What are the most interesting / unique designs on ancient coins?

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

I’m not talking necessarily about artistically beautiful ones, like a Syracuse dekadrachm, which has a face on one side and a chariot on the other (boriiing 🥱) [I’m kidding of course!], but about coins that have an overall unique design (even just a cool or unusual reverse / obverse is fine!).
 

The coin itself could even be artistically bad or badly preserved, as long as it’s very unique / peculiar in some way! Something that makes you go: “Huh, never seen that before!”.  

So, in this case, what I find ‘boring/common’ designs:

• Face filling the obverse/reverse with nothing remarkable about it (exception: this coin, where the angle of the earring makes us infer the face is bent downwards and it probably depicts the flying Nike)
• Just a god/goddess standing or sitting with nothing remarkable about it (even if a rare one, sorry 🥱) (exception: Roma sitting on shields and watching Romulus and Remus with birds flying in the background. This looks like a painting from the 1700s. Definitely not your usual depiction of a God).
• Eagle / horse / dolphin / owl / regular animal by itself or with nothing remarkable about it (exception: a combination of the two with maybe an unusual animal / scene, for example Nilus riding a hippo! It’s so bizzarre! Even extremely uncommon animals might be ok!)
• Quadriga / Chariot / Person riding a horse… you know the drill. (Exception: horseman holding severed head of a barbarian. How badass is that?) 
• Temples in general by themselves, if nothing peculiar about them can be noticed.
• Just writings, like Islamic/Arabic/Persian coins with only lettering on them, or Roman bronzes with ‘SC’ 🥱🥱

And so on… just post interesting designs! What are your favourite ‘unusual coins’?

EDIT: They don’t have to be your coins of course!

  
 

Edited November 13, 2024 by AncientCoinnoisseur

[Deinomenid]

If you are pining for the  unique and peculiar,  it sounds like you have a bad case of Cretan-coin disease.

Hill - The coins of Crete stand out from among other Greek coins in virtue of a quality of picturesqueness combined with a narrative element, while, in regard to the subjects represented, they give hints of a somewhat mysterious background of myth and religion unlike anything that we find in other parts of Greece. The coins of Phaestus show us Europa seated, greeting Zeus, who, in the guise of a bull, comes out of the sea; or the youthful Zeus Welchanos seated among the branches of his sacred tree, holding one or two fighting cocks (symbols of ephebic beauty) ; or the winged demon Talos, the brazen monster who, accompanied by his dog and armed with a stone, opposed the landing of the Argonauts. At Gortyna we see a female figure, Europa or Britomartis, seated pensive in a tree (pl. XLIII, no. 3), or embraced by the eagle. Other types, more or less obscure, introduce us to a little known realm of religion; but the point that concerns us here is that the artist shows a picturesque originality of treatment which indicates the existence of a school of art about which the monumental remains of Crete are altogether silent. One feels that, though a thousand years may have passed since the great times of the Minoan civilization, something has survived of the spirit of that culture.

Their coins are often in bad shape - this to to excuse what follows immediately below - but here's a recent purchase, featuring the dragon Ladon, a bound sacrificial bull, the tree of the Hesperides and Herakles unclothed. What more could you want?

 

PHAISTOS.
AR stater, 330/322 BC; 11.60 g. Herakles standing in heroic nudity f. v. with club, bow and lion skin, l. the dragon Ladon, r. apple tree of the Hesperides//In laurel wreath: bull standing l. with bound legs.
 

 

The following is  not  my coin,  but I show it just to illustrate Hill's point about the extraordinary Talos coinage. Talos was a giant, bronze automaton,  a guardian of the island of Crete. Apparently created by either the god Hephaestus or by the legendary inventor Daedalus,

[expat]

Everybody will have different views on this subject. For me, a combination of image and its related historical attributes. This coin was minted in Ephesus which has an interesting history, ranging from the Temple of Artemis to mentions in the Bible and the visit of St. Paul. It features a carpentum, normally used only by the priviliged, but also for transporting the effigy of Artemis during the annual festival.

Ionia. Ephesos. Julia Mamaea. Augusta AD 225-235.
Bronze Æ
28 mm, 11,52 g
RPC Volume: VI №: 4977 (temporary)
Reign: Severus Alexander Persons: Julia Mamaea (Augusta)
City: Ephesus  Region: Ionia Province: Asia (conventus of Ephesus)
Denomination: Æ (30 mm) Average weight: 10.83 g.
Obverse: ΙΟΥΛΙΑ ΜΑΜΑΙΑ ϹΕΒ; diademed and draped bust of Julia Mamaea, right
Translation: Julia Mamaea Augusta
Reverse: ΑΠΗΜΗ ΙΕΡΑ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ (or ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ ΑΠΗΜΗ ΙΕΡΑ); carpentum
drawn by two horses, right
Translation: sacred carriage, of the Ephesians
Reference: Karwiese 806–7

[JAZ Numismatics]

The cistophoric tetradrachms of Ephesus are common, at least in low grades, but there's no other design like it in all of ancient numismatics...

Edited November 13, 2024 by JAZ Numismatics

[Ryro]

Fun idea @AncientCoinnoisseur. Kind of specific though. Do you have any types that fit your request?

Here's one of mine that I have always felt was strange and interesting. Between having the skull headed Ketos monster on the obverse, and an interdimensional portal on the reverse, it should fit your request:

CARIA, Halikarnassos

(reassigned from Kindya)

499-497 BCE

AR hektai, 1.78 gm, 11 mm, Milesian standard

Obv: head of ketos right

Rev: geometric pattern within incuse square

Ref: Konuk

[kirispupis]

Dyrrhachion staters are quite unusual. We're still not quite sure what's depicted on the reverse.

Kingdom of Illyria, Monounios

Dyrrhachion

Circa 305-275 BCE

AR stater 21mm 10.57g 5h

Obv: cow standing left, looking back at suckling calf standing right below; monogram above.

Rev: double stellate pattern divided by line, all in double linear square border; ΔYP (P retrograde) and club around; all within linear circle border.

Paškvan-; Maier 34 var. (same); Meadows, CH (forthcoming) 193; SNG Copenhagen-425 var. (orientation of obv.); BMC-29 var. (same).

ex Classical Numismatic Group 2015

 

 

Or perhaps the very first currency designed for insects.

Cimmerian Bosporos, Myrmekion
Circa 470-460 BCE
AR Tetartemorion 5 mm, 0.22 g
Ant seen from above.
Rev. Quadripartite incuse square, pellets in two opposing compartments.
HGC 7, 54. MacDonald 6

 

Or a nice hunting scene.

Bosporos, Tauric Chersonesus
ca 300-290 BCE
Artemis Parthenos running left, holding bow in left hand and spearing fallen stag.
Rev: ΚΛΕΜΥΤΑΔΑ. Bull butting left over club.
21mm, 6.86g
SNG Stancomb 481
ex-Rudolf Hoesch (1904-1990) collection
bought from M&M AG Basel in 1955

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Deinomenid Thanks for the write-up! And great coin!

@expat Nice reverse, that’s unusual!

@JAZ Numismatics Yes, cistophoric rhymes with iconic!

@Ryro Nice one! Yes, I have many! Aside from the ones I have already linked in the ‘exceptions’, here are some interesting, not-so-obvious obverses or reverses:

Among the ones I have, there are these:

1) A reverse with a person in the act of casting a ballot / voting. That’s not something you see every day and definitely a nice sneak peek into Roman daily life:

2) Minting tools on the reverse that show us how coins were made? Even if they were Vulcan’s tools, they are still not something you see every day on a reverse!

3) The Lighthouse of Alexandria on a Roman coin with an Egyptian goddess (Isis Pharia) blowing wind into a sail to bless sailors? That’s a unique take on a reverse if I have ever seen one! To be fair, most of Antoninus Pius’ coinage in Alexandria is very creative, think of the canopic jars or the whole Zodiac series! Now those are interesting reverses!

Among the ones I don’t have:

1) Knossos coins with the maze and / or the Minotaur:

2) Cilicia, Tarsos. Datames coins have some interesting reverses:

Satrap seated right, wearing Persian dress, testing arrow held in both hands

 

Ana, nude, facing Datames; both have their right arms raised; between them, thymiaterion; all within square dotted border within linear border.

3) Gortyna with the girl sitting on a tree and touching her hair / in deep thought is something else:

 

BONUS: Some coins that might or might not fit in my definition of ‘interesting’/‘unusual’:

1) Sinope: an extreme close-up of an eagle:

2) Macedonian shields: I mean, who was the absolute genius that came up with the idea of making a shield out of a coin? It’s brilliant and it fits perfectly!

3) Euboia, Histiaia. The girl sitting on the ship is beautiful, and in such a tiny coin!

Of course, if you can afford it there’s the magnificent Antigonos one with Poseidon that has a similar but much better reverse:

4) The anchor and dolphin denarius of Titus. Although it is an animal, it’s interesting to see it intertwined with an anchor and all the symbolism behind it. Definitely not your typical reverse with just an animal, but maybe not worthy of my ‘interesting/unusual coins’ list:

 

@kirispupis Those are very interesting coins, thank you for sharing! 

 

[Phil Anthos]

This early and unusual coin from Lesbos fits the bill I think. Two confronted boars heads which combine to create a facing image of a single boar. An interesting illusion for a coin. 

Some references claim the two boar heads create a facing panther, but that makes no sense to me. Besides, it looks like a boar, not a cat.

Uncertain Mint, Lesbos

500-450 BC Billion 1/10 Stater (10mm, 1.18g) O: Two boar's heads confronted, creating the illusion of a single boar head facing. R: Incuse square. SNG von Aulock 7712; SNG Munchen 645; Sear 3488 ex Forvm Ancient Coins An unusual little coin from the island of Lesbos off the coast of Asia Minor. The very inventive 6th century BC engraver of this die has created an illusion which is quite 'outside the box' for an ancient coin, as the two confronted boar's heads can also be seen as a single facing boar. And how cool is that?

~ Peter 

Edited November 13, 2024 by Phil Anthos

[thejewk]

1 hour ago, kirispupis said:

Dyrrhachion staters are quite unusual. We're still not quite sure what's depicted on the reverse.

Kingdom of Illyria, Monounios

Dyrrhachion

Circa 305-275 BCE

AR stater 21mm 10.57g 5h

Obv: cow standing left, looking back at suckling calf standing right below; monogram above.

Rev: double stellate pattern divided by line, all in double linear square border; ΔYP (P retrograde) and club around; all within linear circle border.

Paškvan-; Maier 34 var. (same); Meadows, CH (forthcoming) 193; SNG Copenhagen-425 var. (orientation of obv.); BMC-29 var. (same).

ex Classical Numismatic Group 2015

 

It almost reminds me of a 1970s cabinet which would open up at the top to reveal a turntable, with speakers behind the cupboard doors!

Either way, it's a lovely design and a handsome coin.

[Limes]

8 hours ago, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

Temples in general by themselves, if nothing peculiar about them can be noticed.

😡😢

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Phil Anthos Cool! First optical illusion on a coin? 😉 

@thejewk I agree! I saw a cabinet too, ha!

@Limes Hey, if you have an interesting temple feel free to post it, I accept exceptions 🙂 I even have a temple myself and I wrote a whole infographic about it!

 

Speaking of interesting / unusual coins, another one I forgot is this:

 

Mount Argaios, straight out of a Tolkien novel!

 

[ambr0zie]

I am a great fan of "unique" coins. When I say unique, I do not mean one that has the cost of a private island - just unique designs. Uncommon. And a collector can instantly recognize where is the coin from. 

Of course, "more obscure" coins where research is needed to identify it, but the catch on them is a special design are also my favorites. 

Istrus with facing heads:

An interesting article about the meaning of these - https://coinweek.com/the-mystery-of-the-double-headed-coins-of-ancient-istros/

Tarsos coins with Sandan standing on griffin-lion

9 hours ago, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

Quadriga / Chariot / Person riding a horse… you know the drill

I agree, but when the biga in question is a biga of snakes 

or Cupids 

I find these interesting. 

9 hours ago, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

) (exception: Roma sitting on shields and watching Romulus and Remus with birds flying in the background.

Fully agree 

9 hours ago, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

• Just writings, like Islamic/Arabic/Persian coins

 

I also agree, but when the other side depicts a sun like I was drawing when I was 5, in a good artistry though, I find this coin being extremely attractive. 

I also like this particular coin, that imitates the classic Rhodes coinage with Helios/rose, but with an extra detail on the obverse. 

I also like, generally speaking, the Roman Republic coins with unique reverses/designs

Edited November 13, 2024 by ambr0zie

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Cordoba Gorgeous, and great provenance !!! Stunning toning as well, I’m almost tempted to try and pick it up, but I have already spent way too much this year! 16 of my 20 total ancient coins were bought in the last 8 months 😅
@ambr0zie Wow, so many interesting ones, thanks for sharing! Yes, my categories for ‘boring coins’ all have the caveat: ‘unless something interesting is going on that sets your coin apart from the tons of look-a-like coins already in circulation’, so yeah, a biga of snakes definitely counts as unique!!!

Edited November 13, 2024 by AncientCoinnoisseur

[jdmKY]

Here are some Imperatorial oddities-

Sulla’s Dream?

Sphinx

Owl warrior 

Cupid riding a dolphin 

Triskeles w/head of Medusa

Another snake biga

Honoring Cloacina, Goddess of the Sewer

[El Cazador]

38 minutes ago, jdmKY said:

Here are some Imperatorial oddities-

Sulla’s Dream?

Sphinx

Owl warrior 

Cupid riding a dolphin 

Triskeles w/head of Medusa

Another snake biga

Honoring Cloacina, Goddess of the Sewer

Sol and Triskele are my favorite here, especially Sol- superb centering

Edited November 13, 2024 by El Cazador

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@jdmKY these are so whack and outright insane, I love them!

[DANTE]

When it comes to original designs I've always held a soft spot for the Sassanians. A unique style on both obverse and reverse.Nothing borrowed, nothing stolen. Who doesn't like a ballooning korymbos with a mural crown or a fire altar with attendants?I know I do. The only downside: they were also singularily stubborn in maintaining that design throughout their existence. So, unless you're a specialist in Pahlavi and know your korymboses (i, ai,..?) it all soon becomes repetitive. But having one or even two? Yes!

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2024 by DANTE

[Parthicus]

There are a number of Roman coins with reverse types related to the frequent warfare with Parthia, as on these two sestertii of Trajan with Rex Parthis Datus (A king given to Parthia) and Regna Adsignata (Kingdoms assigned) commemorating Trajan's creation of client kings in newly conquered Parthian and Parthian-vassal territory:

The reverse of this Arab-Sasanian coin shows a Gopadshah, a man-headed bull from Persian mythology:

I just posted this Kushano-Sasanian AE of Peroz II Kushanshah a few days ago, but surely the reverse type of Ahura Mazda rising out of an altar deserved mention in this thread:

 

[Phil Anthos]

This design is kinda different, although not uncommon in Magna Graecia...

Taras, Calabria

272-235 BC AR 3/8 Obol (6mm, 0.16g) O: Two cresents back to back; two pellets above and below. R: Two cresents back to back; two pellets above and below. D'Andrea XLIV, 1609c (this coin); Vlasto 1758; McGill II, 216; HN Italy 1077; Sear 361v ex Roma Numismatics D'Andrea plate coin, Series XLIV, 1609c

[Sulla80]

[Phil Anthos]

Olbia, Sarmatia

circa 5th century BC AE unit (23.5mm, 0.84g) Cast bronze dolphin with raised spine and dorsal fin. Sear 1684v ex Forvm Ancient Coins

[Curtisimo]

Coins showing active combat are surprisingly rare.

Kings of Paeonia
Patraos (c. 335-315 BC)
AR Tetradrachm, mint at Astibos or Damastion. 
(24 mm, 1 h, 12.93 g)
Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo right
Rev.: Warrior on horse rearing r., spearing enemy warrior who defends with shield and spear. 
Ref.: HGC 3, 148
Ex Harlan J Berk 48th Buy or Bid Sale, lot 74 (April 22, 1987); Ex Bertolami Fine Arts E-Auction 105, lot 884 (Oct. 21, 2021)

ROMAN REPUBLIC
C. Servilius Vatia, moneyer 
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck 127 BC
(18 mm, 3.91g)
Obv.: Helmeted head of Roma r., lituus behind, ROMA below, mark of value under chin. 
Rev.: Horseman galloping l., piercing with spear another horseman before him; C SERVEIL (VE ligate) in exergue.
Ref.: Crawford 264/1, Syd-483, RSC Servilia-6. 
Ex Frederick Hastings Rindge Collection (1857-1905†), loaned for exhibition to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 1889, [Edward Robinson, “CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOAN EXHIBITIONS. For the Year 1889” (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), Annual Report Vol. 14, p. 49 (December 31, 1889)], the Rindge Collection was sold in 1985 in two parts through Malter auctions XXIX and XXX, Malter XXX, lot 1550 (June 7-8, 1985); Ex Harlan J Berk Buy or Bid Sale 225, lot 286 (November 30, 2023)

Coins that show a specific event, place or activity are by design unique.

The Spectacle put on by Septimius Severus in the Circus Maximus.

Roman Empire
Septimius Severus
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 206
(2.9 gm, 19.5 mm)
Obv.:  SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev.:  LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison
Ref.:  RIC 274; BMC 343.
Ex Paul Tinchant Collection (1893-1981†)(auctioned under the pseudonym “Robert J. Graham”), Jacques Schulman Auction 243, lot 1972 (June 8-10, 1966); Ex ROMA ÆTERNA Collection (Horst Grunmann, a.k.a. chinamul), Gut-Lynt Auction 13 Part II, lot 1638 (October 1, 2023)

 ……………………………
The Curia Julia as it appeared just after it’s completion.

Roman Republic, Octavian 
AR Denarius, 30-29BC, Italian Mint
(21 mm, 11h, 3.54 g)
Obv.: Bare head right.
Rev.: Curia Julia with IMP CAESAR on architrave, at apex, Victory standing upon globe with warriors at the angles.
Ref.: RIC, 266; RSC, 122
Ex Achille Cantoni Collection (1844-1914†), P. & P. Santamaria, lot 207 (November 29, 1920); Ex Walter Niggeler Collection (1878-1964†), Munzen und Medaillen AG & Bank Leu AG, Sammlung Walter Niggeler 2 Teil, lot 1014 (October 21, 1966); Ex Marc Poncin Collection, CNG Mail Bid Sale 72, lot 1357 (June 14, 2006)

 ……………………………

The act of voting in Republican Rome ca. 114 BC.

Roman Republic
P. Licinius Nerva (Moneyer)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck 114/3 BC
Obv.: ROMA; Helmeted bust of Roma, left, holding shield (showing galloping horseman) in left hand and spear (over shoulder) in right hand. Crescent above helmet, XVI monogram in left field. Border of dots
Rev.: P NERVA; Voting scene. Voter on left of pons receiving ballot from attendant below. Another voter on right of pons placing ballot in cista. Bar with tablet bearing the letter P above. Border of dots.
Ref.: Crawford 292/1
Ex Aureo & Calico S.L., Subasta 390, lot 2027 (May 32, 2022)
 

 

Edited November 14, 2024 by Curtisimo

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@DANTE Yes, those are immediately recognisable. They probably thought: “If it ain’t broken don’t fix it”!

@Parthicus Cool ones! I know a thing or two about man-headed bulls 🙂 

@Phil Anthos Nice, interesting design with the crescents! And yeah, I totally forgot about the cast dolphins! I said ‘animals by themselves ON coins’ are boring, but ‘animals AS coins’… that’s another story 😉 

@Sulla80 Wow, that’s the first time I see a pyramid on a reverse!!!

@Curtisimo Beautiful ones! I can contribute with an active battle myself 😂

Also, I didn’t know about the Circus Maximus reverse on Septimius Severus, otherwise I would have got that one instead of my Neptune, but it was so cheap and in such a good condition that I couldn’t pass it up:

Yes, when I posted my Longinus denarius I forgot to add that Nerva reverse, that’s another I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection!

[Curtisimo]

3 hours ago, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

Also, I didn’t know about the Circus Maximus reverse on Septimius Severus

I did a long write up on this type a while back if you are interested.

Septimius Severus: Joyous Times at the Circus Maximus

[mcwyler]

I think man-headed bulls are so cool. If I had the money, that's what I'd collect. That and those nice little ones with the cap and the daggers.

All I can run to is this.

 

 

Edited November 14, 2024 by mcwyler