hypo or rhino

[mc9]

Here is a coin i have for more then 20 years. It is from Alexandria, i think it could be from Augustus.The mint mark seems to be LEΔ • .

Is this a hippopotamus or Rinoceros ? I don't seem to find info about this coin. Can enybody help please?

19.92 mm, 5.13 gr.

Thanks.

 

[David Atherton]

Looks similar to this one.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=175987

I vote hippo!

[DonnaML]

Definitely a hippo.

[expat]

 

Hippo, in my view

[Qcumbor]

Hippo here too and the portrait looks like that of Tiberius to my eyes (not an expert opinion though). 

Q

PS : right now I can't find in Emmett any issue for Tiberius with an hippo standing right (only an obol with an hippo standing left) but there are diobols for Claudius showing an hippo looking in the right direction. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Qcumbor

[mc9]

@David Atherton : Thanks for the link, i will see to it.

@DonnaML , @expat : I have a Domitianus hypo semis, but there i can read the Emperors name. Here the name is not readable. This one in the picture has a triangle shape in the middle on top of his mouth, that is why i was not shure what it is. Thanks for your opinion, now i am certain.

@Qcumbor : I will look in RPC if i can find something there for Tiberius and Claudius I. Thanks.

[shanxi]

1 hour ago, Qcumbor said:

t looks like that of Tiberius

Yes, https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5082

The year is only LE  (LEA or LEΔ makes no sense)

Edited May 1, 2023 by shanxi

[mc9]

You are right, found RPC 5075 in Conage and history of the Roman Empire volume II : coinage from David L. Vagi.

TI is visible above the hypo's back end.

Thanks for looking in to this.

 

[ominus1]

..i have an Alexandrian of Claudius with hippo...

[DonnaML]

@mc9, here's my Roman Egyptian diobol of Claudius with a hippo rather similar in appearance to yours:

Claudius I AE Diobol, Year 2 (AD 41/42), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΤΙ ΚΛΑV ΚΑΙ - CЄΒ[ΑϹ ΓЄΡΜA], star in right field / Rev. Hippopotamus standing to right, ΑVΤΟΚΡΑ above, LB (Year 2) in exergue. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I  5124 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5124; Emmett 82.2 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Milne 71-72 at p. 3 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; BMC 16 Alexandria 96 at p. 12 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London 1892)], K&G 12.10 (ill. p. 50) [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria  (2008)]; Dattari (Savio) 162 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]; SNG France 4, Alexandrie I 150-153 (ill. Pl. 11) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France Vol. 4, Alexandrie I, Auguste-Trajan (Zurich 1998)]. 25 mm., 7.65 g. 12 h. Purchased from Roma Numismatics, Ltd., E-Sale 102, 3 Nov. 2022, Lot 681.

[mc9]

@ominus1, nice coin. I see that the Claudius coins have a obvers text, the Tiberius ones not. Thanks for showing.

@DonnaML , thanks you for the info and picture, on RPC 5082 item nr 5 i see the same as on mine. It gives the ' impression  of a horn ',

but i catalog it as a hyppo with a footnote.

[ominus1]

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

@mc9, here's my Roman Egyptian diobol of Claudius with a hippo rather similar in appearance to yours:

Claudius I AE Diobol, Year 2 (AD 41/42), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΤΙ ΚΛΑV ΚΑΙ - CЄΒ[ΑϹ ΓЄΡΜA], star in right field / Rev. Hippopotamus standing to right, ΑVΤΟΚΡΑ above, LB (Year 2) in exergue. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I  5124 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5124; Emmett 82.2 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Milne 71-72 at p. 3 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; BMC 16 Alexandria 96 at p. 12 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London 1892)], K&G 12.10 (ill. p. 50) [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria  (2008)]; Dattari (Savio) 162 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]; SNG France 4, Alexandrie I 150-153 (ill. Pl. 11) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France Vol. 4, Alexandrie I, Auguste-Trajan (Zurich 1998)]. 25 mm., 7.65 g. 12 h. Purchased from Roma Numismatics, Ltd., E-Sale 102, 3 Nov. 2022, Lot 681.

i was wondering where yours was  🙂

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Nice coin Donna. The question is now academic. 

[Prieure de Sion]

 

This was my Otacilia Hippo Sestertius with 24mm and 13,6g weight...

 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

19 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

 

This was my Otacilia Hippo Sestertius with 24mm and 13,6g weight...

 

Remarkable portrait @Prieure de Sion !