You probably know that during the years of 1910-1914 the United States of Mexico issued its famous Caballito or Horse Pesos. In case you don't here's a photo of one courtesy of Don's World Coin Gallery: http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/display.php?image=nmc2/121-453&desc=Mexicokm4531Peso(1910-1914)Caballito&query=Mexico You, also, know many ancient coins featured horses on them as evidenced by this silver Tetradrachm struck at the Syracuse Mint in the City State of Sicily circa 485-466 BC (photo courtesy of Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=427382&AucID=775&Lot=29&Val=9c7f56da5c50d82f6b2db7db1dcdf1b5 Even some ancient gold coins featured a charioteer driving a biga pulled by two horses or more on either side of the coin. Here's a gold Stater minted by the Pella mint in the name and types of Philip II circa 317/6-315/4 BC (Coin Archives photo): http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=427446&AucID=775&Lot=93&Val=9976ce93d6d264c50f31c28df571dd5f England's monarch Charles I, a Stuart, is featured astride his horse on this silver Half Pound struck at the Oxford Mint in 1642 (photo courtesy of Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1029744&AucID=947&Lot=2049&Val=58fbc401901085be4d508de3a70aab91 And you know throughout modern coinage many countries issued coins celebrating the Chinese zodiacs as evidenced by this Chinese 1990 100 Yuan proof "Year of the Horse" coin (Coin Archives photo): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1039237&AucID=956&Lot=90205&Val=0f171c406133bd26056d91ed435f344d Many, many nations produced coins bearing a horse or horses on one of their sides, including some of the United States of America's commemorative coinage, but do you know one country produced a coin called Horse besides the Caballito Pesos of Mexico? That nation is Italy. The denomination, struck in silver between 1508-1512, is the Cavallato (Horse). Photo courtesy of Coin Archives: http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1029583&AucID=947&Lot=1888&Val=2879cfa0285632783139e05cd9ad8d26 Thought you should know... Clinker
Interesting, Clinker - I did not know about the Mexican "Caballito". But since you mentioned Italian countries, there is also the "Cavallo" from Naples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavallo_(coin) The Italian version (click on "Italiano" on the left) shows another piece which apparently had the same value as the prior type, and was thus called Cavallo too, even though there is horse on that coin. Christian
The horse is by far the most common animal on ancient coins. This makes a lot of sense since to ancients the horse was both their car, their tractor, and their military vehicles. I would say on ancient coins there are at least as many coins showing a horse as there all other animals combined.
Interesting read thank you! I didn't know that. The only thing I've ever heard nicknamed horse is something we're not supposed to be discussing on these forums :whistle: lol.
I started a horse-themed topical set of coins about 6 months ago. I have been adding coins periodically. You can see what I have so far here: http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=5705 I am up to 43 coins! Great post and interesting read... :hail:
