Behold now, Behemoth🦛

[JayAg47]

This coin marks the 1000th anniversary of Rome's founding, but to be honest, I mostly bought it for the hippopotamus. Ever since I missed out on the unique hippo tetradrachm I've mentioned in this thread, I've been searching for a hippo, not just any but the most realistic-looking one I could find. I finally came across this coin recently, listed by an Australian auction house. It didn't hammer, likely due to poor photos and the absence of provenance which I discovered after some digging. 

The coin next to my Schleich mini hippo figurine. 

And below is a 100% genuine photo of the spectacle I took from my recent visit to Rome using my trusty time machine. 

Obv: Diademed and draped bust to right of Otacilia Severa, on crescent, around OTACIL SEVERA AVG.

Rev: Hippopotamus standing to right, around SAECVLARES AVGG, in exergue IIII, (RIC 116b, C.63, S.2633).

Celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Rome. 

248 AD, 4.47g. 

Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 49 (lot 2257), Nov 1995.

Ex D.J.Foster Collection 

Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 109 (lot 3877), Jul 2015.

Ex Status International - Auction 389, Lot 11305, Jun 2024.

I even found a couple of double-die matches:

1. Numismatik Naumann, Auction 138, lot 723.

2. cgb.fr Internet Auction July 2022, lot 175.

 

Please share your Hippos or other celebratory coins.

Edited October 18, 2024 by JayAg47

[ambr0zie]

Nice one, @JayAg47

I have 2 antoninianii celebrating this event

 

Pretty happy with my multicolored hippo diobol from Alexandria.

[Qcumbor]

Nice one. I'm not "hippoed" yet, and it's on my list too

My Saeculares sestertius of Otacilia Severa :

Q

[Heliodromus]

Nice coin!

There were a bunch of these sold in a recent auction, and I was sorely tempted to buy one (completely outside my collecting domain), but resisted in the end.

I rather like the ones that look very unrealistic - kinda fabulous time to be alive where you didn't know what animals existed or not, and your imagination could run wild!

Here's Conrad Gessner's depiction of a crocodile munching hippo from his 1500's Historia animalium, looking not unlike the bitey looking one on top coin below it.

[JayAg47]

14 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

Here's Conrad Gessner's depiction of a crocodile munching hippo from his 1500's Historia animalium, looking not unlike the bitey looking one on top coin below it.

 

Usually medieval drawings run rampant with imaginations, but this is one of the instances where it's based on reality! 

 

Edited October 19, 2024 by JayAg47

[Heliodromus]

True, they really are pretty fearsome beasts!

OTOH there's also internet sensation Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, who your Schleich figurine reminds me of, and not so ferocious! 🙂

 

[kirispupis]

Gorgeous pickup!

I was going to post my only hippo on a coin, when I realized I don't have one. The coin I thought of has a rhino. So, I'll just have to publish some photos I took of hippos instead.

 

[AncientOne]

Alright!  Go and get me a hippopotamus for the weekend venationes.

 

[Orange Julius]

Great coin! I recently picked up this elephant listed as an As but at nearly 19 grams, it’s a sestertius. This miss identification kept the price down and I was able to snag it for $76. It’s not perfect but I really like it!

 

[Roman Collector]

How fun, @JayAg47! I have always liked Otacilia's hippo coins! I have two, neither of which are FDC. I like them anyway. 

 

[CPK]

One of these days I will upgrade my own hippo coin:

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.

[Ursus]

Nice hippos and Secular Games coins , everyone!

I have the sestertius version of the hippo:

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.