Greek Zoo

[LONGINUS]

It’s been a while since I’ve posted in the Greek forum — I’ve been maintaining a rather strict Roman Imperial presence.

 

My apologies for not visiting more often. Anyway, I thought I’d post my latest Seleucid creature poster.

 

My latest is the panther in the center.

 

 

 

Do you have any additions to your menageries? I’d love to see them!

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by LONGINUS

[expat]

Lovely display and nice newest coin. My latest is an eagle landing on a meander pattern

Bust of Athena right in crested helmet
Text above and beneath eagle alighting right on maeander pattern between two pilei with stars above, and a star upper middle..
AΠAME KΩKOY, Kokos (magistrate)
PHRYGIA, Apameia. SA24. (Ae. 7.76g)- 88-40 BC Kokos. SNG Copenhagen 161-2; BMC 78-82; HGC 7, 670, SNG von Aulock 3466-3467; Walcher 2746

 

[Roman Collector]

What a fun subcollection!!!

[Curtisimo]

Great sub-collection Ray! I always enjoy seeing your posters. 🙂 

Here are a few animals on Greek coins. From my collection.

Horse and dolphin:

Lion and Bull:

Eagle:

Wolf:

Owl:

[shanxi]

Nice display, as always.

 

Here are some of my coins:

 

Pegasos

Akarnania, Leukas
Stater, ca. 405-345 BC
Obv.: Pegasos flying right, Λ below
Rev.: Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet; caduceus behind
Ref.: Nicolet- Pierre and Kroll, AJN 2 (1990), pl. i, pi-1-pi-4. Svoronos pl. 20.

 

Rooster

Ephesos (Circa 50-27 BC)
Jason, magistrate
Obv.: Ε - Φ, Artemis advancing right, drawing arrow from quiver at shoulder and holding bow; hound at her feet
Rev.: ΙΑΣΩΝ, Cock standing right with palm over wing within laurel wreath.
AE, 10.88 g, 25 mm.
Ref.: SNG Copenhagen 344

 

Wolf

Laranda, Lycaonia
Obol
4th century BC
Obv: Facing head of Herakles, with club over shoulder; H to left
Rev: Forepart of wolf right; star above.
Ag, 0.69g, 10.2mm
Ref.: Göktürk 68-9; SNG BN –; SNG von Aulock –.

 

[Deinomenid]

Most of my more recent acquisitions feature creatures that more rightly belong in an aquarium - assorted fish, dolphin,  sea monsters (animals?aquarium?) and  crustaceans.

Here's a Himera cockerel though - with  obligatory crustacean  too.

480BC Didrachm Obv: Cockerel standing left Rev: Crab. Westermark 47-54

 

If that's more petting zoo than real zoo, a  couple of lions -

 

Leontinoi AR Obol. Circa 476-466 BC. Facing lion's scalp / Barley grain

 

Velia, Drachm, 535-465, lion right, tearing at prey, rev. quadripartite incuse square

 

 

And a duck-like dove from Terina

Bruttium, Terina, c. 300 BC. AR Drachm (16mm, 2.29g). Head of the nymph Terina r.; triskeles behind. R/ Nike seated l. on plinth, holding bird

 

 

Lastly a battered Tarentine elephant... (plus horse and dolphin)

Tarentum. Circa 280-272 BC. Nomos

 

 

 

[ambr0zie]

Doesn't anybody like boars?

or winged boars?

At least a swan...

[kirispupis]

Here are some more Greek critters.

Griffin

Ionia, Phokaia
Circa 350-300 BCE
Æ 5.52g, 18mm, 12h
Head of Hermes to left, wearing winged petasos fastened under chin
Forepart of griffin to left; [ΦΩ]KAEΩ[N] below.
BMC -, cf. 99-100; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Copenhagen -, cf. 1041-2. 

Lion

Islands off Ionia. Samos
circa 408-380 BCE
Æ 12 mm, 1,73 g
Head of Hera left, wearing stephane, necklace, and earring
Facing lion's head; Σ-Α below.
very fine
BMC Ionia pg. 364, 147; SNG von Aulock 2296.

Ram

Arkadia. Pheneos
350-300 BCE
AE 13.26mm 2.13g
Obverse: Head of Hermes right wearing petasos
Reverse: Φ E, ram standing right, AP monogram before
BCD Peloponnesos 1614.2
Ex BCD Collection Purchased July 1976

 

Snake

Thessaly, Homolion
ca 350 BCE
AE 20mm 6.6g
Head of Philoktetes right, wearing conical pileos /
ΟΜΟΛ-IEΩN; serpent coiled right, grape bunch above.
Helly, Quelques 25; Rogers 257

 

Stag

Cyprus, Kourion
4th century BCE
Æ 13mm 2.52g 9h
Head of Apollo to right /
Stag kneeling to right, head reverted; A above.
Cox, Curium 3; Destrooper pl. 10, 12

Zebu

Lydia, Tralleis (as Seleukeia)
3rd century BCE
AE 12 mm, 1.44 g, 11 h
Laureate head of Zeus to right.
Rev. ΣΕΛΕΥΚΕ / [....]ΕΣΙ[...] Zebu bull standing left; below, H; all within maeander pattern.
GRPC Lydia -

[kapphnwn]

Halikarnassos Ar Tetrobol struck circa 500 BC Obv Head of Ketos left. Rv Star within ornamental square Rosen 617 2.02 grms 1o mm Photo by W. Hansen

At one time this coin was thought to have be struck at the mint of Kyndia. Greeks certainly like their sea monsters. Perhaps another reason why certain peple should lay off the fermented grape juice.

[Limes]

On 9/4/2023 at 10:02 PM, LONGINUS said:

It’s been a while since I’ve posted in the Greek forum — I’ve been maintaining a rather strict Roman Imperial presence.

 

My apologies for not visiting more often. Anyway, I thought I’d post my latest Seleucid creature poster.

 

My latest is the panther in the center.

 

 

 

Do you have any additions to your menageries? I’d love to see them!

 

 

 

 

Great poster and coins! I dont have any Seleukids, but if you wont mind, Id like to add some circus animals and a peculiar dog to the menagerie 😉

[filolif]

Can't have a Greek zoo without an Aegina turtle or tortoise! Here's one I just picked up from CNG:

ISLANDS off ATTICA, Aegina. Circa 456/45-431 BC. AR Stater (19mm, 12.12 g, 3h). Land tortoise with segmented shell / Large incuse square with skew pattern. Meadows, Aegina, Group IIIb; Milbank pl. II, 12; HGC 6, 437. Toned, edge splits, die break on obverse, flan flaw on reverse. Good VF. ex Heritage 09/2003

Edited September 6, 2023 by filolif

[Phil Anthos]

Eion, Macedonia

500-437 BC AR Trihemiobol (12mm, 0.92g) O: Goose standing right, head turned back; lizard and H above, all within dotted border. R: Quadripartite incuse square. cf SNG ANS 276; Sear 1295v (lizard) ~ Peter

Edited September 6, 2023 by Phil Anthos

[expat]

Apollonia Ponticus, Thrace was founded by Greek colonists in the 7th Century, BCE.

Here is a crayfish

[airhead1983]

Let’s throw in another lizard for fun. 😃

You can never have too many. 🤪

Erin

[Phil Anthos]

Argos, Argolis

circa 3rd century BC AR Triobol (15mm, 2.25g) O: Forepart of wolf left. R: Large A, eagle standing right on thunderbolt beneath; IP-EΩ-NO-Σ (Hieronos, magistrate) in corners, all within shallow incuse square. SNG Cop 42; BCD Peloponnesos 1177; SNG Delepierre 2273; Sear 2795v ~ Peter

[Broucheion]

Hi All,

A Ptolemaic bee.

PTOLEMY I SOTER (306/305-283 BCE)
UNCERTAIN MINT 03, EGYPTIAN, PROBABLY MEMPHIS ca 306 - ca 303 BCE
Ar STATER (TETRADRACHM)
Size: 30x31 mm
Weight: 15.64 g
Die Axis:01:00
Broucheion Collection P-2019-06-26.001

OBV: Alexander the Great, wearing horn of Zeus-Ammon, diademmed head facing right, clad in elephant scalp and scaly aegis tied by snakes. Dotted border.
REV: Athena Promachos striding right on tiptoe, brandishing spear and shield. She wears a helmet, a girdled chiton and a scarf falling in swallow-tail folds. Legend reading upwards: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ. In left field: HΔΙ monogram above bee; In right field: eagle on thunderbolt. Dotted border.
Refs: LORBER: CPE-0083; Sv-0153, pl v, 22-23 [14 listed]; COP-UNLISTED; S-7750var: different monogram; BMC 06.xxx, #045
Provenance: Ex Malter "The Coinage of Ancient Egypt," Auction II, 23-24 Feb 1978, Lot 16.

- Broucheion

[ambr0zie]

Here are 2 animals already shown on the topic, but different cities.

A turtle from Methymna in Lesbos, not as spectacular as Aegina

Ephesos bee 

[Phil Anthos]

Here's my two bucks...

Ephesus, Ionia

390-320 BC AR Diobol (10mm, 1.02g) O: Bee with straight wings, within dotted border. R: Confronted heads of two stags; EΦ above. SNG Cop 242-43; SNG von Aulock 1835; SNG München 32; Sear 4375v; BMC Ionia 53, 53 ~ Peter

[CPK]

Here's a couple of my favorite Greek animal coins:

 

[Deinomenid]

Four critters on a coin like that Akragas is quite a challenge! I had to search for this one.

Mules, dolphins, hare and eagle.

SICILY, Messina (412BC). Tetradrachm (16.82 g) with a hare running between an eagle and an ear of wheat. R/ Bige of mules in step, in exergue two dolphins facing each other. Provenance: from a V.P. Santa Maria,  lot 92 Rome 1938.