Benefactor DonnaML Posted April 19 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted April 19 Although the order denominated Pachydermata (from the Greek for "thick skin") is an obsolete taxonomic classification in the world of science*, the large mammals it encompassed -- elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and tapirs (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachydermata ) -- still form, except for the last, a useful and appealing category for purposes of collecting ancient coins. (If anyone has an ancient coin depicting a tapir, it's definitely a front-page story!) *It seems that genetically speaking, elephants are most closely related to manatees and dugongs, hippos to whales, and rhinos to horses, zebras, and tapirs. In any event, I have more than a dozen pachyderms in my collection, including this new acquisition that just arrived: Tiberius, AE Obol, Year 5 (AD 18/19), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Bare head of Tiberius right (anepigraphic) / Rev. Hippopotamus standing right; ΤΙΒΕΡΙΟΥ above; in exergue, LE (Year 5). 20 mm., 4.34 g. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I 5082 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5082 ; Emmett 62.5 at p. 9 corr. (hippo stands right, not left as stated in Emmett) [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; BMC 16 Alexandria 57-58 at p. 7 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892)]; K & G 5.10 (ill. p. 47) [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria (2008)]; Milne 36 at p. 2 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; Dattari (1901 ed.) 101 at p. 6 [Dattari, Giovanni, Monete imperiali greche, Numi Augg. Alexandrini, Catalogo della collezione (Cairo 1901)]; SNG France 4, Alexandrie I 98-101 (ill. Pl. 7) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France Vol. 4, Alexandrie I, Auguste-Trajan (Zurich 1998)]; Sear RCV I 1777 (ill. p. 349) (identified as hemiobol). (15 specimens in ACSearch; 23 in RPC.) Purchased from Naville Numismatics Ltd., Mayfair, London, UK, Auction 88, 7 April 2024, Lot 196. Here, without the writeups, are my three other hippos (issued in the names of Claudius I, Hadrian, and Otacilia Severa), my one lonely rhino (issued under Domitian), and my herd of 14 elephants on ten coins (issued over a 375-year period beginning in 128 BCE). Please post your own pachyderms! 24 2 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Anthos Posted April 19 · Member Share Posted April 19 Behold the hippopotamus! We laugh at how he looks to us, And yet in moments dank and grim, I wonder how we look to him. Peace, peace, thou hippopotamus! We really look all right to us, As you no doubt delight the eye Of other hippopotami. ~ Ogden Nash 6 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted April 19 · Supporter Share Posted April 19 What is better than a new pachyderm coin? A great new acquisition, @DonnaML! My own hippo is pretty worn, as seems to be the case for most of this type. EGYPT, ALEXANDRIA Time of Claudius AE Diobol (22.41mm, 5.79g, 1h) Struck AD 41-46 Obverse: ΤΙ ΚΛΑV ΚΑΙ ϹƐΒΑϹ ΓƐΡΜΑ, laureate head of Claudius right, star to lower right Reverse: ΑVΤΟΚΡΑ, hippopotamus standing right, [uncertain] date in exergue cf. RPC I 5124 Worn surfaces with edge irregularity. A decent hippopotamus. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted April 19 · Patron Share Posted April 19 Gang way!!! Elephant carts moving through! 18 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAZ Numismatics Posted April 19 · Member Share Posted April 19 Wow, great menagerie! Scary creatures, hippos... 6 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AETHER Posted April 19 · Member Share Posted April 19 Those Tiberius eyes always scare me! Nice coin and portrait! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted April 19 · Supporter Share Posted April 19 Very nice – that's a hippo type I was not aware of. My only hippopotamus is this sestertius of Otacilia Severa: Otacilia Severa, Roman Empire, AE sestertius, 248 AD, Rome mint. Obv: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG; bust of Otacilia Severa, diademed, draped, r. Rev: SAECULARES AVGG SC; Hippopotamus walking r. 28mm, 17.39g. Ref: Ref: RIC IV, Philip I 200. I'll refrain from posting my herd of ancient elephants, which all of you have seen way too often, but I can't quite stop myself from showing this lovely little medieval critter: Breisgau, Counts of Staufen (?), AR bracteate penny (“vierzipfliger Pfennig”), c. 1330–1360. Obv.: elephant l., palanquin on back. Rev.: incuse design (bracteate). 17mm, 0.28g. Berger 2438; Wielandt (Breisgau) 50; Slg. Wüthrich 55–56; Slg. Bonhoff 1786. 14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisimo Posted April 19 · Supporter Share Posted April 19 Great coins all. Definitely a fun sub-collection theme. Here is my only elephant. Roman Empire TITUS (79-81) AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck Jan. 1 - Jul. 1, AD 80 (3.36 g, 17 mm) Obv.: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, Laureate head left Rev.: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P, Elephant advancing left Ref.: RIC II (1926) 22b; RIC II.1 (2007) 116 Ex Numismatik Naumann Auction 131, lot 658 (August 6, 2023) 11 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteB Posted April 20 · Member Share Posted April 20 (edited) Philip I. 244-249 AD. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 17.75 gm, 12h). Commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Rome. Rome mint, 1st officina. 10th emission, 249 AD. Obv: Laur. draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Elephant advancing l., led by mahout, holding staff and goad. RIC IV 167a; Banti 8. Philip1SestElephantClipchamp.mp4 Edited April 20 by PeteB Add a video 12 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted April 20 · Member Share Posted April 20 (edited) Great pachyderm sub-zoo. I will bring some friends for them. My first elephant, a Seleukid Antiochos III Megas Septimius Severus denarius Rhinoceros, on a Domitian quadrans Hippopotamus, on a Claudius diobol from Alexandria. Edited April 20 by ambr0zie 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmarcovan Posted May 6 · Member Share Posted May 6 Wow, an impressive array! I love those hippos! Here is my heffalump, which has been posted before in other threads. 7 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Conduitt Posted May 6 · Supporter Share Posted May 6 Phraates II Chalkous, 132-127BC Ekbatana, Parthian Kingdom. Bronze, 15mm, 1.68g. Diademed, short-bearded bust left, no symbols, circular border of pellets. Elephant advancing right on exergual line; no border; legends to left and right, four-line Greek inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΘΕΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ (Of Great King Arsaces, of Divine Descent) (Sellwood 16.29). 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol_Invictus Posted May 7 · Member Share Posted May 7 What a proud pack of pachyderms! I have an Indian elephant to add to the mix: Vasisthiputra Pulumavi, India, Satavahana Empire, 78 – 114 AD AE18, 18mm, 2.63 grams; Obv: RANO SRI PULUMAVISA ('King, Lord Pulumavi' in Brahmi) Elephant with raised trunk standing to right. Rev: Four-orbed Ujjain symbol surmounted by crescent. Pieper 685. ex. Leu, web auction 25, lot 1338. 2023. Dr Björn-Uwe Abels collection. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted May 16 · Supporter Share Posted May 16 Here is one of my favorites of my pachyderms... Kinda hard to get. Etruria 3rd C BCE AE 18mm 4.76g Hd African r Elephant r letter below SNG Cop 48 HNI 69 SNG Paris 138-140 SNG Morcom 44 R 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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