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Author Topic: A Pride of Lions  (Read 23152 times)

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Offline Enodia

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A Pride of Lions
« on: December 21, 2012, 08:29:21 pm »
i was browsing through the old topic 'A Parliament of Owls' earlier today, and there certainly are some wonderful coins in there.
lions were quite common on ancient coins too, so i had the thought that a similar thread might lure some of these beautiful lions out of the anonymity of their galleries and into open view.

i only have a few myself, but i know many of you out there love the big cats and we'd love to see them!

i'll start with my own 'pride' and joy, a signed piece from Velia in Lucania...

350-310 BC
AR Didrachm (21mm, 7.5g)
~Kleudoros Group~
O: Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with griffin.
R: Lion prowling left; Φ above, engraver's monogram >E (Kleudoros) below, YEΛHTΩN in ex.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-42544


Offline benito

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2012, 10:06:37 am »
 AR Head of a lion       https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-83266
 AR Half a lion            https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-85126
 AE Hungry lion           https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-83167

Offline Steve E

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2012, 10:28:44 am »

Offline Enodia

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2012, 01:53:29 pm »
see? i knew they were out there hiding in the tall grass!

some very cool coins so far. Lloyd's Tarsos is absolutely stunning! Taras, you're diobol is definitely not the typical type and i covet it!  ;)
Benito's 'hungry lion' is an impressive coin, and Steve, that highly stylized lion on your jital is fascinating!

alright then, here is my next humble entry. the image isn't very good, but...
 
Syracuse, Sicily (Reign of Agathokles)
317-289 BC
AE20 (7.13g)
O: Young male head (Herakles?) right, wearing tainia; ΣYPAKOΣIΩN before.
R: Lion prowling right; club above.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-81231

~ Peter


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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2012, 02:10:00 pm »
This is my Lion but from Rome  ;)

regards
quadrans
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Jaimelai

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2012, 03:21:39 pm »
A few of mine:


Phistelia, Campania


Cherronesos, Thrace


Pantikapaion, Tauric Chersonesos

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2012, 04:59:10 pm »
Another one of mine - greek   ;)

regards
quadrans
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Online quadrans

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2012, 05:04:48 pm »
Another Lion from Rome  ;)
but not bad


quadrans
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My Gallery

Offline Enodia

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2012, 05:18:35 pm »
i really like your Roman lions quadrans, but that Thracian coin with the bee is beautiful!

and Taras, i had no idea you collected outside of MG. that is quite a group you have there. i've always been fascinated by the seemingly endless varieties of this series, and even considered starting a sub-collection once.
ahhh, so many coins, so little cash!   :(

nice coins Jaimelai! your first one reminded me that i too have a lion from Phisltelia. these weird little coins from an historically obscure city are quite charming imo. and both sides qualify i think, as the facing head obverse is very leontine in appearance, and sometimes reminds me of the Cowardly Lion from 'The Wizard of Oz'.   :)

here's my variation...

Phistelia, Campania
325-275 BC
AR Obol (10mm, 0.55g)
O: Head of Nymph facing slightly left.
R: Lion standing left, right forepaw raised; star above, [serpent] in exergue(?).

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-81082

Offline Callimachus

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2012, 08:19:29 pm »
One Greek lion, and one Roman lion:

A shekel from Tarsus with a lion attacking a bull.
An antoninianus of Philip II from Antioch with a radiate lion on the reverse.

Offline Enodia

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2012, 06:06:02 pm »
a remarkable shekel Callimachus, really quite a coin!
i love the way the engraver has elevated the viewer by putting the lion above the bull, thereby inclining the ground plane and adding a three-dimensional depth to the scene.
man those guys were good! congratulations on a beautiful piece.

i feel almost embarrassed to post mine now, but i will anyway.   ;D  

this is a diobol from Taras, and a fairly common type at that. the obverse is a wreck, but i bought it because of the wonderful detail on the reverse (and the fact that i got it for about $20!).

Taras, Calabria
325-280 BC
AR Diobol (12mm, 1.02g)
O: Head of Athena right, wearing crested Athenian helmet decorated with Skylla.
R: Herakles kneeling right, strangling the Nemean lion; club behind.
 
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-89528


the coins you will find listed here...
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=1804&pos=0&iop=30
... are not actually from The Gallery, but there are some really nice lions in there anyway. check it out!

~ Peter

Offline Pekka K

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #12 on: December 24, 2012, 03:43:32 am »

Here is my old lion:


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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2012, 05:45:17 pm »
Hmm this is the another Roman Lion

 ;)

regards
quadrans
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Mark Fox

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #14 on: December 25, 2012, 07:55:19 pm »
Dear Board,

There has been a lot of very interesting threads lately, this being one of them.   Being Christmas, I thought I would share a little something also.  I hope cartoon lions are allowed!  

Celtic, Unknown tribe of southern Gaul(?).  Circa 2nd century BC.  AR Drachm (16mm, 4.42 g.).  Imitating Massalia.  
Obverse:  Wreathed head of nymph right; her pendant earring having possibly been reinterpreted as hair(!).  
Reverse:  ΜΑΣΣΑ, lion walking left; diamond-shaped symbol below.
References: Cf. Triton IX, lot 666, for likely prototype.
Comments:  Found in Whitfield, in Kent, England, probably in early or mid January of 2011.  A very heavy, early imitation that is superior to the average work of the Insubres and/or Salluvi.  Cut in antiquity for possible recycling.  The bright silvery interior indicates the coin is silver through and through.        


Best regards,

Mark Fox
Michigan

  

Offline Nemonater

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #15 on: December 25, 2012, 10:46:32 pm »
Great thread Enodia, and a beautiful Athena / lion Didrachm.  Here's my Athena / Lion from the D. Alighieri Collection.

Lysimachos. 305-281 BC. Æ 19mm, 5.34 g.  Helmeted head of Athena right / Lion leaping right; branch, monogram, and spear-head below. Earthen deposits.

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #16 on: December 26, 2012, 06:01:23 am »
Very nice Lions

Mark your lion are remarkable  :o

Nemonater lion are also nice  :) +++

I post my next Roman Lion Probus from Sisscia  ;)

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-91076

regards

quadrans
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2012, 05:51:06 pm »
Any way this is the MACEDON Lion

Koinon-of-Macedonia_AE-27_
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ-head-of-Alexander-III-as-Herakled-in-lionskin-r._
ΚΟΙΝΟΝ-ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ-Β-ΝΕΩΚ-Lion walking-r.-club-above_
26-27mm_
9,14g

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-77867

regards
quadrans

All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery


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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #19 on: January 12, 2013, 06:44:04 am »
Another "nice lion"

from

Lydia, Thyateira, AE-15, Pseudo Autonomous, 193-235 A.D.,

regards
quadrans

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-91461
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Enodia

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #20 on: January 12, 2013, 03:52:03 pm »
quadrans, do you need a special license from the state to keep so many wild animals? a great collection you have there.

so many wonderful coins in this thread, Nemonater and Mark's additions included.
thanks for sharing everyone!   8)

~ Peter

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #21 on: January 12, 2013, 05:12:14 pm »
Great thread  8) here is one of my cats:

16.1mm 2.61g
SNG Cop. 786

Regards
Herfried

Offline Enodia

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #22 on: January 12, 2013, 06:02:37 pm »
great lion taurisker, but i really have to say what a remarkable Artemis that is. terrific coin!

~ Peter

Offline Bud Stewart

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #23 on: January 12, 2013, 07:07:43 pm »

Offline Enodia

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Re: A Pride of Lions
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2013, 02:06:42 pm »
nice one Bud! i like these 'biga drawn by ...' types, with elephants and hippocamps and snakes, etc, and your lion's are really cool. i think i need a ride like that!  ;) 

here's one more from my collection, a very early little silver piece from Kyzikos (forgive the poor scan)...

Kyzikos, Mysia 
480-450 BC
AR Hemiobol (9mm, 0.34g)
O: Forepart of running boar left; tunny fish upwards behind.
R: Head of roaring lion left, star above, all within incuse square.

~ Peter

 

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