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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Animals| ▸ |Hippo||View Options:  |  |  |   

Hippos on Ancient Coins

The word "hippopotamus" derives from the Greek hippos, "horse", and potamos, "river", meaning "horse of the river". The hippo was well known to the Greeks and Romans as the fierce Beast of the Nile. In Egyptian mythology, the hippopotamus-headed Tawaret was a goddess of protection in pregnancy and childbirth, because of the protective nature of a female hippopotamus toward her young. The Greek historian Herodotus described the hippo in The Histories (c. 440 BC) and the Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote about the hippopotamus in his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia (c. 77 AD). On Roman coins the hippopotamus was sometimes used as a reverse type to commemorate games at which they were displayed.

Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Claudius|, |Claudius,| |25| |January| |41| |-| |13| |October| |54| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||obol|
SH28312. Bronze obol, Dattari 165; BMC Alexandria p. 12, 97; Geissen 72, Emmett 91; SNG BnF 158 var. (legends with Σ vice C), VF, flan flaw or punch, weight 4.685 g, maximum diameter 20.6 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 41 - 42 A.D.; obverse TI KΛAY KAI CEBAC ΓEPM, laureate head right; reverse AYTOKPA, hippopotamus standing right, L B in exergue; very rare this nice; SOLD


Hadrian, 11 August 117 - 10 July 138 A.D.

|Hadrian|, |Hadrian,| |11| |August| |117| |-| |10| |July| |138| |A.D.||denarius|
Hadrian traveled broadly, inspecting and correcting the legions in the field. More than half his reign was spent outside of Italy. Hadrian traveled as a fundamental part of his governing, and made this clear to the Roman senate and the people. This type was probably struck to commemorate his journey on the Nile when he traveled to Egypt in 130.
SH72526. Silver denarius, RSC II 989, BMCRE III 857, RIC II 310, SRCV II 3508, VF, well centered, toned, porous, light marks, weight 2.706 g, maximum diameter 19.0 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, c. 134 - 138 A.D.; obverse HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right; reverse NILVS, Nilus reclining right, resting right arm on urn(?), reed in right, raising cornucopia in left hand, hippopotamus before him at feet, crocodile in waves below; SOLD


Hadrian, 11 August 117 - 10 July 138 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Roman| |Egypt|, |Hadrian,| |11| |August| |117| |-| |10| |July| |138| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||drachm|
During Hadrian's reign Italian agriculture declined as imports from Egypt and North Africa depressed wheat prices, making it unprofitable to farm and forcing many farmers off the land. In Rome, bread was distributed free to the poor and Roman bakeries produced dozens of bread varieties.
RX59599. Bronze drachm, Milne 1038, Dattari 1802 var. (date above), RPC III 5392, Kampmann-Ganschow 32.228, Emmett 1015.7 (R5), Geissen -, BMC -, SNG Cop -, SNG Hunterian -, VF, weight 22.004 g, maximum diameter 33.6 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 122 - 28 Aug 123 A.D.; obverse AVT KAIC TPAI AΔPIA CEB, laureate bust right, drapery on far shoulder; reverse Nilus reclining left, hippo under left arm, long reed in right hand, scepter in left hand, LZ (year 7) in exergue; extremely rare; SOLD


Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D.

|Roman| |Egypt|, |Trajan,| |25| |January| |98| |-| |8| |or| |9| |August| |117| |A.D.||drachm|
Giovanni Dattari (1853 - 1923) was a self-taught collector and successful trader of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities. He held a near monopoly in the antiquities trade in Cairo, Egypt. He also shared his expertise and first-hand knowledge of Egypt with the foremost scholars of his time. Dattari assembled a collection of over 25,000 ancient coins. His 1901 work, Numi Augg. Alexandrini, cataloged 6411 of his coins from Roman Alexandria, and is still a primary reference for the coinage of Roman Egypt. Dattari also made pencil rubbings of more than 13,000 coins from Roman Alexandria in his collection; these were finally published in 2007 by Adriano Savio. In 1920, Dattari donated large parts of his collection to the Museo Nazionale Romano. After his death, the remainder of his collection was sold. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a coin that was once part of Dattari's fabled collection. His pencil rubbing of this coin is number 7130 in the Dattari-Savio catalog.
RX92399. Bronze drachm, Dattari-Savio pl. 47, 7130 (this coin), RPC Online III 4807.1.5 (this coin), SNG BnF IV 1197, SNG Milan 919, F, well centered, broad thin flan, cleaning scratches, edge split, weight 10.81 g, maximum diameter 34.3 mm, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 113 - 28 Aug 114 A.D.; obverse AYT TPAIAN CEB ΓEPM ΔAKIK, laureate half-length nude bust of Trajan right, chest bare, slight drapery on left shoulder, grain ears in wreath; reverse Nilus reclining left on hippopotamus, reed in right hand, cornucopia in left hand, genius and nilometer on left on far side of legs, LIZ (year 17) in exergue; ex Naville auction 48 (7 Apr 2019), lot 237; ex Dattari Collection; SOLD


Hadrian, 11 August 117 - 10 July 138 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Hadrian|, |Hadrian,| |11| |August| |117| |-| |10| |July| |138| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||drachm|
The Greek numeral sixteen (Iς) above Nilus refers to what was considered the ideal height of the annual Nile flood, sixteen cubits. Less could mean drought or famine. Much more could mean dangerous flooding. Herodotus gives 24 cubits as the highest recorded rise of the Nile. The lowest Nile on record before the river was dammed was about 13 cubits in 966 A.D.
RX39370. Bronze drachm, Geissen 991; Milne 1266; Dattari 1806; BMC Alexandria p. 92, 784; Kampmann-Ganschow 32.461, VF, rough but attractive, weight 27.699 g, maximum diameter 35.2 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, Sep 127 - Aug 128 A.D.; obverse AVT KAIC - TRAI AΔPIA CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, wearing aegis, seen from behind; reverse Nilus reclining left on a crocodile right, cornucopia in right, reed in left, himation around waist and legs, IΣ above, L ΔWΔΕK (year 12) in exergue; SOLD


Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Trajan|, |Trajan,| |25| |January| |98| |-| |8| |or| |9| |August| |117| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||dichalkon|
Neither the rhino nor the hippo is published facing left for any year. Both types are rare and photographs we found labeled as either type appear to be depicting the same type of animal but describing it as either a hippo or a rhino. Both types may exist, however, which is which appears to be confusing.
RX13611. Bronze dichalkon, Emmett 719 var. (rhino right) or Emmett 708 var. (hippo right), BMC Alexandria -, Dattari -, Milne, apparently unpublished var. of a rare type, gF, nice green patina, weight 1.36 g, maximum diameter 13.7 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 113 - 28 Aug 114 A.D.; obverse no legend, laureate head right; reverse rhinoceros (or hippopotamus) walking left, L IZ (year 17) above; SOLD


Egyptian, XXVI Dynasty, Faience Amulet of the Hippo-God Ta-weret, 664 - 525 B.C.

|Egyptian| |Antiquities|, |Egyptian,| |XXVI| |Dynasty,| |Faience| |Amulet| |of| |the| |Hippo-God| |Ta-weret,| |664| |-| |525| |B.C.|
Ta-weret was the hippopotamus-god of pregnancy.
AS31148. Egyptian,Ta-weret amulet; cf. Petrie Amulets pl. XL, 236s; Rowe Scarabs pl. XXXI, A29; Lahun II -; 3.8 cm (1 1/2") high, pale aquamarine faience, Choice, 664 - 525 B.C.; SOLD


Hadrian, 11 August 117 - 10 July 138 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Roman| |Egypt|, |Hadrian,| |11| |August| |117| |-| |10| |July| |138| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||dichalkon|
L EN abbreviates L ENATOY, Greek meaning the 9th year (here, the regnal year of Hadrian). The L is not actually Greek. It is an Egyptian symbol for year, perhaps derived from a hieroglyphic. EN could also abbreviate ENΔEKATOY, meaning 11th, and it has been read that way, but RPC Online notes L EN is the normal formula for year 9 on Alexandrian coins of this size. Year nine could also be written L Θ, but theta (Θ), was used as an abbreviation for Thanatos (death) and used as a warning symbol of death, in the same way that skull and crossbones are used in modern times. It survives on potsherds used by Athenians voting for the death penalty. Also, after a funeral "Nine Days of Sorrow" were solemnly observed by the Roman family. Romans avoided the use of theta, as we avoid the use of the number 13 today.
RX113513. Bronze dichalkon, RPC Online III 5555 (5 spec.); SRCV II 3849; Emmet 1201.9 (R4); BMC Alexandria p. 97, 835 var. (aegis); Kampmann -; Geissen -; Dattari -, VF, green patina, earthen deposits, cleaning marks, rev. edge beveled, edge ragged with splits, weight 1.939 g, maximum diameter 13.7 mm, die axis 315o, Alexandria mint, 124 - 125 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Hadrian right, anepigraphic; reverse rhinoceros (or hippopotamus) walking right, L EN (year 9) above; Coin Archives records only two specimens of the type at auction in the last two decades; rare; ON LAYAWAY


Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Roman| |Egypt|, |Claudius,| |25| |January| |41| |-| |13| |October| |54| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||obol|
Coins with these types were struck by the Alexandria mint in Claudius' year 2 with weights ranging from under 4 grams to over 12 grams. They may have been issued with the denominations diobol, obol, dichalkon, and chalkon. It is often difficult to know which denomination was intended and the references seem to share our confusion.
RX84561. Bronze obol, RPC I 5124, Dattari 164, BMC Alexandria 96, Kampmann-Ganschow 12.10, Milne 71, SNG Milan 628, Emmett 91, VF, green patina, slightly rough areas, weight 5.335 g, maximum diameter 20.7 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Sep 41 - 28 Sep 42 A.D.; obverse TI KΛAY KAI CE ΓEPMA (or similar), laureate head right, star below chin; reverse AYTOKPA, hippopotamus standing right, LB (year 2) in exergue; ex Agora auction 52, lot 113; rare; SOLD


Hadrian, 11 August 117 - 10 July 138 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt

|Roman| |Egypt|, |Hadrian,| |11| |August| |117| |-| |10| |July| |138| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Provincial| |Egypt||drachm|
This coin was once part of the Dattari Collection, probably the finest Alexandrian coin collection ever assembled. Giovanni Dattari (1853 - 1923) was a self-taught collector and successful trader of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities. He held a near monopoly in the antiquities trade in Cairo. He also shared his expertise and first-hand knowledge of Egypt with the foremost scholars of his time. Dattari assembled a collection of over 25,000 ancient coins. His 1901 work, Numi Augg. Alexandrini, cataloged 6411 of his coins from Roman Alexandria, and is still a primary reference for the coinage of Roman Egypt. Dattari also made pencil rubbings of more than 13,000 coins from Roman Alexandria in his collection; these were finally published in 2007 by Adriano Savio. In 1920, Dattari donated much of his collection to the Museo Nazionale Romano. After his death, the remainder of his collection was sold.
RX113871. Bronze drachm, Dattari-Savio Suppl. pl. 11, 111 (this coin); RPC III 5168.7 (this coin), F, well centered, obv. edge beveled, edge splits, weight 28.331 g, maximum diameter 35.1 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 118 - 28 Aug 119 A.D.; obverse AYT KAIC TPAIANOC AΔPIANOC CEB (Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus), laureate and draped bust right; reverse Nilus reclining left, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, reeds in right hand, left arm resting on hippopotamus right and cornucopia behind, LΓ (year 3) in exergue; ex Leu Numismatik auction 26 (8 Jul 2023), lot 7006 (part of); ex Eric ten Brink Collection; ex Naville Numismatics 62 (13 Dec 2020), lot 242 (realized £75 plus fees); ex Dattari Collection; SOLD




  




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