A silly Christmas idea

[helvetica]

My idea is this - you have until Christmas to copy the reverse of any ancient coin and use your Windows Paint, Paint Shop Pro, or whatever you use to modify the image to a Christmassy theme.
You could also add e.g. which coin the original reverse was from.
My own contribution is Santa - a Telesphorus reverse of Philippopolis.

[Syltorian]

Sorry for the small images, but I'm still working on my camera skills and this is the one I had left filed away somewhere on the computer.

On the left, an anomyous denarius dating to the Republic (RRC 222/1) showing Diana in a biga of stags.

The denarius can now be attributed to the gens Rudolphia, whose ancestor once helped to distribute the Saturnalia gifts. After all, if a horse can be consul designatus, a reindeer's descendant should be able to make it to IIIVir!   Talk about "going down in history".

Thankfully, the ancient diecutters did most of the work themselves for this. Even on the unmodified example, the nose of the second stag stands out so much the coin reminded me immediately of this story.

Happy holidays, merry Christmas, Io Saturnalia, and so forth.  

OK. So now I have to find a way to get that song out of my head...

[Andrew McCabe]

The Romans made some very good chocolate in 1 pound bars (327 grams of course) for Christmas.

[benito]

Merry Christmas and lots of AV from Rudolph's pouch.
Gordian III "medallion" from Anchialos.

[maridvnvm]

You could see Parthian captives beneath a trophy of arms or you could see excited children opening their presents, seated beneath a Christmas tree.
Martin

[Dino]

Well, here's a pocketful of change.  We've got Santa in his sled taking over a Euboea, Histiaea reverse, and nine reindeer, including Rudolph, from Salonina AEs with deer (oe elk, or moose) reverses.

[Randygeki(h2)]

 

[ancientone]

Nice one Dino! Here's Rudolph.

[Jaimelai]

A Christmas elf to help Santa:

[Oscarius]

Santa started out with a Biga.
Aelia, obv. BALA Head of female rev. C ALLI Diana in biga of stags, dolphin below.

[helvetica]

My favourites so far are Randygeki's Santoninus Pius and Dino's Santa with his nine reindeer.
This thread is better than I feared it would be. 

[Randygeki(h2)]

Santoninus Pius!

[PeterD]

Getting in the swing of things:

[helvetica]

Great, Pete ! How could we forget Prince Albert who started it - little knowing the circus it would turn out to be (if I hear that Xmassy advert on ITV one more time for Ferrero (?) and its silly little-girly-voice song "..to put yaw ahms awound me.." I will scream)..

[Syltorian]

Great, Pete ! How could we forget Prince Albert who started it - little knowing the circus it would turn out to be (if I hear that Xmassy advert on ITV one more time for Ferrero (?) and its silly little-girly-voice song "..to put yaw ahms awound me.." I will scream)..

Somewhat apropos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhjS9VtumI8 (not IMO their funniest song, but it fits the occasion).

[Mark Z]

The Ghost of Christmas present...sort of...complete with cornucopia and libation.

Happy Holidays All!

mz

[mwilson603]

Great, Pete ! How could we forget Prince Albert who started it - little knowing the circus it would turn out to be (if I hear that Xmassy advert on ITV one more time for Ferrero (?) and its silly little-girly-voice song "..to put yaw ahms awound me.." I will scream)..

Bah Humbug!  He didn't actually start it.  In fact about the only thing that could be attributed to him on this subject, was that he made having a Christmas tree fashionable after installing one at Windsor Castle in 1848.  The fact that Dickens had already published A Christmas Carol in 1843 should give a clue that Christmas was already being celebrated. 
regards
Mark

[Mat]

Leopold I "Hogmouth" is a bit peeved that someone placed a ornament on his jaw.

[Andrew McCabe]

I would like to make a compilation picture of these festive coins to post as a Christmas greeting on my website - with a link back to Forvm and crediting the artistic contributors of course. If you rather I didn't use your Rudolphian coin please let me know!
cheers
Andrew

[helvetica]

Andrew - I was thinking exactly the same for a special Christmas coins page on wildwinds but I'll leave the idea to you, to put on your website.

[PeterD]

Great, Pete ! How could we forget Prince Albert who started it - little knowing the circus it would turn out to be (if I hear that Xmassy advert on ITV one more time for Ferrero (?) and its silly little-girly-voice song "..to put yaw ahms awound me.." I will scream)..

Bah Humbug!  He didn't actually start it.  In fact about the only thing that could be attributed to him on this subject, was that he made having a Christmas tree fashionable after installing one at Windsor Castle in 1848.  The fact that Dickens had already published A Christmas Carol in 1843 should give a clue that Christmas was already being celebrated. 
regards
Mark

Oh no! You are not going to move my coin to the Authentication, Fakes and Frauds Board are you?

I still think Albert is to blame for having his picture of him standing in front of a Christmas tree in 1848 in Hello Magazine - sorry, the Illustrated London News.

[ickster]

It may just be my dark side, but I'm partial to Randygeki's Fel Temp "Soldier spearing fallen elf"

[Randygeki(h2)]

 

Thanks  its not to far off from the original lol

[taurisker]

This year I´ll have a Christmas-tree from Carthage ....

... happy holidays to all members of FORVM !

[Robert_Brenchley]

Christmas had previously been celebrated as a twelve-day festival, which worked because there wasn't much going on in the agricultural world at that time. It didn't suit the factory owners of the Industrial Revolution, so it was reinvented as a one-day celebration. Even Scrooge had to go along with that!