Weird headgear, silly crowns, and ludicrous diadems: if you got them, go ahead!

So with only 67 days to go for the International Hat Day on November 25th (which is a thing apparently), it's time for an Ancient Headgear themed thread. So, silly hats, ludicrous crowns, over-the-top tiara's, over-sized helmets, etc.: if you got them, post them!

To avoid just dry, factual coin-posting, there are two rules:
1. One coin per post, without a too technical description (i.e. provenance, weight, catalogi etc. may be mentioned, but avoid long sum-ups)
2. Silly headgear should be silly indeed.

To start the thread, here is a coin of Aethelred II (966-1016) wearing a diadem that looks like a funky punk-style diadem.

Denomination: Penny, minted: England, Winchester, Moneyer: Ælfsige; 978-1017
Obs: +AEDELRAED REX ANGL. Head of Aethelred II, draped, to the left.
Rev: +AELFSIGE MO PINT. Voided Long cross without inner circle.
Weight: 1.74g; Ø:1.9cm Catalogue: Spink 1151

You can just imagine him sipping a pint of ale after a long day fighting Danes:

 

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I can imagine a bunch a Sassanian coins showing up, but I think this coin of Constantine I wearing a WWI-era Brodie helmet is, if not utterly ludicrous, at least wildly anachronistic:

Siscia mint, A.D. 318-319
RIC 53
Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
Rev: VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP - Two Victories, facing each other, holding shield inscribed VOT/PR over altar
BSIS in exergue
19 x 17 mm, 3.3 g.

 

Five Sasanian hats for the price of one:

 

A lot of Parthian coins feature headgear with earflaps. On this coin, the frontal view of the earflaps and the diadem loops makes it look like the king is wearing one of those "kitty ear" knitted hats:

 

Nothing says "manly" like wearing a chamber pot on your head with two feathers glued to it.

 

Phrygian cap with griffin-head on top, decorated with wizard stars:

BITHYNIA. Dia. AE (Circa 85-65 BC). Weight: 11.21 g. Diameter: 23 mm.
Obv: Head of Perseus right, wearing phrygian cap with griffin-crest, decorated with two stars.
Rev: DIAΣ; Pegasos grazing right; monogram to upper left, upper right and right.
Ref: SNG von Aulock #344

Eagle crown, with cluster of flowers or fruit:

Hormizd II. A.D. 303-309. AR drachm (27.4 mm, 3.59 g, 3 h).
Obv: Pahlavi legend mzdy<s>n bgy hwrmzdy MRKAn MRKA 'yr<'>n MNW ctry MN yzd'n (The Mazda-worshipping Lord Hormizd, King of Kings of the Iranians, whose lineage is of the gods.); Crowned bust right
Rev: Pahlavi legend NWRA (ZY) hwrmzdy (Fire of Hormizd); Fire altar with attendants and ribbon; in flames, bareheaded bust left.
Ref: Göbl 85.

Note that Hormizd II's son Shapur II had a more reasonable mural crown with fruit. This is probably because Shapur II was crowned while still in his mother's womb. There would not have been time to produce anything so elaborate.

Bull head crown:

Western Turk dynasties, BI drachm, Kabulistan, 630-711 AD 2.23g 28mm
Obv: Pahlavi lengd NAPKI MALKA; Nezak Malka type, bull's head crown
Rev: Fire altar with two attendants

 

These guys needed strong necks!

 

Oceanus wearing crab claws on his head...


HADRIAN
AR Denarius. 2.98g, 19.1mm. Rome mint, AD 119-125. RIC 75a. O: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate bust right. R: P M TR P COS III, Oceanus reclining left on a dolphin, crab claw horns on his head, holding an anchor in his right hand.
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection

 

Not the easiest to see, but Agrippa on the left of these Nemausus pieces wears a wreath in the shape of the prow of a ship.

@Spaniard I can't remember the source, but a Byzantine in attendance at the coronation of a Sassanian emperor (Khusro II maybe?) noted that the crowns were very much real, and so heavy they had to be suspended from the ceiling by chains; the emperor would slide into the headgear for the coronation. I had always assumed them to be symbolic!

 

It's hard to beat some of the ancient nonclassical coins when it comes to funky headgear (although Sallent's Republican is pretty wacky).

Here's a Nezak huns drachm like one already shown by Ed:


Nezak Huns, Anonymous Napki Malik coinage
AR Drachm, 25 mm, 2.45 gm
Sixth Century AD
Obv: Bust right wearing headdress surmounted by bull's skull
Rev: Crude fire-altar with attendants
Ref: Göbl Hunnen Em 198.12. (I have no idea if this reference is right or even if the overall attribution is correct )

My favorite, although not very weird compared to many of the coins in this thread:


BRUTTIUM, the Brettii
216-214 BCE
Æ quartuncia, 13.5mm, 2.06 g
Obv: head of Amphitrite left, wearing crab headdress
Rev: crab; torch above, BPET-TIΩN above and below
Ref: Pfeiler p. 33, 4a; Scheu, Bronze 51; HN Italy 1944; SNG ANS 123–4; SNG Lloyd –; McClean 1579

 

Of course, for sheer weirdness, it's hard to beat a laurel wreath with a dried bull's penis sticking out on top.

Elagabalus denarius - not my coin or photo:

 

Some wonderful coins all and hard to beat rarities. I'll start with the more obvious weird/strange/hilarious hats:
Lion


Elephant


Goat


Wings


Athena can you hear me?


Don't head butt these guys

Wings


Skeleton Lincoln with top hat

 

Gotta love the ethnic crown of the kings of Khwarezm!

Sawashfan AR "dirham", c. 750 AD


Also the Turco-Hepthalite warlord Vasudeva had a crown quite similar to the Nezaks, but derived from Khusro II's crown and replacing the bull head with a leopard or senmurv


Although I see this as two separate portraits, some think this distinctive type from Chach depicts the king wearing a hat/mask in the shape of an ancestor

 

Tyche type from A. Pius. I can't help but think of Carmen Miranda...

 

Tetradrachm of Smyrna 155-145 B.C. Obv Head of Tyche wearing turreted crown. Rv.Inscription within wreath.Milne 156 16.62 grms 31 mm

 

Looks like there's already a couple of these posted, but I'll have to add another bull's head hat into the mix.


Hunnic Tribes, Hephthalites. "Napki Malka" coinage. 470-560 AD. AR Drachm (25 mm, 3.37 g), Royal male bust right wearing winged head-dress surmounted by bull's head. Rev. Fire altar with attendants.
From the W.F. Stoecklin Collection

 

How about NO headgear:


Uncert West Asia Minor Karia 5th C BC AR tetartermorion 5mm 0.15g Female - Frprt Bull r Kayhan 968 exc rght

 

From the few coin pics I have on my phone..





Honourable mention for best hair

 

When you have a whole town on your head ...

 

So many excellent funky hats have been posted!

All cool kids in Parthia wear over-sized earflaps with a fancy star.