Ancient Coins & Modern Branding... show examples here!

[Lloyd]

The motifs of ancient coins occasionally find their way into the branding and labeling of modern products.  

Perhaps the most recognized is the  symbol of Greece's Alpha Bank which finds its inspiration in (if not a direct copy of) the incuse reverse of the later tortoise stater emissions of Aegina (http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-86360 ). The association between finance institutions and coinage is I guess  a pretty obvious link to make in marketing and branding. I am sure there must be other examples involving ancient coins.  

Recently, I posted an obol of Phlious in my gallery which attracted rover1.3 to make an interesting observation on the link to the labeling of modern Nemean wine makers - images below and  http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-89198

In this case geography and shared heritage provide the ancient to modern connection.

Another such link is that between the Augustus Agrippa COL NEM dupondius emissions of Nemausus the crocodile of which is the basis of the city insignia of modern day Nimes.

rover1.3's observation prompted me to think that there must be a lot more examples out there of which most of us are unaware. So post them here and share the ancient-modern connection.

[rover1.3]

The obverse of the beautiful, famous and rare 4th c. BC AR Stater type of the Delphic Amphictyony with the veiled head of Demeter wreathed with ears of wheat :
http://www.acsearch.info/ext-record.html?id=420100
Symbol of the ΑΤΕ Bank. (Agricultural Bank of Greece)

[rover1.3]

A special memory from my childhood ... Illustrated Classical Myths and History issued by the ATLANTIS editions, company of Mr. Pehlivanides in Athens...

It is obvious to me now that the well known athletic AR Staters of Aspendos had been the source of inspiration for the logo of the ATLANTIS company.
Two examples, ΑΘΗΝΑ (ATHENA) and ΦΑΕΘΩΝ (PHAETHON) along with a stater from Forum's past sales archive are shown below.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=21676q00.jpg&vpar=594&zpg=20788&fld=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins/

[rover1.3]

SGCV II, 5034, B.M.C. Caria, p.231, 10, (pl. XXXVI, 5), a gold stater of Rhodos, (387-304 BC) was used as a logo by the Cypriot airline Helios Airways.
Greeks will remember the tragic event of the 14th of August 2005, when a Boeing 737-300 flying from Larnaca to Athens crashed near Kalamos, Attica...
... a modern version of the Phaethon's myth ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways
http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Phaethon.html

[Sergius Silus]

mineral water from Serbia, Constantine I the Great , Solidus

"The water that lives on for thousands of years

After the Roman conquest of the Balkans, at the end of the old and the beginning of a new era, the Vrnjci mineral water was used for refreshment and swimming! The following artefacts were found: a regulated mineral water spring, a swimming pool and plenty of coins depicting Roman emperors, proving that Romans built their baths and spas here. These were visited mostly by Roman legionaries and Romanized tribe chiefs."

[rover1.3]

Another Greek wine label, from the region of Lokris this time, bearing a numismatic type of Lokri Opuntii with the Amphora, a grape bunch and ivy wreath.
http://www.acsearch.info/ext-record.html?id=516582

[museumguy]

Considering your inquiry in reverse - here is a logo for Athena Vineyards and Winery that uses the Athena image.  Lloyd, perhaps you or Rover can tie this to a particular image on a coin.  I know the picture is a bit crooked but I swear I took it BEFORE I sampled their wines!

Philosophy on their website:
"Favorite daughter of the Greek God, Zeus, Pallas Athena or simply, Pallas is known as the goddess of wisdom. Because of this gift she was charged with overseeing practical arts which included agriculture and winemaking. On the hill of the Acropolis, the Athenians built a temple to Pallas – the Parthenon."

Steve S.

[museumguy]

Sorry for the two pictures - one upside down (post vino) and the other right side up (pre vino).  Heh Heh!!

Steve s.

[Lloyd]

 

Considering your inquiry in reverse - here is a logo for Athena Vineyards and Winery that uses the Athena image.  Lloyd, perhaps you or Rover can tie this to a particular image on a coin.  I know the picture is a bit crooked but I swear I took it BEFORE I sampled their wines!

Philosophy on their website:
"Favorite daughter of the Greek God, Zeus, Pallas Athena or simply, Pallas is known as the goddess of wisdom. Because of this gift she was charged with overseeing practical arts which included agriculture and winemaking. On the hill of the Acropolis, the Athenians built a temple to Pallas – the Parthenon."

That is a nice piece of marketing and branding inspired by the facing perspective of Athena Parthenos by the renown sculptor Phidias, as far as we know from the ancient descriptions and coins - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_Parthenos.

I am not sure that there exists an ancient coin with this three quarter facing upper torso perspective, but the following facing head Athena of Phokis http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-86413 and a reverse of an Athenian AE showing the complete statue of Athena Parthenos with Nike perched on her hand complete the picture http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-87690 .  

Certainly the branding draws on the known facts of the statue of Athena in the Parthenon, if not the coins that portray all or part of the same statue. But in Virginia of all places!  

It joins the cover of one of rover1.3's Illustrated Classical Myths and History issued by the ATLANTIS editions, company of Mr. Pehlivanides in Athens... absolutely splendid and one hell of a way to inspire kids to read and then to drink as they get older!

[Lloyd]

To break away from wine and beverages for a moment ... Nimes...To understand the origin of the town’s coat of arms one has to travel to Egypt. In 31 BC, Octavius defeated Anthony and Cleopatra’s fleet in the battle of Actium, and ensured Roman control of the Empire. Caesar Augustus was born. A coin was struck in Nîmes to celebrate the event. On the reverse side was a crocodile chained to a palm tree surmounted by a laurel wreath, symbolizing the conquest of Egypt. The inscription “Col Nem”, the Colony of Nîmes, suggests that victorious legionaries had been granted land near Nîmes. But in fact Nîmes was simply the place where the coin was minted. Over the centuries, the people of Nîmes became attached to these relatively common coins. In 1535 they were authorized by king François 1 to adopt the palm tree and the crocodile as the town’s coat of arms. Since then the inhabitants have been extremely proud of their crest. Redesigned in 1986 by Philippe Starck, it can be found all over the town, even in the bronze studs set in the paving of the old town.... http://www.ot-nimes.fr/no/decouvrez/une-page-dhistoire/coat-of-arms.html

Images below including one of my four COL NEM's which I sold a while back with all my Romans. For me this is the quintessential Roman coin (even though not of Rome) and I now regret flogging them off.

[rover1.3]

Bank of Cyprus, "ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΚΥΠΡΙΩΝ", taken from the types of the Koinon of Cyprus.

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/claudius/RPC_3927.txt
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/claudius/RPC_3927.jpg

[rover1.3]

The reverse of the rare AR Didrachm of the Epirote Republic (c. 238-168 BC) with the butting Bull and the inscription AΠΕΙ/ΡΩΤΑΝ (of the people of Epeiros) within
oak-wreath.
Emblem of the local football (soccer) club of Ioannina, Epeiros.
The same types on a Greek bank note as well...
http://www.acsearch.info/ext-record.html?id=600067
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina

[Lloyd]

The new Afghanistan currency notes drew upon the the reverse of the tetradrachms of Eukratides I The Great of Bactria for inspiration in part of the design of the 1 Afghani note ....

However, the observant will note two unfortunate errors in the spelling of  EYKPATIΔOY  Perhaps not surprising in so far as Greek ceased to be written in the Bactrian Kingdom (modern day Afghanistan) in the closing years of the 1st century BC by which time the Greek influence had been extinguished by waves of influx of nomadic people from the north.

[rover1.3]

Ancient Greek coins on Greek bank notes...

[Lloyd]

Government/State branding at ts best is evident in those notes!  One can sense the pride and distinctive cultural and historical allusions which differentiate these notes/currency from others. Of course we have the Athenan owl on the Greek 1 Euro coin, but its not as nicely rendered ( a bit too stylistically modern) as the ancient coin portrayals on the notes (at least in my opinion).

[rover1.3]

Some more...

[Lloyd]

Ancient coins and Australia hardly go hand in hand, so Macquarie Bank (an Australian investment bank) had little to draw on other than one of Australia's oldest coins (19th century), the Holey Dollar for inspiration in its logo. The Holey Dollar was a creative solution to a currency shortage worthy of any investment banker .........

Macquarie Bank looked to Australia's most successful early governor, Governor Lachlan Macquarie, for inspiration in its name and the creation of its logo. Governor Lachlan Macquarie (1761–1824) was instrumental in establishing Australia's first bank and was also responsible for introducing Australia's first coinage, the “Holey Dollar.”

In 1813 Governor Lachlan Macquarie overcame an acute currency shortage by purchasing Spanish silver dollars (then worth five shillings), punching out the centres and creating two new coins — the “Holey Dollar” (valued at five shillings) and the “Dump” (valued at one shilling and three pence). This single move not only doubled the number of coins in circulation but increased their total worth by 25 percent and prevented the coins from leaving the colony. Governor Macquarie's creation of the Holey Dollar was an inspired solution to a difficult problem and for this reason it was chosen as the symbol of the Macquarie Group.

[rover1.3]

A beautiful Greek set of stamps issued in 1959.

[Lloyd]

Nice one... philately for the numismatist, or numismatics for the philatelist! But again it is a great example of State branding/differentiation inspired by ancient coinage. Greece probably has the most abundant and fertile numismatic seeds on which to draw in this game.  What about the Romans? But two examples so far!

[Michael K5]

No Roman coins?

[rover1.3]

Caffè Italia... Il Gusto Che Fa Salute! http://www.italiacaffe.com/index.php/xarpages/italiacaffe/ita/ilgustochefasalute