Name a city, state or province and post a coin from its namesake

[robinjojo]

This might be fun, if not a good temporary diversion.  

Many cities in the US and elsewhere were named using a namesake, often cities from ancient times but also from more recent times, such as cities in Europe and the UK, figures from mythology, rulers and saints or other religious figures.

How many can you think of?  

Post the name of the city, state or province and a coin from its namesake.  The coin may be one that you own (preferred) or one obtained elsewhere, but in those instances please note that you do not own that coin.

Using Google is a good way to locate cities named after namesakes.

I'll start, to give you an idea.

Athens, Georgia

Edited November 6, 2022 by robinjojo

[Helvius Pertinax]

Awesome idea for a thread! I'm gonna go with the most obvious one: Rome. Seems to be very popular in the US, there are citys named Rome in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indian, Iowa, Kansas etc.

 

[robinjojo]

Nice coin!

Bern, California

[Deinomenid]

Syracuse, NY (upstate NY has endless classical city names, inc Rome of course.)

Sicily, Syracuse AR Tetradrachm. Deinomenid Tyranny. Time of Gelon I, circa 480-478 BC. Charioteer, holding kentron and reins, driving slow quadriga to right; above, Nike flying to right, crowning horses / Head of Arethusa to right, wearing pearl diadem and necklace; ΣVRΑKΟΣΙΟΝ and four dolphins around.

 

[Deinomenid]

Biggest surprise to me along these lines was  when I was in Pittsburgh for a tournament recently, I drove through Tarentum!

so -

Calabria, Tarentum, Nomos, 340-325, by the moneyer Kal[–], youth on horseback left, holding shield and preparing to cast javelin, rev. dolphin-rider right, inspecting helmet, ταρασ behind, καλ below

 

[John Conduitt]

There would be thousands of these if there were enough mints.

London, Ontario

Henry VI Second Reign (Restored) Groat, 1470-1471

Tower. Silver, 26mm, 2.72g. Crowned facing bust in tressure of arches, trefoils on cusps above crown, saltire stops; hЄnRICV DI GRΛ RЄX ΛnGL Z FRAnC (Henry by the Grace of God King of England and France). Long cross pattee, trefoils in quarters, saltire stops; + POSVI DЄVm ΛDIVTORЄ mЄV (I have made God my helper); CIVI TAS LOn Don (City of London); mintmark pierced restoration cross both sides (S 2082, this coin). Ex Ivan Buck.

[John Conduitt]

Calais Crater, Phoebe, Saturn. (Or Calais, Maine).

Henry VI Rosette-Mascle Groat, 1430-1431
Calais. Silver, 26mm, 3.82g. Crowned facing bust in tressure of arches, with rosettes & mascles in legend; + hЄnRIC DI GRΛ RЄX ΛnGL’ Z FRΛnC. Long cross pattee, trefoils in quarters, rosettes and mascles in legend; + POSVI DЄVm ΛDIVTORЄ mЄVm; VIL LA CALI SIE (S 1859). Ex Cambridge Hoard 2001.

[John Conduitt]

Perth, Western Australia.

Robert II Halfgroat, 1371-1390

Perth. Silver, 22mm, 1.88g. Left facing crowned bust of Robert II, holding a sceptre with star at the base, within a tressure of 6 points; ROBERTVS · DEI · GRA · REX · SCOTORVM. Long cross with a 5-point mullet in each quarter; DNS PROT-ECTOR MEVS; VILLA DE PER-Th X (S 5143).

[John Conduitt]

Dunedin, New Zealand (Edinburgh in Gaelic).

David II 1st Coinage 2nd Issue Scottish Penny, 1351-1357

Edinburgh. Silver, 18mm, 1.05g. Left facing crowned bust of David II, sceptre to the left; DAVID · DEI GRACIA. Long cross with a mullet of 6 points in each quarter; REX SCOTTORVM; small lettering (S 5088).

[Celator]

Vabalathus as King
Mint: Antioch
267 to 271 AD
AE billon Antoninianus
Obvs: VABALATHVS V C R IM DR, bust of Vabalathus facing right.
Revs: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, bust of Aurelian facing right.
21mm, 3.4g
Ref: RIC 381

[robinjojo]

Wonderful posts and coins!

Virginia, the colony, and later state, whose name is in honor of Elizabeth I of England, the "Virgin Queen".

[DonnaML]

I'm taking a slightly more modern approach than some others here.

I think we all know who inspired the name "Virginia," and here's a milled sixpence she issued in 1562:

 Maryland was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I. Here are the two of them on a small silver marriage medal.

The Carolinas were named after Charles II; here's his coronation medal:

Williamsburg VA was named after William III:

Georgia was named after George II:

And both Victoria, B.C. and the state of Victoria in Australia were named after the Queen herself:

Here's William Wyon's obverse portrait from one of her City of London medals:

A 90 mm. unofficial bronze coronation medal, with a Benedetto Pistrucci portrait similar to the one used on the official coronation medal:

The AR Official Royal Mint Diamond Jubilee Medal, 1837-1897, 56 mm.:

 

Finally, a small handful of Victoria gold coins:

 

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by DonnaML

[AncientOne]

Cool idea!  Here are a few off the top of my head. 

Philadelphia

Syria, Decapolis, Philadelphia. Commodus AE22. Veiled bust of Asteria

Obv: L AVP KOM MODOC KAIC. Draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus as Caesar.
Rev: ΦΙΛ Κ C V ΘΕΑΛΕΤΕΡΙ. Asteria r., draped and veiled with star on top of head.
20mm, 8.6g.
Spijkerman 32. rare

 

Alexandria

Troas, Alexandreia. Caracalla (198-217). Apollo Smintheus

Obv: MAVR[.] ANTONINVS. Laureate head right.
Rev: COL ALEXAND AVG. Statue of Apollo Smintheus right.
Bellinger A292.

 

Augusta

Cilicia, Augusta. Livia AE20

Obv: CEBACTH ΛIOYIA, draped bust right.
Rev: AYΓOYCTANHN ΔΡ, Tyche seated right, holding grain ears; below, half-length figure of river-god Saros swimming right.
SNG Levante 1238; RPC I 4013.

[JayAg47]

Roma, not the eternal city- but an outback town in Queensland.

[AncientOne]

Two biggies.

Olympia

ELIS, Olympia. 131st-135th Olympiad. 256-240 BC. Fouree

Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right.
Rev: Thunderbolt within olive wreath.
AR(fourre) Hemidrachm

 

Sparta

Achaea. Laconia, Lacedaemon(Sparta). Marcus Aurelius Æ20

Achaea; Peleponnessus (District: Laconia)
Marcus Aurelius (Augustus)
Obv: ΙΜΠ Κ Μ ΑVΡΗ ΑΝΤΩ ΑVΓ / laureate-headed bust of Marcus Aurelius wearing cuirass and paludamentum, r.
Rev: ΛΑΚƐΔΑΙΜΟΝΙωΝ / Club.

[robinjojo]

Carthage, Tennessee

[robinjojo]

Amsterdam, New York

Holland, Amsterdam, 2 ducatons, 1673.  City arms on the reverse.

Dav4932

65.28 grams

 

Also, this coin, a siege "klippe" coin:

Amsterdam, AR siege "klippe", 1578.

27.2 grams

[shanxi]

Cologne (originally Colonia Agrippina) was named after Agrippina. Agrippina is still present in Cologne, especially during the Cologne Carnival.

Lydia. Hierocaesaraea
Agrippina Junior (Augusta, 50-59)
Bronze, AE 18
Obv.: AΓPIΠΠINAN ΘЄAN CЄBACTHN, draped bust right, hair in long plait down back of neck and looped at end
Rev: IЄPOKAICAPЄωN ЄΠI KAΠITωNOC, Artemis standing right, holding bow, stag standing right.
Æ, 18.1mm, 4.43g
Ref.: RPC I 2388, SNG von Aulock 2959

 

[robinjojo]

Hercules, California

Sicily, Kamarina, tetradrachm, 425-405 BC.

17.5 grams

Edited November 7, 2022 by robinjojo

[robinjojo]

There actually is a town, a very small one with a population of 25, located in Texas, named Segovia.   It is not surprising that Segovia is used more frequently in Central and South America.  

So, here is coin for Segovia, Texas, a small town with a very large namesake coin!

Spain, Philip IV, 50 Reales, Segovia mint, 1635 R.

The mint, by the way, is a museum that is well worth the visit, I've heard.  If I ever make back to Spain a visit there will be high on my list.

[ValiantKnight]

There’s also a Paris in Texas: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris,_Texas

Charles II (the Bald), West Francia, Carolingian Empire
AR denier
Obv: CARLVS REX FR, cross above, cross within dotted circle in center
Rev: PARISII CIVITAS, temple facade, cross within
Mint: Paris
Date: 840-864 AD
Ref: Coupland, Early 19; Depeyrot 762; M&G 827; MEC 1, 843

[ValiantKnight]

The name of Carthage lives on in the name of Cartagena, a city in Spain which in turn inspired the naming of Cartagena (de Indias) in Colombia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena,_Spain

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena,_Colombia

Hilderic, Vandal Kingdom
AE nummus
Obv: HILD [REX], pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: Cross potent within wreath, ring above
Mint: Carthage                                                                    
Date: 523-530 AD
Ref: BMC Vandals 9



Gelimer, Vandal Kingdom
AE Nummus
Obv: GEIL-AMIR, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: Monogram of Gelimer within wreath
Mint: Carthage                                                         
Date: 530-533 AD
Ref: MEC 1, 28-30; BMC Vandals 4-6

Edited November 8, 2022 by ValiantKnight

[ValiantKnight]

Toledo, Ohio

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Ohio

And Toledo, Spain:

Sisebut, Visigothic Kingdom
AV tremissis
Obv: + SISEBVTVS REX, bust facing
Rev: + TOLETO PIVS, bust facing
Mint: Toledo
Date: 612-621 AD
Ref: Miles 183a

[Deinomenid]

Naples, Florida

Campania, Neapolis, Nomos, 275-250, head of nymph left, cornucopia behind, rev. man-headed bull right, crowned by Victory above

[DonnaML]

Berlin, New Hampshire.

Prussia, AR Reichsthaler 1786A, Berlin. Obv. Bust of Friedrich II (der Große) right / Rev. Prussian eagle. KM 332.1