and siege. It sure makes a nice story for the pious though.

 

You might recognize my copy of this ultra-famous coin:

 

Yep - it is certainly a beauty!!

 

Widow's mite.

 

I'm surprised that an Amisos, Pontos AE Gorgon hasn't been posted yet.

 

Interesting question: which ancient coins would my wife recognise without too much explanation? (note: she has only a mild interest in coins, including mine....)

I this category I would definitely include:

- Coin with Julius Caesars's portrait.
- Coins showing Nero.
- The Tribute Penny.
- the Euainetos Dekadrachm from Syracuse! she really loves this one.
- Coins depicting Trajans' Column
- Coins depicting the Coliseum
- Coins showing Vitellius (for some reason she always recognises this guy)

I have examples of some on the list, (excepting of course the Syracuse Dekadrachm and Coliseum coins!).


Trajan's Column:


Nero As



Julius Caesar: