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A surprisingly accurate replica of elephant with rider


Celator

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I was playing with my daughter and made this 100% accurate and to scale Seleucid mahout. I know what you are thinking, this must have taken hundreds of hours of work to make this painstaking replica. 

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what inspired this pièce de résistance was a coin I purchased earlier this year. 

It was these elephants that played a crucial role in the victory at Ipsus for Seleucus. They had groupings anywhere from 2 to 64 as a formation and had towers (howdahs) on their backs. They were heavily armored and had spear throwers and archers atop the animals. Seeing the success the Seleucid war elephants were having, Ptolemy IV started his own elephant corps. By the reign of Antiochus IV use of war elephants were on the decline, but still an intimidating force.

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Antiochus IV
Mint: Ecbatana
Denomination B
175 to 164 BC
Obvs: Obvs: Elephant right with mahout, dotted border. Control on right.
Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right ANTIOXOY on left, Nike advancing right holding fileted wreath. Control inner right and Π in exergue.
AE 23mm, 8.21g
Ref: SC 1554.2a; HGC 9, 677(R2)

Please share your creations, muses, elephants, or other inspirations.

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How fun, @Celator! That's a cool Seleucid, too! Alright! An opportunity to show off my elephant coins!

This is my oldest and tiniest:


Antiochus III elephant.jpg
Antiochos III, 223-187 BC.
Seleucid Æ 2.41g, 13.6 mm, 11 h.
Lydia, Sardes.
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Rev: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY, legend above and below elephant advancing left; upturned anchor before.
Refs: SC 979; HGC 9, 560; Newell, WSM 1114; SNG Spaer 615.

This is a Houghton* plate coin:

1166845283_LaodikeSelucia.jpg.2ffab4eb1b2c97bac05921173081c975.jpg
Laodike IV, wife and sister of both Seleucus IV and Antiochus IV.
Selucia in Pieria, 175-164 BC.
AE 3.33 gm; 15 mm.
Obv: Veiled bust of Laodike IV, r.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ (of King Antiochus), elephant head l.; prow.
Refs: Houghton, CSE 113 (plate coin); Forrer 183.

My most-recently acquired:

[IMG]
Philip I, AD 244-249.
Roman AR Antoninianus, 3.73 g, 22.4 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 247.
Obv: IMP PHILIPPVS AVG, radiate and draped bust, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS AVGG, elephant guided by mahout with goad and wand, walking left.
Refs: RIC 58; Cohen 17; RCV 8921; Hunter 31.

*Houghton, Arthur. Coins of the Seleucid Empire from the Collection of Arthur Houghton. The American Numismatic Society, 1983.

And my favorite of all, because it has Lady Godiva! It's pretty clear that this English die-engraver had never seen an actual elephant:

1098062092_LadyGodivaHalfPennyCondertoken.jpg.a4708e7cd881c466743ac245960b420b.jpg
Great Britain (Conder) Warwickshire, Coventry Halfpenny 1792
 
 
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