Egyptian iconography on a small island of Sicily with great historicity

[Ryro]

I am a huge fan when it comes to finding Egyptian images on the far off islands of Greece. I  was very excited when I noticed this not so pretty, but pretty amazing coin type in last weekend's Priapus 1 coin auction, and am even more excited that I won it!

It's a bit hard to make out but on the left you have Nike appearing to fan Isis (actually crowning her). Very intriguing! A Greek goddess crowning an Egyptian one. And with Punic writing to add to the cultural homogenization. This is an image that I couldn't find anywhere else.

 

ISLANDS off SICILY, Kossura (Cossyra).

2nd century BC. Æ (21mm, 6.41 g, 11h). Bust of Isis left, wearing klaft and hair-dress in the shape of uraei on both sides of solar disc; to left, Nike flying right, crowning her with wreath / Punic ‘YRNM in laurel wreath with berries at top. CNS 1; SNG Copenhagen 449–50.

Scarce.

Light brown tone, Good Fine. From the R. Plant collection. Purchased from Priapus Numismatics Nov 2023

 

 

(Pantelleria the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and commune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea)

"Beginning with the earliest phases of Phoenician colonization within the W Mediterranean, the island was probably reached by Phoenician traders. Even at a later time (4th c. B.C.) Pseudo-Skylax (Müller, 1885, ø 111) mentions the island to relate that it was one navigation day away from Lilybaion. Until the middle of the 3d c. B.C. it remained within the Carthaginian sphere. It was occupied for the first time by the Romans in 254 B.C. (Zonar. 8.14), perhaps only briefly, but in 217 B.C. the island was seized by the Romans (Polyb. 3.96). However, Punic culture survived on the island until at least the 2d-1st c. B.C., as attested by coins bearing a Punic legend. The island was still fortified as late as the 1st c. A.D. Pliny the Elder (5.7) describes it as “Cossura cum oppido,” and Roman presence, even if only for strategic reasons, is attested in the island by remains of structures with mosaic floors datable to the late Imperial period.

The archaeological remains from the historical period of the island consist primarily of some stretches of the wall in the areas of Santa Theresa and San Marco, where the acropolis was most likely located, but nothing permits attribution of these walls to the Punic period. There are, however, some terracotta female heads and busts of Punic type with a klaft hairstyle or fillet, which are reported to have been found at Bagno dell'Acqua where there was once a sanctuary of Punic type. An early Corinthian aryballos was found there, datable to the 6th c. B.C. A few other items from the Punic period (jewelry, necklaces, coins) provide archaeological evidence for a long Phoenician-Punic cultural phase within the island, but at the same time they strongly suggest that Punic penetration was somewhat limited."

Here's one from Melita (modern Malta!?) that @TIF introduced my to (hers are incredible!). The first thing that came to mind when I stumbled across my recent win was that she would be good friends with this old friend:

Melita - Mummy of Osiris Bronze 218-175 BC Obv: veiled and diademed female head right, wearing earring. Rev: Mummy of Osiris standing facing, head left, holding flail and sceptre, between winged figures of Isis and Nephtys, each with sun disk on their heads and one wing angled inwards; Punic ‘NN above. 12.78 grams. Fair. Provenance Property of a Hertfordshire, UK gentleman; with old envelope. Literature CNS 2; SG Cop (Vol. 😎 458-459; Mayr 2; Sear 6584. 

 

So please share your coins with Egyptian iconography from the ancient world, coins from Cossyra, thoughts or anything else  that Nike may crown!

[expat]

I don´t have anything relevant to share, but I certainly enjoyed your thread. Well done acquiring such an interesting historical piece.

[Deinomenid]

1 hour ago, Ryro said:

coins from Cossyra

I wish! That's a fantastic coin and the island  is fascinating as is Malta of course. Sicilian  coins  with Egyptian themes are rare, especially on the main island. Hieron II had a "Ptolemaic" coin minted,  but I suspect mine's a fake. The barbarians  produced  one  of Isis in Syracuse after its sack in 212BC, but they are unusual. This is  one  I posted a couple  of times, so with my apologies,  but it is Cypriot. A minefield of a place language-wise for its mixture of Greek, Aramaic,  syllabary and "Egyptian".

CYPRUS. Paphos. Onasioikos, ca. 450-440 B.C. AR Stater (11.08 gms), with Cyriot syllabary and an ankh.

 

 

[JeandAcre]

Wow, @Ryro, Congratulations.  The depth with which you got into this undeniably arcane historical milieu is duly appreciated.  Replete with an equally cool complement by @Deinomenid.  I dearly love these historical periods that are so marked by this level of pluralism, on simultaneous levels (cultural, etc.).  Another fun one is the Viking Age, but it's already time to shut up about that!

Edited November 7, 2023 by JeandAcre

[kirispupis]

Another great post on something I knew little about! (and I want a Melita example now... )

Your post makes me wonder whether this ram's head above the lion is Egyptian related.

Cyprus. Citium. Pumiathon Æ Chalkous / Lion
16.37mm 2.70g 362-312 BCE
Obverse: Lion walking left, ram head above
Reverse: Horse standing left, star above, symbol before
BMC 69

 

It resembles this one, just turned the other way.

Egypt, Ptolemy I as satrap
with name and types of Alexander III
Memphis, c. 323/2 BCE
AR Tetradrachm, 16.09g
bv: Head of young Herakles r. wearing lionskin headdress.
Rx: AΛEΞANΔPoY Zeus seated l. holding eagle and scepter, in l. field, head of Amun-Ra (as ram) r., wearing double-plume crown, monogram under throne
CPE-4, Price-3964
Ex NFA

[Curtisimo]

Really great coin Ryan, though it’s probably best not to get too excited when dealing with Priapus (couldn’t help it! 😁).

As far as Egyptian themes on Greek coins go, I do have this Rhodian hemidrachm with the Crown of Isis used as a control mark.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Curtisimo

[JeandAcre]

@kirispupis, it's very cool to see the extent to which the Ptolemies were appropriating Pharaonic religious motifs, effectively from the moment they landed!  Wow.  Tres, tres cool.  A very nice complement to the no less remarkable perpetuation of the same by Antonine emperors (especially) in Alexandrian issues.  (For anyone tuning in late, look for @DonnaML's posts about these; you won't be sorry.)

Edited November 7, 2023 by JeandAcre

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Oh wow, that is pretty neat! Well done!

[NewStyleKing]

Headdress of Isis.

Isis with sistrum

[Sulla80]

This coin - looks very Egyptian....https://www.sullacoins.com/post/antiochos-iv-egyptianizing

Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, 175-164 BC, Æ (24mm, 11.79g) "Egyptianizing" series, Antioch on the Orontes mint, struck 169-168 BC

Obv: Head of Isis right, wearing tainia

Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY ΘEOY EΠIΦANOYΣ, eagle standing right on thunderbolt.

Ref: SC 1414

as does this one:https://www.sullacoins.com/post/myndos-caria

Caria, Myndos, 180-140 BC, AR drachm (16.5mm, 3.47g), Hermolykos, magistrate

Obv: Laureate head of Sarapis right, crowned with atef

Rev: [ΜΥ]-ΝΔΙѠΝ / [ЄΡ]-ΜΟΛΥΚ on either side of basileion (Isis crown) on two ears of grain; in exergue, torch; dotted border

Ref: Historia Numorum Online 325

Edited November 8, 2023 by Sulla80

[JeandAcre]

Very cool exampes, @Sulla80.  When this kind of cultural interpollination is involved, it's also fun to start picking up on the nuances of how pronounced or subtle it is.  ...But we're talking 'Hellenistic period' here.  This was effectively the default mode.  

[jdmKY]

Here is a coin I just bought from CNG. This photo is from their website as I have not had a chance to photograph it yet. This appears to be the only Roman coin that features a solely Egyptian deity. Sekhmet is shown holding an ankh.

Q Caecilius Metellus Scipio and P Licinius Crassus Junianus, denarius, 47-46 BC.

[JeandAcre]

I'm eating too many cookies!

[Sulla80]

On 11/7/2023 at 8:24 PM, JeandAcre said:

Very cool exampes, @Sulla80.  When this kind of cultural interpollination is involved, it's also fun to start picking up on the nuances of how pronounced or subtle it is.  ...But we're talking 'Hellenistic period' here.  This was effectively the default mode.  

Hi @JeandAcre I am not sure I fully understood your comment - the Antiochus IV - clearly not very subtle in it's Ptolemy imitation, but then Ptolemy and Antiochus were both descendant's of Alexander III's generals, so is any of this "Egyptian" or all just Greek. 

On 11/8/2023 at 11:11 AM, jdmKY said:

Here is a coin I just bought from CNG. This photo is from their website as I have not had a chance to photograph it yet. This appears to be the only Roman coin that features a solely Egyptian deity. Sekhmet is shown holding an ankh.

Q Caecilius Metellus Scipio and P Licinius Crassus Junianus, denarius, 47-46 BC.

@jdmKY that is a fabulous coin! congrats!