Featured The land of funny hats: Animals, cities and phalli! Anything the ancients wouldn't put on heads?

In the land of the blind the man with one eye is king. And in the land of the bald the man with a hat is king... especially if it's a funny looking hat!

Bought a fun little cap last Artemide and it got me thinking about all the silly hats the ancients wore:

Anonymous. Period of Domitian to Antoninus Pius. AE Quadrans, late 1st-mid 2nd Century AD. Winged petasus. / Winged caduceus; S C across field. RIC II 32; C. 36. AE. 2.24 g. 15.00 mm. Good VF.

Flying hats

Roman Republic, after 211 BCE Ae-20mm (Sextans) Rome mint.
Av. laur. head of Mercurius right
Rv. prow right
quality is fine to very fine with a dark brown patina, weight is 5,75gr
Former: cichosgladiator11

Limp hats

Elagabalus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Denarius,222 CE,Mint Rome 19mm, 12h2.76,gr.
RCV.7518 - RIC.88 var. - Th.258 - RSC.61 b - RCV.7518
Obverse: IMP ANTONINVS - PIVS AVG. Bearded bust, laureate and draped Elagabal right, seen three quarters forward, horned (A * 01).Elke Kringel hypothesised the "horn" is actually a bulls phallus!
Reverse: INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG / * | -. (The Invincible Priest of the Emperor).
Elagabal laureate and draper standing upright turned left, holding a cypress branch turned upwards with the left hand and a peg with his right hand, sacrificing above an altar lit; Behind the altar, the remains of the ox. Ex:Collect89 CT

City hats

Turret Tyche

Horny hats

Seleukid Kingdom. Antioch (?). Tryphon 142-138 BC.
Bronze Æ
16 mm., 4.53 g.
nearly very fine

The, "I can't hear you with grain in my ears" hat

Antigonos II Gonatas/Antigonus III Doson
Æ (13mm, 1.8 g,1/2 unit). Uncertain Macedonian mint. Macedonian shield with monogram of Antigonos in central boss / Macedonian helmet sans bushel flanked by grain ears ; kerykeion to left, green patina.

The Bes asking, "looks natural, right?" hat.

CILICIA. Uncertain. Circa 400-350 BC. Obol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.58 g, 1 h). Female head facing, turned slightly to left, wearing earrings, necklace and flowing hair. Rev. Facing head of Bes. Göktürk 44. SNG Levante 233. SNG France 486. Fine metal and attractive on both sides. Very fine.

The, " Does this make me look fierce?" Hat

Cilicia, Tarsos. Balakros, Satrap of Cilicia (333-323 BC). AR Obol
Condition: Very Fine
Weight: 1.30 gr
Diameter: 10 mm

The Frank Sinatra, "Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars." hat


So let's see all the funny things you've got ancients wearing on their heads!

 

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How about moderns wearing ancients on their heads?

 

How about a jester hat?






Seleukid Kingdom. Sardeis. Antiochos I Soter 281-261 BC. Bronze Æ 13 mm., 2,62 g. Bust of Athena facing, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet; reverse Nike walking left, raising wreath in right hand, long palm frond over left shoulder in left hand, BAΣIΛEΩΣ (king) downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on right, symbol in circle outer left (control), no control right

 

Modern 19th century style with Roman charming Empress EUDOXIA.

 

..ole @ancient coin hunter 's got the hat thing goin' on with that AP/Tyche provincial..i'd like to have one o does..but until then, this will do

 

Here is a quite diverse bunch of my stuff to show head garb from many cultures, even a Hun chieftan.

 

I'll have to contribute the "crabby headdress:"


Bruttium, The Brettii, AE ¼ unit, ca. 211–208 BC. Obv: head of Amphitrite l., wearing crab headdress. Rev: BRET-TIΩN; crab; racing torch above. 13mm, 1.73g. Ref: HN Italy 1990; SNG ANS 123–125; Scheu (1962), no. 51.

 

2Pac, acting gangsta since 2nd century BC

Aeolis, Aigai Æ12. 2nd-1st centuries BC. Head of Hermes right, wearing petasos / Forepart of goat right; monograms above and to right. SNG München -; SNG Copenhagen 14; SNG von Aulock -.

 

APEX! Weird Hat!


RR L VALERIUS FLACCUS AR Denarius 108-107 BCE Rome Winged draped bust Victory r X - Mars stndg spear trophy Apex grain ear Crawford 306-1 Sear 183




Now, consider how TALL the pointy staff was on the APEX HAT on this coin!

 

Bactrian Kingdom
AR Obol
Demetrius 205-171 B.C.
0.69 grams, 12 mm

 

Mask of Medusa (or skin?) for a hat:


Cilicia, Aigeai. 68/9 AD. 11.6g, AE27
Head of Perseus right, wearing cap and gorgoneion surmounted by eagle(?)
Helmeted and draped bust of Athena left; in right field, date above monogram; countermark of serpent staff and goat

If you are having trouble seeing it on this example, the version of this type in Roma e-78 -- that I was outbid on -- is quite nice.

 

@Orielensis beat me to the crab headdress, but here are a few nice ones on both obv. and rev.!


Varhran II (276-293), AR drachm

A goat skin is a bit odd as well:

L. Roscius Fabatus denarius, 64 BCE

 

What a wonderfully Texas chainsawesquie coin
Makes me think of Greek, wine and fun loving Silenus vs the Roman dead faced mask of...