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Author Topic: Beautiful, simply beautiful  (Read 3427 times)

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Offline Automan

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Beautiful, simply beautiful
« on: May 11, 2003, 04:04:28 am »
http://page.auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/auction/75880565?aucview=0x30

Just look at the snake's face, and the serpent on the reverse ain't too bad either... ;D

Auto

Offline LordBest

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Re:Beautiful, simply beautiful
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2003, 04:10:43 am »
For a second i thought that was a strange portrait of Otacilia Severa. ::) Nice coin. Nice reverse in particular.
                                     LordBest. 8)

Offline wolfgang336

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Re:Beautiful, simply beautiful
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2003, 02:11:55 pm »
wow, he's conservative with grading. I'd give that an EF, not VF.

Evan

Offline Mayadigger

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Re:Beautiful, simply beautiful
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2003, 10:36:28 pm »
Wow and then some!

Is Serapis crowned with a modius? Automan, can you tell us more about this coin and the significance of the snake on the reverse?

K
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Offline Automan

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Re:Beautiful, simply beautiful
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2003, 03:27:58 am »
The serpent is a common theme on coins of the region. I have a few myself. I haven't really looked into the matter but the snake was an important religious symbol in antiquity. It must have had some special significance in the region of Thrace and Moesian Inferior, though, considering the vast number os snake-coins available. Interestingly, there are different types of "snakes", some of which aren't snakes at all, but rather mythological craetures. E.g., I have on coin that seems to depict a serpent, but it actually has a fish tail and a lion's head, and is commonly known as Chnuphis.

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Offline kklinejr

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Re:Beautiful, simply beautiful
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2003, 07:43:15 pm »
One of the common religious symbolisms of the snake is its natural ability to shed its skin.  When a snake sheds its skin, it begins anew...almost like the phoenix.  The ancient civilizations drew a lot from this symbolic renewal and applied it to the human spirit and body.
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