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Addition to my Zoo series - starting to challenge Gallienus


ambr0zie

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Finally, a package I paid for on the 18th of February has arrived. 
It's a different subject, but, I don't know about you, but I am not a big fan of houses that request expensive shipping, but in the end use a cheap and slow service. Something I will take into consideration. Especially since it wasn't an auction win with exceptional targets. 

But this coin is something I intended to buy for a while and I am glad I managed to obtain a decent specimen, with a decent price. And as I mentioned in the subject, I am trying to develop a Zoo series of my own, being one of the major themes in my collection.

 

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Claudius (41-54). Egypt, Alexandria. Æ Diobol (25.5mm, 11.22g, 12h), year 3 (AD 42/3). ΤΙ ΚΛΑV ΚΑΙ ϹƐΒΑϹ ΓƐΡΜΑ, laureate head r.; star before / ΑVΤΟΚΡΑ, hippopotamus standing r.; L Γ (date) in exergue. Köln 79; Dattari 166; Milne 90; Emmett 82; RPC I 5140

 

Not the most handsome specimen in the world, but I like the portrait, and of course, the hippopotamus. Not an animal I had in my collection and for my tastes, more attractive than Otacilia Severa imperials - I find them more common and quite pricy. 

If I ever specialize on something, provincial Alexandria coins are a major probability as I always felt they have something very original and a variety of reverses with strong themes. Plus a certain style that I haven't seen on any other provincials. 

 

Let's see:

- animals on newly acquired coins

- Alexandria coins

- Claudius coins 

- anything you feel relevant

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Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161. AE Obol (18mm, 4.65g, 1h). Dated RY 10 (AD 146/147). Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ-ΑΝΤ[ⲰΝƐIΝ; Laureate head right. Rev: Panther walking right, head raised and chest out; LDEK (year) above. Ref: BMC -; Milne -; Emmett 1777 (R4). About Very Fine with a nice green patina. Quite rare and interesting. Ex Joel Malter, Aug 2001.

image.jpeg.50ed824f41aad66182bfca587ebfa5c8.jpeg

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Nice coin !!

 

Here is a Claudius from Alexandria, without animal

normal_Claudius_05.jpg.7e4b178d781fdf83a0c55151ebcb839a.jpg

Claudius
Alexandria, year 4, AD 43-44
Billon Tetradrachm
Obv.: TI KΛAΥΔI KAIΣ ΣEBA ΓEΡMANI AΥ[TOKΡ], laureate head right, date LΔ before
Rev.: MEΣΣAΛINA KAIΣ ΣEBAΣ, Messalina as Ceres standing facing, head left, two small figures in right, two stalks of grain in left
Billlon, 22.9x24.1mm
Ref.: Geißen 81, Dattari 125

 

 

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I realized something, in a serious matter. 

I don't have a coin with a cat, Big cats - lions, panthers, yep but that's a different story. It seems clear that what is today a very common animal is very ... exotic on coins.

Did a quick check and apparently there are 2 types from Alexandria with cats 

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6510

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6511

I was expecting a more realistic depiction on the 2nd...

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30 minutes ago, ambr0zie said:

I realized something, in a serious matter. 

I don't have a coin with a cat, Big cats - lions, panthers, yep but that's a different story. It seems clear that what is today a very common animal is very ... exotic on coins.

Did a quick check and apparently there are 2 types from Alexandria with cats 

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6510

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6511

I was expecting a more realistic depiction on the 2nd...

A yes, the lesser known cat that stands in groups in fields and goes baaaaaaa.

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I would have guessed too anything but a cat. But the description is quite clear, although the image isn't. 

A little surprising for an Egyptian mint - having just 2 coins with cats (all I found in RPC) - one impossible to distinguish and the other ... well... not drawn by the most talented guy in the block.

Nobody else with animals/Alexandrian coins/Claudius? This coin was a consolation prize for a recent Claudius denarius I lost. It was in bad shape and with some damage, but ... Claudius denarius. In the end I decided to leave it, the price was very good for the type, but the coin was ugly .... decisions decisions. 

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Hi All,

I posted my kitties previously on another list in a far off galaxy.

First a true kitty (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ojs-big-cat-sanctuary.357879/page-2#post-4314555).

As @ambr0zie noted, Alexandria does have quite a few other big kitties: lions (see  https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zodiac-drachm-helios-in-leo.302904/#post-7394762) and panthers (see https://www.cointalk.com/threads/oddly-harnessed-biga.327250/page-2#post-4890038).

There are more especially if you count the lead/Pb ones (gee, I need to get at least one) or the Gnostic glass ones (below example of several I have).

image.png.396f08543dab1e51bf9204ce4b6d4817.png

GRECO-ROMAN EGYPT
STAMPED GLASS CHARM OR TOKEN ca 1st - 3rd Century CE

Size: Not yet measured
Weight: Not yet measured
Axis: 6:00
Emmett-Unlisted
Broucheion Collection Seal-2001-09-03.003 temp

Obv: Hathor bust facing right wearing crown of disk with two plumes. Raised border.
Rev: Lion or hound standing, facing right on exurgual line
Provenance: Ex-Colosseum Coin Exchange, Inc., Auction 117 (05 Sep 2001), Lot #499

- Broucheion

Edited by Broucheion
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2 hours ago, ambr0zie said:

I realized something, in a serious matter. 

I don't have a coin with a cat, Big cats - lions, panthers, yep but that's a different story. It seems clear that what is today a very common animal is very ... exotic on coins.

Did a quick check and apparently there are 2 types from Alexandria with cats 

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6510

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6511

I was expecting a more realistic depiction on the 2nd...

I would never have guessed that those were supposed to be cats! I think I'll remain content with my ancient Egyptian amulet and scarab of Bastet, along with some Japanese woodblock prints.

Egypt, pale blue glazed faience amulet of Bastet, the cat goddess, seated on base, loop in back of neck, left ear missing, 26th Dynasty-Ptolemaic period , ca. 663-300 BCE. 34 mm. H.  Purchased from Harmer Rooke, New York City, 2/26/1990.


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Steatite scarab with seated Bastet. Lower Egypt. New Kingdoms Period. 1550-1050BC. (13 mm) Scarab with central bidirectional piercing for suspension. The back is simply engraved, features are defined. On the face, n'b b'stet ma'At r' "May the truth of Lady Bastet endure" in hieroglyphics. Some flaking on the back. Purchased at Classical Numismatic Group LLC (CNG) E-Auction 528, 30 Nov. 2022, Lot 770.

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Koho Shoda (1871-1946), Black Cat at Night.

image.jpeg.932eedd0d73fef082c9e3a8c14dcd27f.jpeg

Edited by DonnaML
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I'll refrain from posting my Gallienus Zoo Series or Legionary Series or Antioch lion series animal coins here, because I recently posted all of them in the "Emperors" thread. But here are my two hippo coins. I like them both!

image.jpeg.a0f49f241e86563f4269cd2aab08c541.jpeg

 

image.jpeg.af0677930cda733f490dd74cafe75012.jpeg

Crocodile:

image.jpeg.bcf36e5be4e49a1c14acfbd27eae017c.jpeg

image.jpeg.c05f4d1e31d2dffa8f86330d29492e68.jpeg

Rhino:

image.jpeg.45abada251092e2f9d56f05a4d70cd14.jpeg

A couple of elephant coins actually minted on the African continent:

image.png.4d5a494bb228ce4b4ec25ba6687f59c3.png

image.jpeg.8756e3b86c6d359d70ba1ca3e6e463e0.jpeg

A lion, proudly strutting:

image.jpeg.281f311d1cc8b1701e1720808efabaec.jpeg

A few more lions:

image.jpeg.aab6cf86e4de7f70d34e0d10c86b81e9.jpeg

image.jpeg.48995b6788e4a1e48ed4120d3e41399e.jpeg

image.jpeg.d1244e488b9d1cbeb896cf46e33843e3.jpeg

Egypt, glazed blue faience amulet of reclining lion on integral base, suspension loop on back (loop restored), 26th Dynasty, ca. 664-525 BCE. 1 7/8" (47.6 mm.) L.  Purchased 3/1/1991, Royal Athena Galleries, NYC. Published: Royal Athena Galleries, "The Age of Cleopatra" exhibition catalog, Oct. 1988, p. 24 No. 119.

image.jpeg.1849e95e8554405e6549d2b269bdada1.jpeg

Fainece lion R.jpg

And a Lion and Sun Disk scarab, probably from the time of the 26th Dynasty pharaoh Psemthek I (= Psammetichus I = Psamtik I, the more current spelling).

Steatite Scarab 23 mm. 1.jpg

Lion & sun disk scarab underside 2.jpg

Scarab & impression 1.jpg

Edited by DonnaML
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Fairly recent acquisitions.

ephesos_0.jpg.d16a3640001e9b445c3ad354b4d72311.jpg

Ionia, Ephesos. Commodus AE18

Obv: M AΥ K-OMOΔOC. Laureate head of Commodos, right.
Rev: EΦE[Σ]/IΩN. Boar, right.
RPC IV.2, 1152 (temporary)

 

laodicia.jpg.038add5bf102edae28f4b7f6f9eae359.jpg

Phrygia, Laodicea ad Lycum. Æ16. Pseudo-autonomous issue, time of the Severans, AD 193-235.

Obv: ΔΗΜΟϹ, diademed head of the Demos to right.
Rev: ΛΑΟΔΙΚЄΩΝ, river Lykos as wolf seated to right, with paw resting on inverted vase out of which flows water.

 

 

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