Mythology On Coins. Post Yours...

Wow, beautiful! This is a really nice series.

What a cool coin. I love the reverse.

The abduction of Europe by Zeus as a bull, Cyprus 2002:

The design was taken from a silver coin of Timochares, King of ancient Marion, End of 5th century to beginning of 4th century BCE. The old coin on postcard, stamp and postmark:

Here's a commemorative medal that incorporates Norse mythology...

The 1925 US Norse-American Centennial medal was struck to commemorate "the arrival in the United States of the first shipload of Norse immigrants on board the sloop Restaurationen'" they arrived in New York City in 1825 and many made their way west to present-day Minnesota. The first arrival was celebrated in Minnesota in 1925 on the Minnesota State Fair Grounds June 6th through June 9th.

A large Viking longship is included within the design on each side of the medal - the medal is the work of James Earle Fraser (of Indian Head / "Buffalo" nickel fame). The prow of the ship features a dragonhead that was meant to scare an enemy and ward off evil spirits. Interesting side note, the dragonhead was to be removed (or at least covered) before entering home country waters so as not to scare off the country's friendly spirits.

Iceland even codified the dragon removal requirement - one look at the Coat-of-Arms of Iceland gives you an immediate sense of the high regard Icelanders had/have for the protective powers of its mythological "good spirits."

Government of Iceland description of the shield within its Coat-of-Arms:

"The shield bearers are the four guardian spirits of Iceland as described in Heimskringla [by Snorri Sturluson, 13th century]: A bull on the right side of the shield; a giant, on the left; a vulture on the right above the bull; and a dragon on the left, above the giant."

Not all Viking ships included a dragonhead (sometimes referred to as a serpanthead), just those that were larger, of important stature and/or owned by royalty and important figures/leaders (such as Leif Erikson). The ships are often referred to as "dragonships."

Good and evil spirits were an important part of Norse mythology, and staying in favor of the good spirits was not a matter to be taken lightly!

Outstanding examples!

That Hildegard the Valkyrie is one great design, a real beauty.

One of the important deities from Egyptian religion and mythology. Horus, the source of the famous symbol known as the Eye of Horus in a 2 oz silver Antique Ultra High Relief of the Egyptian Gods Series. Features Horus' figure as popularly captured in ancient Egyptian art. When depicted in works of art and statues, Horus is shown as a muscular male figure with the head of a falcon. He stands here in left-profile relief with his right hand clutching a staff as he holds onto the Ankh symbol in his left hand, a symbol that represents the concept of eternal life. In the lower-left field, the round design element displays a falcon, the hieroglyphic representation of Horus, as well as the Eye of Horus. In the background, the 2 oz Horus Rounds offer a unique addition that showcases the silhouette of another deity. In this case, Horus' opposing god, Set, is featured in the background. The inclusion of the cobra is important as many depictions of Horus from Egyptian records include a crown with a cobra representative of the pharaohs.

Horus served many purposes in Egyptian religion and mythology, but arguably the most important was that of the God of Kingship. He was closely associated with the pharaohs in life, with his father Osiris associated with the pharaohs in death. In fact, Horus is a major player in the Osiris myth, one of ancient Egypt's most important myths. The god known as Set killed Osiris, his brother, and dismembered him. Osiris' wife, Isis, collected his body parts and revived him just long enough to conceive a son, Horus. Set had killed Osiris to assume power, but Horus would eventually engage in an extended conflict with Set that would cost Horus one of his eyes. However, his eyesight was restored by another god and resulted in the development of the popular symbol known as the Eye of Horus.