Anyone up for a game of coin UNO?

[ambr0zie]

Sword

20 mm, 3,76 g.
Ti. Veturius. AR denarius. Rome. 137 BC.
[TI·V􀺏E􀺏T], helmeted and draped bust of Mars right, behind X (mark of value) / ROMA, Oath-taking scene: youth kneeling left, head right, between two soldiers, each of whom holds a spear and sword that touches a pig held by the youth.
Crawford 234/1; RBW 969; RSC Veturia 1.

[John Conduitt]

Pig

Eaton's Conder Halfpenny Token, 1795

Copper, 29mm, 8.66g. Bust of Eaton to left over ribbon, “FRANGAS NON FLECTES” (break not, bend), legend: “D. I. EATON THREE TIMES ACQUITTED OF SEDITION.” A cock crowing over pigs in a sty: “PRINTER TO THE MAJESTY OF THE PEOPLE. LONDON. 1795”. Diagonally milled edge (D&H Middlesex 301).

[DonnaML]

Link: more pig.

Antoninus Pius AE As, AD 143-144, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III / Rev. Great White Sow crouching right under oak tree, suckling four young piglets, two more at right, IMPERA – TOR II above, S C in exergue. RIC III 733, BMCRE IV Antoninus Pius 1624, Sear RCV II 4302 (ill. p. 237), Cohen 450. 28.5 mm., 14.83 g. Purchased Nov. 24, 2023  from Zuzim, Inc., Brooklyn, NY.* 

 

*The large sow suckling her piglets refers to the myth of Aeneas’s landing at and founding of Lavinium with the Penates, and the subsequent dream of the great white sow giving birth to 30 piglets, which foretold the founding by Aeneas’s son Ascanius, 30 years later, of the city of Alba Longa [“Long White”] in the Alban Hills, where the soil was more fertile and where Romulus and Remus were born. See John Melville Jones, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (Seaby, London 1990), entry for “Aeneas” at p. 6: “The scene is defined by the presence of a sow and piglets; this illustrates the story of the dream sent to Aeneas, which told him that when he came across a white sow with thirty piglets they would mark the spot where thirty years later [his son] Ascanius would found a city, Alba Longa, from which Rome itself was eventually to be founded.” Subsequently, Aeneas found the sow under an oak tree and sacrificed it. See also this excerpt from a translation of the Aeneid, Book VIII, beginning at line 26 (from https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/VirgilAeneidVIII.php):

Bk VIII: 26-47 Aeneas’s Dream of Tiberinus

 “It was night, and through all the land, deep sleep gripped weary

creatures, bird and beast, when Aeneas, the leader, lay down

on the river-bank, under the cold arch of the heavens, his heart

troubled by war’s sadness, and at last allowed his body to rest.

Old Tiberinus himself, the god of the place, appeared to him,

rising from his lovely stream, among the poplar leaves

(fine linen cloaked him in a blue-grey

mantle, and shadowy reeds hid his hair),

Then he spoke, and with his words removed all cares:

‘O seed of the race of gods, who bring our Trojan city

back from the enemy, and guard the eternal fortress,

long looked-for on Laurentine soil, and in Latin fields,

here is your house, and your house’s gods, for sure

(do not desist), don’t fear the threat of war,

the gods’ swollen anger has died away.

And now, lest you think this sleep’s idle fancy, you’ll find

a huge sow lying on the shore, under the oak trees,

that has farrowed a litter of thirty young, a white sow,

lying on the ground, with white piglets round her teats,

That place shall be your city, there’s true rest from your labours.

By this in a space of thirty years Ascanius

will found the city of Alba, bright name." 

There’s also an old 2019 thread at Coin Talk discussing this type and the associated myth; https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-great-sow-of-alba-longa.343315/. The thread’s author  suggests that the type was issued (together with several others) to commemorate the 900^th anniversary of Rome’s founding, but given the date assigned to the coin, I’m somewhat skeptical of the theory: the 900^th anniversary would have been in AD 148, not AD 143/144.

[John Conduitt]

A Celtic version of the same pig.

Cunobeline Unit, Celtic Trinovantes Tribe, 9-40

Camulodunon (Roman Camulodunum, modern Colchester). Bronze, 14mm, 2.19g. Janiform head; CVNO below. Sow seated right beneath a tree; CAMV on panel below (ABC 2981; S 346; V 2105 ‘Trinovantian W’).

[expat]

Same as @DonnaML posted but worse condition

Antoninus Pius and the Great sow.
Often depicted on coins are celebrations of important events and, as this coin alludes to, the legendary founding of Rome. In this case these coins are intrinsically linked by images relating to the 900th year of the founding.
This from Virgil
The Aeneid Book VIII
It was night, and through all the land, deep sleep gripped weary creatures, bird and beast, when Aeneas, the leader, lay down on the river-bank, under the cold arch of the heavens, his heart troubled by war’s sadness, and at last allowed his body to rest.
Old Tiberinus himself, the god of the place, appeared to him, rising from his lovely stream, among the poplar leaves (fine linen cloaked him in a blue-grey mantle, and shadowy reeds hid his hair), Then he spoke, and with his words removed all cares: ‘O seed of the race of gods, who bring our Trojan city back from the enemy, and guard the eternal fortress, long looked-for on Laurentine soil, and in Latin fields, here is your house, and your house’s gods, for sure (do not desist), don’t fear the threat of war, the gods’ swollen anger has died away. And now, lest you think this sleep’s idle fancy, you’ll find a huge sow lying on the shore, under the oak trees, that has farrowed a litter of thirty young, a white sow, lying on the ground, with white piglets round her teats, That place shall be your city, there’s true rest from your labours. By this in a space of thirty years Ascanius will found the city of Alba.
Antoninus Pius AE As, RIC 733, Cohen 450, BMC 1624
143-144 AD. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right / IMPERATOR II S-C, Sow facing right under helm-oak, suckling four young, another piglet in front. SC in ex. 25mm, 10.09gr

[John Conduitt]

The Celts loved a pig almost as much as a horse.

Epatticus Unit, 35-43

Atrebates Kingdom. Silver, 13mm, 1.19g. Victory seated right, TAS-CIO-V around. Boar right, tree behind, EPAT below (ABC 1349; S 357). Obverse copied from a denarius of M Volteius. Reverse copied from a denarius of M Porcius Cato or M Porcius Cato Uticensis.

[Edessa]

Victory in Britain

Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161. Æ As (27mm, 10.42g, 11h). Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS AVG-PIVS P P TR P COS III; Laureate head right. Rev: IMPERATOR II; Victory advancing right, holding palm frond and wreath; S-C across field. Ref: RIC 731a. About Very Fine, brown patina. British Victory type. Note from a CNG auction: Antoninus Pius received his second imperial acclamation, as recorded in this coin’s reverse legend, for the victory by his governor in Britannia, Lollius Urbicus, over the Brigantes. It was Urbicus that also constructed the Antonine Wall in Scotland from Forth to Clyde.

[ambr0zie]

Victory advancing right

17 mm, 1,65 g.
Caesarea, Cappadocia. Vespasian 69-79. AR hemidrachm.
ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ΟΥƐϹΠΑϹΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒΑ , laureate head right / Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm. RPC II, 1659.

[expat]

Link; Victory, right with wreath

Valerian II Billon Antoninianus. P LIC COR VALERIANVS CAES, radiate, draped bust right / VICTORIA PART, Victory standing right, presenting wreath to Valerian II, holding globe and spear. RSC 97; RIC 54 Antioch; Goebl 1604d; Sear 10742.
Weight: 3,3gr

[John Conduitt]

Valerian II

Valerian II Antoninianus, 255

Colonia Agrippinensis. Silver, 22mm, 2.60g. Radiate and draped bust to right; VALERIANVS CAES. Infant Jupiter seated on Amalthaean goat walking to right; IOVI CRESCENTI (RIC V.1, 3). From the Dorchester (Dorset) Hoard 1936 of over 22,000 coins deposited in 257 and found in several containers while rebuilding the Marks and Spencer store in South Street.

[ambr0zie]

Riding goat 

20,6 mm, 3,72 g.
Mn. Fonteius C.f. AR denarius. Rome. 85 BC.
MN·FONTEI – C·F Laureate head of Apollo Veiovis r.; below, thunderbolt and below chin, RA ligate / Cupid on goat r.; above, pileii. In exergue, thyrsus. All within laurel wreath.
Babelon Fonteia 9; Sydenham 724; RBW 1350; Crawford 353/1a.

[John Conduitt]

Thunderbolt

Napoléon III Ten centimes, 1857

Paris (mintmark A). Bronze, 30mm, 9.87g. Bare head of Napoléon III left wearing a re-engraved cuirassier helmet, below BARRE; all in a beaded edge; re-engraved collar; NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR. Eagle head right, re-engraved as a bat's head, resting on a thunderbolt; below the mint letter, all in a beaded edge; EMPIRE FRANÇAIS; DIX CENTIMES (F.133/40 var). Defaced after the defeat at Sedan.

[Postvmvs]

Pointy hat

 

Sicily, Syracuse under Roman rule after 212BC

Obverse: Apollo

Reverse: ΣYPA / KOΣIΩN apex hat

 

[John Conduitt]

Apollo

Thurrock Potin, 120-100BC

Cantii or Trinovantes tribe, imitating a hemiobolion from the Greek colony Massalia. Cast bronze, 17mm, 3.10g. Head of Apollo left. Bull butting right with central boss, exergual line below, MA above (S 62; ABC 120; VA 1402 'Trinovantian A').

[Shea19]

Link: Apollo

Seleucid Kings of Syria, Demetrios I Soter, 162-150 BC. AR Drachm (16.5 mm, 4.00 g), Ekbatana. Diademed head of Demetrios I to r./Rev.[B]AΣIΛEΩΣ - [ΔH]MHTPIOY / ΣΩTHPOΣ Apollo seated l. on omphalos, holding arrow in his r. hand and resting his l. on grounded bow

[John Conduitt]

Ekbatana.

Vonones I Drachm, 10

Ekbatana. Silver, 19.5mm, 3.82g. Diademed head of Vonones I to left, wearing earring; BACIΛEYC ONΩNHC (King Vonones). Nike standing to right, holding wreath in her right hand and palm in her left; in inner right field, monogram; BACIΛEΥ[C O]NΩNHC NEIKHCAC APTABANON (King Vonones, conqueror of Artabanos) (Sellwood 60.5).

[Roman Collector]

Link: Nike.

Philistis, wife of Hieron II.
Greek AR 5 litrae.
Syracuse 270-230 BCE, 4.46 gm, 18.1 mm.
Obv: Diademed and veiled head, l., palm branch behind.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑΣ ΦΙΛΙΣΤΙΔΟΣ, Nike driving biga to left, E in l. field.
Refs: SNG ANS 893; SNG III (Lockett) 1017; Forrer 196.

[ambr0zie]

Veiled 

21 mm, 4,05 g.
Q. Cassius Longinus. AR denarius. Rome. 55 BC.
Q CASSIVS VEST, veiled head of Vesta right / Curule chair within circular temple of Vesta between urn and vota tablet inscribed AC.
RSC Cassia 9; BMC 3871; Syd. 917; Craw. 428/1.

[expat]

Vesta.

Vespasian Denarius, Rome 72-73 AD. RIC 360, (RIC [1962] 50), RSC 574, BMC 71 SEAR 2316
IMP CAES VESP AVG P M COS IIII, laureate head right / VES-TA to either side of Vesta standing left, holding simpulum & scepter.

[Roman Collector]

Link: Vesta.

Faustina I, 138-140 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 26.32 g, 31.7 mm, 11 h.
Rome, 145-147 CE.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTA S C, Vesta standing left, holding long torch and palladium.
Refs: RIC 1125; BMCRE 1521; Cohen 113 corr.; Strack 1293; RCV 4618.

[DonnaML]

Link: Orichalcum, showing its original color.

Julia Titi Flavia (daughter of Titus), AE (orichalcum) Dupondius 80-81 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right with hair bundled high in front and coiled in chignon high in back, IVLIA IMP T AVG F AVGVSTA/ Rev. Vesta seated left, holding palladium in right hand and long transverse scepter in left arm, VESTA below, S C across fields. RIC II.1 398 at. p. 223 (Titus) (2007 ed.), old RIC II 180 (Titus) (1926 ed.), Sear RCV I 2617 (ill.), BMCRE Titus 257. 26 mm., 12.23 g., 6 h.

[John Conduitt]

Vesta again.

Caligula As, 37-38

Rome. Bronze, 10.06g. Bare head of Caligula left; (C) CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON (M TR POT). Vesta, veiled and draped, seated left on a throne holding patera in right hand  and long transverse sceptre in left; (VESTA); S - C across fields. Rectangular countermark on edge (RIC I, 38). Found in Essex. The countermark may be TIAV (Tiberius Claudius Augustus), used on worn asses and dupondii to increase supply in Britain.

[expat]

Caligula

RPC Volume: I №: 400
Reign: Caligula Persons: Caligula (Augustus) Magistrate: Gaius Cornelius Refec— (duovir); Marcus Helvius Fronto (duovir)
City: Bilbilis  Region: Hispania Province: Tarraconensis
Denomination: Leaded bronze (27 mm) 11.92gr
Obverse: G CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS IMP; laureate head of Caligula, right
Reverse: MVN AVG BILBIL C COR(N) REF(EC) M HELV FRO(NTO); oak wreath containing II VIR
Reference: Vives 139–10, GMI 552, NAH 1131 Specimens: 36

[Roman Collector]

Link: Inscription within wreath.

Lucilla, AD 161-169.
Roman AR denarius, 3.38 g, 18.7 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 161/162.
Obv: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: VOTA / PVBLI / CA within laurel-wreath.
Refs: RIC 791; BMCRE 329-330; Cohen 98; RCV 5494; MIR 22-4/10a; CRE 275.
Notes: Szaivert dates the issue to AD 161/2. If this is to be believed (and not all authorities agree), she would have been 12 or 13.

[ambr0zie]

18 mm, 2,89 g.
Lucilla 164-182 AD. AR denarius. Rome. 164-180.
LVCILLA AVGVSTA, bust of Lucilla, bare-headed, hair waved and fastened in a bun on back of head, draped, right / VENVS VICTRIX, Venus, draped with right breast bare, standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand and resting left hand on shield set on ground.
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 786; Sear 5492; RSC 89.

Edited April 15 by ambr0zie