Featured So... these exist: Snake Cowboys

Fantastic coins @@TIF! The Domitian is something very special especially with that unforgettable reverse.

 

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All snakes on this Roman tetradrachma, King Attalus III left his kingdom in 133 BC in his last will to the Roman Republic:

 

IMHO, I have always believed that the snake is a gaulish carnyx.

 

AWESOME coin and EPIC gif!!!

 

All kinds of possibilities come to mind—LOL! We can only assume that whatever this imagery represents, actual or legendary, it was important enough to the citizens of Etenna that they would commemorate the event on a coin.

 

A marionette getting bitten on the nose... (What on earth does this mean??)

CELTIC, Central Europe (Rhineland). "Dancing Mannikin" type
65 -40 BCE, or thereabouts
AR Quinarius, 13 mm, 1.62 gm
Obv: dancing mannikin right, head turned left, holding snake in right hand, torque in left hand.
Rev: horse standing right, head turned left; around, zig zag border.
Ref: SLM 1118. Dembski 73, 396. (I'll have to take the seller's word on that for now. If any of you have a Celtic reference and find this inaccurate, please let me know.)[/QUOTE]
Atlas de monnaies gauloises par Henri de La Tour: 9396;
Gundestrup cauldron, interior plate A, Cernunnos horned god:

 

I wonder if that was partly the inspiration for Pinocchio?

 

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/...0007/lot-5f30abad-6060-4c11-a739-a5e000f1de84

 

I could be wrong, but the obverse of that coin seems to show a Dalek. This was no doubt left by the good Dr. on one of his visits to back then. You might check the alloy to make sure all the elements are from here.

 

Atlas de monnaies gauloises par Henri de La Tour: 9396;
Gundestrup cauldron, interior plate A, Cernunnos horned god:
View attachment 759525 [/QUOTE]

That second image looks like a dude smoking a shisha pipe!

 

I like that theory too... but does it make sense of all the head accoutrements?

[edit: this one does!

end edit]

 

Super coins and animation TIF!!!!!

 

The Carnyx in Iron Age Europe
Fraser Hunter
The Antiquaries Journal, Volume 81 September 2001 , pp. 77-108...

 

Wow TIF, superb captures of superb types. Congratulations!

 

This is worth watching if you are interested in ancient musical instruments...

 

Yippee kai ai yay.

 

Never knew that existed. Now I'll have to look for one.

 

I have encountered many snakes over the years but am still waiting for one with a human head to slither by.
Antoninus Pius Alexandria drachm LIZ

 

I knew that!
Genesis 3:14
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

 

I wonder if the negative depiction of serpents/snakes in early Christiandom was purposeful-- another way to distinguish itself from pagan religions which largely viewed serpents/snakes as symbols of good.

Here's a paper postulating how the Genesis story was not about good and evil but about the need to diminish the role of Osiris as a cult figure.

http://ggreenberg.tripod.com/writings/w-egypt-eden.htm

...

Unrelated, what is the distinction (coin-wise) between winged serpents and dragons, if any? I've noticed some medieval coin descriptions call a winged (and bearded?) snake a dragon.