Animals on ancient coins

[Phil Anthos]

I almost got one of those at auction this morning, but I don't think it's a quail. I think it's a chubby eagle. Quail look more like this...

[Edessa]

All the pretty little horses.

Iberia. Arekorata. Circa 150-100 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.00g, 7h). Obv: Male head right; pellet behind. Rev: Horseman holding spear right. Ref: CNH pg. 273, 20; SNG BM Spain 977; FAB 112; ACIP 1758. Very Fine, toned. Ex CNG e138 (26 Apr 2006), Lot 5.

 

[Sulla80]

Although this claims to be a roaring lion it looks quite dog-like to me.  The conch shell on the reverse is perhaps fun because it isn't on @TIF's list of animals.

Coins of Ancient India, Vishnukundin Dynasty (450-615 CE), Andhra Region, Copper Base Alloy Unit, Obv: a roaring lion standing facing the right with an upraised paw and tail curled against its back and a Srivatsa symbol with a crescent, a linear border surrounded by dots around the field, Rev: a conch shell (Shankha) between two tridents, a linear border with serrations around the field.

Edited Friday at 11:07 AM by Sulla80

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

Surprised that nobody has posted this one yet 🙂

Roman Imperial 
Titus. AD 79-81. AR Denarius, Rome mint. Struck 1 January-30 June AD 80. Obv. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M. Laureate head right. Rev. TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P. Dolphin coiled around anchor. RIC II-p. 1 (2nd ed.) 112. AR. 3.13 g. 18.00 mm.

I still have to properly photograph this coin, but I recently got it because it was the coin that was shown by Pietro Bembo to Aldus Manutius, who adopted it as his ‘Logo’, and who in turn showed it to Erasmus of Rotterdam, who then wrote about it and the motto ‘Festina Lente’ (“make haste slowly”) first adopted by Augustus. I will make a proper infographic about it, since there is a ton more to uncover 🙂 

[Sulla80]

18 hours ago, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

Surprised that nobody has posted this one yet 🙂

 

Roman Imperial 
Titus. AD 79-81. AR Denarius, Rome mint. Struck 1 January-30 June AD 80. Obv. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M. Laureate head right. Rev. TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P. Dolphin coiled around anchor. RIC II-p. 1 (2nd ed.) 112. AR. 3.13 g. 18.00 mm.

I still have to properly photograph this coin, but I recently got it because it was the coin that was shown by Pietro Bembo to Aldus Manutius, who adopted it as his ‘Logo’, and who in turn showed it to Erasmus of Rotterdam, who then wrote about it and the motto ‘Festina Lente’ (“make haste slowly”) first adopted by Augustus. I will make a proper infographic about it, since there is a ton more to uncover 🙂 

FYI : connected to religious ceremonies for the opening games of the Colosseum too.

See here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/make-haste-slowly

[filolif]

Here are a few elephants on coins that I enjoy. Some Seleucid, some Roman.

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

5 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

FYI : connected to religious ceremonies for the opening games of the Colosseum too.

See here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/make-haste-slowly

Thank you!!!

[Andrii]

What wonderful coins! Here are some coins I found on the territory of Ukraine near the Danube River Delta...

Two Istrian drachmas and a small obbol with an image of an eagle holding a dolphin

Antoninianus with a possible depiction of a gazelle...

A small provincial Roman coin with an elephant on it. Can anyone tell me what denomination it is?

[Limes]

Great coins in this thread! Who doesn't like a coin with an animal on it, right? 

On 9/8/2024 at 7:08 PM, DonnaML said:

Thanks! Just out of curiosity, how did someone identify a mule, as opposed to a donkey or ass?

Here's a thought. Perhaps it also has to do with the circumstances, or event, the coin refers to. E.g. the sestertius below shows two mules. Because the mule was used as an animal for transportation. (And by the way, I love your Hadrian Nilus! If you ever think of selling it, be sure to give me a shout out 😁) 

Imperator Nerva Caesar Augustus
96 - 98 AD
Sestertius, 34mm, 21,76 gr.
Rome, 97 AD
IMP NERVA CAES AVG PM TR P COS III PP, laureate head right
VEHICVLATIONE ITALIAE REMISSA ('With the levy for supplying the imperial transport system being abolished for Italy), two mules grazing, one left, the other right, in front of the pole and harnesses of a cart resting upright; SC in ex.
Ref: RIC 93, Sear 3055,  Van Meter 27, Clive Foss 7. See also Sydenham, Historical References to Coins of the Roman Empire,  1986, pp. 82 - 83. 
Ex. Heritage Europe (MPO Auctions) November 2020

A few more animals:

Two of my favorites. A fantastic elephant (also show by @DonnaML) and an impressive eagle:

A scorpion: 

A stork:

Three animals in a pediment: 

Marcus Aurelius
161 - 180 AD 
Sestertius, 29 mm, 23,60 gr
Rome, 173 AD
Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XX[VII]; laureate head right
Rev: IMP VI [COS III]; RELIG AVG below; S C in field; Statue of Mercury, wearing petasus and short robe, standing front, head left, on base, holding purse in right hand and caduceus in left hand, within a tetrastyle temple; columns are telamones, or herms; the pediment is semicircular and contains, from left to right, tortoise, cock, ram, petasus, winged caduceus, and purse. 
Ref: RIC 1075, Sear 4996, van Meter 102,  Clive Foss 47b, Philip Hill 53, Elkins 173. For a more detailed description of the shrine, see Marvin Tameanko,  Monumental Coins, Ch. 26, pp. 169-173.
Ex: cgb.fr, 2022

And to conclude, a bunch of animals together running around in the circus (depending on the seller/description, the 7 animals could be an ostrich, a bear, a lion, a lioness  a wild ass or donkey, a panther, a tiger, a bison, a bull, a zebra, a stag, or a bird)