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 Replies: 28 / Views: 3,974 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
Coins tend to be round. Some designs work better on a round canvas than others. I always liked the idea of an animal facing one way and looking the other as a way of turning the viewer's eye around on the round flan. My coin show visit last Friday produced a rough little hemidrachm of Parion which shows a bull looking back as an example of this concept. The reverse is a gorgon head which is as round a subject as you might ask.  I'll also offer an obol of Kelenderis with a goat looking back but the horse does not play.  and this trihemiobol of Eion with goose and lizard both curling around to fit inside the dotted border.  I'll invite all to post here examples of coins you feel show some effort to make best use of the circular format. By this I do not mean cutting off body parts to fit but designs that look like they were made to be shown in the round rather than just happened to be places on a round coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
549 Posts |
Sounds like a good Smackdown theme!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
This Augustus I have shown many times, but is an example of the animal (bull in this case) nearly looking back upon itself:  Then there is this Argentus of Maximianus which is not mine yet, but I am attempting to make mine very soon. Obviously, the reverse emphasizes the round canvas with the round city walls:  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1316 Posts |
dougsmit, these coins are awesome, going to look and see if any coin I have look back...  jw, love the bull... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
 Zeugitania, Carthage 221-210 BC Tanit/Horse r. looking back, palmette standard behind |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1549 Posts |
I was hoping someone would show the Carthage. I have a similar coin with the head forward but always liked the one with the horse looking back.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
The Vrbs Roma has the emphasized arching back of wolf. The wolf's head turned back draws eye into center of the coin.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
I have three with the horse head looking back from Carthage but its so worn and corroded that you really cant make it out, photos would make it worse. Ill see what I can do...
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
I have one too ...   ... I've always thought that this 2-faced coin looks very nice & symetric on a round flan ...  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
549 Posts |
I admit heads are naturally somewhat rounded. But most Roman heads on coins are surrounded by a curved legend and do not, themselves, fit the round flan. However, there are some exceptions.  This Republican coin, of L. Memmius, 109-108 C, Sear 181 and Crawford 304/1, with the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) and their horses on the reverse, and a head, possibly Apollo, on the obverse, sure has the head fill the flan. I think it is one of the most artistic Roman Republican coins. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Interesting thread--I don't have any Greek coins that 'look back'.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
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Valued Member
Canada
472 Posts |
Some coins of interest in regards to the current subject (imo). First one, with a flan a tiny bit too tight to show the entire reverse scene of Herakles battling the Nemean lion in a roundish, coin suited way, my Lykkeios tetradrachm (wich is one of my favorite coin  )...  And another, with a more linear scene showing the Dioskouroi, but "bounded" by the legend to fit the shape of a coin (another of my favorite )...  Something interesting would also be to show designs that are shaped in a square to fit on round coins, wich is a little more "counter nature". Like the reverse of the famous old style tetradrachm from Athens (quite rarely seen in it's entirety)...  |
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Valued Member
Ireland
86 Posts |
Some beautiful coins in this thread. I thought at first that it was going to be a retrospective on different coin designs through history! Anyway, here's my contender. Posted before, but if I were only to post each coin in one thread, I'd barely get past five threads!!   Cherronesos Silver Hemidrach, obverse of lion looking over shoulder. I like the way the lion rises from the bottom edge of the coin. Looks very natural IMHO. |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Hey, what do you guys think of this coin? (it is on my immediate wish-list) ... ... and coincidentally, it also "looks back" ...  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
What about a wreath? Is that not good for a round canvass?  Constantine II |
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Replies: 28 / Views: 3,974 |
Posted 10/02/2012 12:08 am
