Wildwinds Reference/Ric

Thanks Masis, no longer fretting!
Bobby's link was really helpful, not seen that site before.

If we are going to get really picky, wildwinds example of a panther looks more like a cheetah to me

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear/s2978.3.jpg

Rasiel, the stripes go up the neck as well as on the body, so not just on the ribcage. The celator did pretty will with my coin. Have a look at the link that BobbyHelmet posted.

Strange that all the "stripy" panthers have teats. Anything symbolic about a tigress rather than a tiger?

Just to chuck a bit more mud in these waters a 'panther' is usually just a black leopard although black jaguars and cougars are also often known as 'panthers'.

The Panthera genus derives from latin and includes the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. Calling them all 'panthers' is not necessarily incorrect but also not fully correct.

I suspect the writers of RIC either didn't notice the variants (if there are any, still not convinced) or noticed and didn't care so just lumped them under one number. This hobby is full of details like this that one finds amazing and another not. Who is to say who is correct. The Zoo coins are great to collect

I was pondering this as well.
To us "English-English" speakers, a Panther is a "black" Leopard. Period.

Ancient Mariner Conspiracy Theories aside, I doubt the Romans had access to the "black" Jaguars of South America.

Knowing now that Liber became associated with Bacchus, and Bacchus was depicted being driven in a Chariot by Tigers or riding a Tiger, then for this issue of coin the description of Tiger is more apt.

Ann's example is a Very Fine example since it depicts the Tigress properly.

Below are two examples I bought last year, and the quality is typical of the Antoninianii struck in Gallienus' sole rule. Poor.

However the Teats are noticeable on both examples.

So if most of the issues were poor, then fine details such as Stripes would not be bothered with or engraved properly into the Die.
So we have a big, descriptionless Cat.
Unless of course we look into the meaning of the reverse legend, Liber etc etc.

Thank's to Ann's example I will now revise the descriptions for my two examples from "Panther (Black Leopard)" to the more appropriate description of Tigress.

I thought I had asked such a simple question, no idea it was so controversial! I must say that I like the connection with Liber, I find it very convincing. But I so want to be convinced:)

I'm resurrecting this thread because I stumbled upon a surprisingly good Gallienus at the WFOM. I wasn't specifically looking for one but towards the end of the show started digging through dealers' boxes, looking for random interesting coins or good deals which were in their junk boxes or otherwise not deemed worthy of display.

Like so many of his coins, the flan is terrible and the obverse die and strike poor. But the reverse! It's the best panther I've seen...

Except it clearly is not a panther, it's a tigress. I don't think those vertical bumps can be considered ribs. And it's definitely female :)