Messana is known for its hares. Fits right in with the Sicilian city states featuring their menagerie of boars, bulls, eagles, crabs, roosters, lions, donkeys, dolphins, owls, and octopi. You can find several nice examples in the member galleries. Here's my drove of hares:
Messana. Tyranny of Anaxilas. 480-462/1 BC. AR
Tetradrachm (17.07 gm).
Biga of
mules r. with seated charioteer; laurel leaf
in ex. /
Hare bounding r. MESSENION (SS not retrograde).
gVF.
Pegasi V #63.
SNG ANS 4 #318 (same
rev. die);
Caltabiano 1993 Series IIb #77 (D41/R40);
Dewing #640 (same dies); Randazzo 105-106 (same dies);
HGC 2 #779.
cf. SNG Cop 4 #389-390 (SS not retrograde);
CNG EA 301 #3 (same dies); CBG.fr M43 #385760 (same dies);
Roma Num. E2 #33 (same dies).
daverino has a nice example with
nike crowning the donkeys, a
type introduced by Anaxilas to celebrate
his victory in the races at the Olymics of 480 or 484 BC.
Messana. 480-462/1 BC. AR
Tetradrachm (17.14 gm).
Biga of
mules r. with seated charioteer; laurel leaf
in ex. /
Hare bounding r., pellet below. ΜΕSSΕ-N-ΙΩN (both sigmas and nus retrograde). VF.
Pegasi V #63.
SNG ANS 4 #314;
Caltabiano 1993 Series IIb 52 similar to (D28/R22 or R38);
Dewing 641 (same
obv. die)/636.
HGC 3 #779 (same
obv. die).
SNG Fitzwilliam 1067.
Cf SNG Cop 1 #390 (no pellet);
Bement 405 (SS not retrograde); Randazzo 105-106 (same).
EB has one in
his collection; perhaps we'll see it appear in the
Forum store soon.
Messana. 412-408 BC. AR
Tetradrachm (16.8 gm).
Biga of
mules driven l. by nymph
Messana,
Nike overhead with
wreath &
taenia. Ex: two dolphins meeting. /
Hare bounding l., grain ear below,
dove above. Ex: ΜΕΣΣΑΝΙΩΝ. VF.
Pegasi 127 #53. ex-William N. Rudman Coll.,
Triton V #1193 (this coin).
SNG ANS 4 #367/378. Same dies:
SNG Cop 1 #405;
Caltabiano series XV 623 (D223/R249); Nantueil 303;
Triton XX #62. Same
obv. die:
HGC 3 #801;
Davis 40;
Kraay-Hirmer pl. 19 #61;
Pozzi 492;
Rizzo pl. XXVII, 7;
SNG Fitzwilliam 1081;
SNG Lockett 831.
SNG Munchen 660; NAC 33 #78 & 52 #45.
cf. Boeringer
SNR 57 p. 136f. This one is a 'mule' several times over! The
mule on the
obverse is found on
SNG ANS 367 and its
hare reverse on 378.
Minos has a beautiful example in
his Greeks gallery.
Anaximander