Wings on Things

The Greeks were very creative in their artwork and enjoyed combining different animal elements together to create a new creature- officially know as polymorphism.

I thought it might be interesting and fun to start a thread that shows images of ancient coins with wings on things nature never intended. This could be polymorphic animals or winged helmets. Show off the creativity of the celators!

Sorry..had to attach a file instead of an embedded image. I haven't figured out the nuances of the media library, yet. And "No!" This is not part of my collection..

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

This is a great theme for a thread.

Here's my contribution, an oktadrachm from Thrace, Abedera, period II, 520-492 BC.

Spencer-Churchill 96

29.3 grams



BTW - Welcome to CT Ancients!

 

@Ryan McVay - welcome to Coin Talk.

The electrum issues of Kyzikos have numerous examples
of winged creatures. Their celators seem to have been given free reign to use their imaginations. Here are mine :


winged lioness


winged bull


winged dog


winged stag

 

there are many wings out there


Winged helmet:

Safra
AR Denarius, 150 BC, Rome
Obv.: Head of Roma right with winged helmet, X behind.
Rev.: SAFRA / ROMA, Victory in biga right holding reins in right hand and whip in left.
Ag, 19.5mm, 3.87g
Ref.: Crawford 206/1, Sydenham 388


Winged thunderbolt:

Seleukos I.
Syria, Seleukis and Pieria
312 - 281 BC
Obv.: laureate head of Zeus right
Rev.: ΣEΛEΥKEΩN, winged thunderbolt, monogram below
AE, 7.79g, 22.60mm
Ref.: BMC 5, Newell WSM 898, SNG Spaer 39

Pegasos:

Akarnania, Leukas
Stater, ca. 405-345 BC
Obv.: Pegasos flying right, Λ below
Rev.: Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet; caduceus behind
Ref.: Nicolet- Pierre and Kroll, AJN 2 (1990), pl. i, pi-1-pi-4. Svoronos pl. 20.

 

Nice idea!.....Cool coins shown!
Castulo, Spain AE As. 30 mm, 22g. 76-45 BC.
ISCER SACAL, youthful male head right.
CAST SOCED, winged sphinx right.
Burgos (2008) 709; Ripolles 905; Villaronga 14.

 

Hey, it’s coin shaped, lol.
Besides, the thread title doesn’t specify coin, just ‘things’

 

Wings on a floral thunderbolt on the reverse of this Syracuse coin featuring Artemis from the reign of Agathokleos.

 

Winged Caduceus

Athens New Style Tetradrachm c133/2 BC
Obs : Athena Parthenos right in tri-form helmet
29mm 17.06g Thompson issue 32
Thompson catalogue: Obs 378 : Rev d (not in plates)
Rev : ΑΘΕ ethnic
Owl standing on overturned panathenaic amphora on
which month mark Ε control ΔΙ below
3 magistrates : POLYCHARM NIKOG DIONYSIOU
LF symbol : Winged Caduceus
All surrounded within an olive wreath

 

A Gallienus example, well either Pegasus or one of Sol's horses:

Gallienus (253-268 A.D.) AE antoninianus, Rome mint. Sole reign.

Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right

Reverse: SOLI CONS AVG, Pegasus springing right. Officina letter A offset to right of exergue.

Reference: Goebl 712; RIC V-1, Rome 283 var (mintmark A); Sear 10362.

 

Not a Red Bull can, but a drinking cup (rhyton) with wings:


Troas, Skepsis Æ16
(c. 250-210 B.C.)
Rhyton in form of forepart of flying Pegasos left, border of dots / Six-branch fir tree, Σ-Κ in linear square, thyrsos to left, H to right.
Sear 4136 (var.)
(3.78 grams / 16 mm)

 

SICILY, Syracuse. Reign of Agathokles, c. 317-289 BC. AR 8-Litrai (6.85g). Head of Athena wearing Corinthian helmet left / Pegasus flying left, triskeles below. SNG ANS 684. A fascinating aspect of this coin is it's remarkable similarity to the well known Corinthian Staters from the same era. Like their modern descendants, ancient minters knew a good thing when they saw on it, and if they could improve upon the design all the better. What distinguishes this piece from the Corinth issues is the presence of the Sicilian "Triskeles" on the reverse of the piece under Pegasus. This "Triskeles" is symbolic of the island of Sicily.

 

Hemilitron (AE 17mm) 344-317 bc. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ head of Persephone l., wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace, hair tied with fillet. Rv. Forepart of Pegasos left; below Σ. 4,83gr. Head of Persephone. SNG ANS 530; SNG Cop.734; Laffaille 224; Virzi 1493; Calciati II 184,79An unusual depiction of Pegasos on a bronze from Syracuse, this coin is roughly from the time of Timoleon or the Third Democracy.

 

@Ryan McVay welcome man. Took my advice and joined? This is Chris Freeman. I talk up Cointalk at our club meetings.

Ryan is the president of the Twin Cities Ancient Coin Club. He is trying to wiggle out of it, unsuccessfully so far.

 

Somewing (something winged) holding a solar disk. But who and why?

Stater from Mallos in Cilicia cca 440-390BC. Photo from CNG

 

Mithradates Vl Eupator 89/88 BC Tetradrachm
Obs: Diademed head of Mithradates Eupator right
Pontus Mint 16.31 gm 30mm
Rev: Drinking Pegasos left
Mint mark RF , above,date ΘΣ
6 rayed star in crescent LF
de Callatay Obs: D55 Rev: not in plates
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ
All surrounded by a Dionysiac wreath of ivy & fruit

 

WHO SAID PIGS CAN'T FLY???


Ionia Klazomenai
480-400 BCE
AR Drachm / Pentobol
3.5g 13mm
Forepart winged boar r
gorgoneion incuse sq
Cf SNG Copenhagen 12
Rare

 

Winged Lion - Akkadian Seal


Akkadia
2350-2200 BCE
Cylinder Seal
Buff stone scene hero wrestling antelope winged lion
Ex J Tabot
with SCENE


LOL, Fulvia was such a winged "Angel"


Roman Imperiatorial
Marc Antony
43 BCE
AR Quinarius
13mm 1.67g
Lugdunum
Winged bust Victory-probly Fulvia
Lion DVNI LVGV
Cr 489-5 Syd 1160
Comment: Arguably the first living Roman Female to grace a Roman issue coin

 

I thought I had a winged helmet here but apparently not. There is no mention of wings on Athena’s helmet in any of the descriptions of this type. The wing-like devices are referred to as crests. Anyway, Nike has wings.

 

Sphinx
T Carisius
46 BC

 

If you count the ones on birds, and all the little Nikes, there is certainly an abundance of wings on Greek coins. I will post my biggest set of wings, the type that can lift a horse from the ground!