Sphinx and owl

[Robi]

 

Hello group! I would like to share a coin that I recently received, which has a unique reverse - I have not seen anything like it anywhere - two symbols of the ancient world together: a sphinx and an owl - why did fate bring them together on the coin during the reign of Commodus? And, from what I saw, this type appears without a countermark - does anyone recognize what these letters/symbols might be (they are a bit blurred)

Share your owls and sphinx 🙂

Greetings,

Robert Kh.

Commodus (AD 177-192). Seleucis and Pieria. Gabala Owl, RPC IV 5788
Date: AD 177-192
Obverse: Laureate draped cuirassed bust of Commodus left
Reverse: Owl standing right on globe, head facing; to right, sphinx seated left on base, wearing kalathos

[TIF]

I am also drawn to this interesting reverse  :).


SELEUCIS and PIERIA, Gabala. Commodus
dated CY 233 (186/7 CE)
Æ 23mm, 7.28 g, 12h
Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left
Rev: Owl standing on globe right, facing sphinx, wearing calathus and seated left on plinth
Ref: RPC IV.3 Online 5788
Ex Judy Day Frink Collection

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Very interesting reverse type, to be sure.

 

Here's what I found at RPC — Coin: 202218 (ox.ac.uk):

City	Gabala
Region	Syria
Reign	Commodus
Obverse inscription	ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ Μ (or ΚΑΙ ΜΑ) ΑΥΡ ΚοΜοΔοΝ (second Μ inverted)
Obverse design	laureate-headed bust of Commodus wearing cuirass and paludamentum, left
Reverse inscription	ΓΑΒΑΛΕΩΝ ΔϹ ΓΛϹ ΚΤ (Ω may be shaped as Ω, ΚΤ in exergue)
Reverse design	to left, owl standing on globe, right, head, facing; to right, sphinx standing on base, left, wearing kalathos

Edited September 10, 2024 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[Roman Collector]

Interesting iconography, to be sure. The "sphinx" has been interpreted as Astarte. The owl refers to Athena. Here is what Wroth writes in the introduction to BMC Greek volume 20:

Edited September 10, 2024 by Roman Collector

[MrMonkeySwag96]

I don’t have any owls, yet I do have a Sphinx:

 

Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome. T. Carisius. 46 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 3.83 g, 3h). Rome mint. Head of Sibyl Herophile right, hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling and tied with bands / Sphinx seated right. Crawford 464/1; CRI 69; Sydenham 983; Carisia 10. Good VF, toned, areas of flat strike. From the Demetrios Armounta Collection. Ex Baldwin’s 57 (23 September 2008), lot 59.

[Robi]

@TIF thank You for sharing! For me its "must have" for Syrian coinage collectors, as I am 😉

[Robi]

On 9/11/2024 at 12:20 AM, Roman Collector said:

Interesting iconography, to be sure. The "sphinx" has been interpreted as Astarte. The owl refers to Athena. Here is what Wroth writes in the introduction to BMC Greek volume 20:

@Roman Collector thank You for valuable information and screen from Wroth!