Fig.

SHIPS ON
ANCIENT COINS
Phoenician Merchant Ship
2nd Century CE relief

Roman Mosaic from Tunisia – Ship of Dionysus

 Fig. XX Athlit Ram

One of the most important and rare discoveries of underwater archaeology in Israel is that of the Athlit ram. It was discovered by the
late Yehoshua Ramon in 1980, in the northern bay of Athlit, and was retrieved from the sea by the staff and students of the MariJme
CivilizaJons Department at the Centre for Marine Studies at Haifa University.
 Fig 2 – possibly the earliest image of a ship on a coin

Sicily, Zankle‐Messana AR Tetradrachm. Samian occupaAon, 494/3 BC. Facing lion's scalp / Prow of a Samaina (Samian
galley) leM, with ram, akrostolion and fighAng plaOorm on deck. Barron p. 178, 1 (same dies); HGC 2, 772. 17.24g, 20mm,
10h.
Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, only 5 examples cited by Barron.

Roma NumismaAcs AucAon 9

22 March 2015
Lot : 90
Price realized: 17,000 GBP (Approx. 25,366 USD

Classical NumismaAc Group > Electronic
AucAon 290 AucAon date: 7 November 2012
Lot number: 22
Price realized: 2,750 USD
THESSALY, Iolkos. Mid 4th century BC. Æ
Chalkous (13mm, 2.53 g, 12h). Head of Artemis
Iolkia right, wearing earring and necklace, with
her [quiver] over shoulder / [IOΛ]KIΩN, prow
of the galley Argo leM, with a branch with leaf
alached to the stempost. Liampi, Iolkos 2 (O2/
R1); BCD Thessaly II 95 (hammer of $1700).
Good VF, dark green paAna. Extremely rare,
perhaps only the seventh known coin of Iolkos,
and an alracAve example.
From the BCD CollecAon.
Iolkos is best known as the departure point for
Jason and the Argonauts. Liampi suggests the
decoraAve element alached to the prow’s
stempost is the piece of oak from the sacred
forest of Dodona, which Athena fastened to
the keel for its ability to speak prophecies.
 Fig. x – Early Phoenicians
Sidon. Uncertain king. Circa 435‐425 BC. AR
Half Shekel (17mm, 7.10 g, 12h). Phoenician
galley under sail leM; waves below / Persian
king or hero standing right, drawing bow,
quiver over shoulder; behind, incuse head (of
Bes?) leM; before, incuse head of goat right;
all within incuse square. E&E‐S Group II.2, 75
var. (D‐/R23 [unlisted obv. die]); Betlyon 4;
Rouvier 1078
Classical NumismaAc Group
Triton XVIII 6 January 2015
Lot : 190
realized: 40,000 USD
Possibly the earliest coin to show a warship
Byblus. Ozbaal or Azbaal (ca. 400‐376 BC). AR shekel
(27mm, 13.26 gm, 11h). War galley proceeding leM with
prow terminaAng in lion's head, containing three
hoplites with crested helmets and round shields, on
zigzag line of waves; below,
Heritage World Coin AucAons
CICF Signature Sale 3040
9 April 2015
Lot : 29119
upcoming aucAon esAmate 2500‐3000
Fig. x Later Phoenicians

Phoenicia, Arados. Gerashtart. Ca. 339/8‐332 B.C. AR

stater (22 mm, 10.63 g, 9 h). Regnal year 5 (336/5 B.C.) Phoenicia ‐ SIDON . Double shekel , 338/337
Laureate head of Ba'al‐Arwad right / Galley right BCE . Phoenician Pentekonter jagged waves
above waves; Phoenician inscripAon and date above. below., about daAng ry 16 Elayi & Elayi 1971
Betlyon 29. XF. Although he had iniAally supported the ( D15 / R21) . 25,77g
Persian fleet, King Gerashtart of Arados immediately
recognized the authority of Alexander the Great once
he learned of the Persian defeat at Issos (333 B.C.). He
later sent ships to aid Alexander in the bloody siege of
Tyre.
NumismaAk Lanz München >
Heritage New York Sale AucAon 157 9 December 2013
3 January 2010 Lot : 204
Lot : 21286 realized: 11,631 USD
realized: 1,400 USD
Fig X ‐ Carthaginian Warship

The Barcids in Spain, The Carthaginian OccupaAon of Gades (c.237‐209 B.C.), Silver Shekel, 7.17g, . Struck at Carthago
Nova. Male head (Hamilcar?) facing to leM, wearing a diadem. Rev. Prow of a galley to right, with a shield on its deck, a
dolphin below to right (SNG BM Spain 91; Villaronga, MHC 19; E. Robinson, ‘Punic Coins of Spain and their bearing on
the Roman Republican Series’, in Essays in Roman Coinage presented to Harold Mazngly (1956), 49, 4c; Villaronga, CNH
p. 64, 10; SNG Copenhagen Supplement 1332). Lightly toned, extremely fine, one of the finest known specimens of this
very rare coin.
Ex NumismaAk Lanz, AucAon 20, Munich, 13 April 1981, lot 159 (illustrated on the front and back covers of the
catalogue)

The New York Sale XXVII 4 January 2012

Lot number: 210
Price realized: 60,000 USD
Fig. 4 Demetrius the Beseiger

MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Demetrius Poliorcetes. (305‐283 BC). Silver tetradrachm (17.18 gm). Ephesus, Ca.
301‐295 BC. Nike standing leM, holding trumpet, on prow leM / ΔHMHTΡIOΥ BAΣIΛEΩΣ, Poseidon, viewed from
behind, striding leM, brandishing trident in right hand, mantle wrapped around leM arm, HP monogram in leM field,
star in inner right field. Newell 51, pl. v, 9 (same obverse die = XLV.
 Münzen & Medaillen Deutschland
GmbH > AucAon 40 AucAon date: 4
June 2014
Lot number: 471

Price realized: 110 EUR (Approx. 150

USD)

Bronze, before 211 BCE. Quartuncia. Rv. ROMA

Prow of ship. 2,53 g. Cr. 38/8. Syd. 88.
Fig. X – Mark Antony Legionary Denarius

Well preserved examples of this huge issue

have 11 to 14 oars ‐‐ the number was evidently not standardized
Nero’s Port of OsJa – one of the best images of merchant ships on an ancient coin

SesterAus circa 64, Æ 22.85 g. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r., with aegis. Rev. AVG –
VST Bird's eye view of OsAa's harbour. At the top, pharos surmounted by statue of Neptune, holding sceptre; at bolom,
reclining figure of Tiber l., holding rudder and dolphin; below, PORT OST. To l. crescent shaped pier with porAco. To r.,
crescent‐shaped row of breakwaters. In the centre, seven ships. In upper field, S – C. C 37. BMC 134. RIC 181. CBN –.
 Nomos AG > AucAon 921 October 2014
Lot : 253

realized: 50,000 CHF Approx. 52,972

USD

Commodus, 177‐192, Philippopolis. Medallion (Bimetallic (copper and orichalcum), 41mm, 60.01 g 12), Rome, January 190.
M COMMODVS ANTONINVS PIVS FELIX AVG BRIT Laureate bust of Commodus to leM, wearing a cuirass ornamented with a
head of Medusa and with the edge of his paludamentum on his right shoulder. Rev. VOTIS FELICIBVS Harbor scene. On the
right, Commodus, togate, standing leM, sacrificing over a tripod altar behind which stands an alendant; at his feet, on the
rocky shore, sacrificed ox to leM with an omphalos patera before; at the right, Pharos of four stories; above leM, within the
harbor, grain ship and skiff sailing to right; center leM, within the harbor, three vessels: a large grain ship to right under sail,
with Serapis at the Aller; a naval galley with four rowers and two standards moving to leM; and, below, a small fishing boat
with a fisherman. BM Medallions 44 and pl. XXXV, 3 (for the reverse). Cohen 993 var. Gnecchi 176 and pl. 89, 6‐8. Very rare.
With an interesAng and complex reverse, reminiscent of the OsAa issues of Nero. Tiber paAna with typical roughness,
otherwise, about extremely fine.
Fig. X ‐ Hadrian’s Ship

Hadrian Æ As. Rome, AD 132‐4. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, bare‐headed draped bust leM / FELICITATI AVG, warship
moving leM over waves, amidships, five soldiers addressed by emperor with raised arm seated leM in steering house; at
stern, vexillum and signum, S‐C across fields, COS III P P in ex. RIC 719. 12.95g, 27mm, 6h.

In order to crush the Judaean revolt which arose in 132, Hadrian responded with 6 full legions augmented by
vexillaAons of a further 6. This type celebrates Hadrian’s return to Rome from the Judaean theatre.. Sharply detailed,
with good metal throughout, this coin is a remarkable specimen that would be very difficult to match.

Roma NumismaAcs Ltd > AucAon 3 AucAon date: 31 March 2012

Lot number: 471

Price realized: 6,000 GBP (Approx. 9,589 USD

 Fig. Romano‐Gallic Usurpers
Allectus. Romano‐BriAsh Emperor, AD 293‐296. Quinarius (2.21 g,
6h). 'C' mint (Camulodounum). IMP C ALLECTVS AVG, radiate and
cuirassed bust right / Galley with four oarsmen and mainmast
right; QC. Cf. RIC V 125; Burnel, Coinage 212 var. (obv. legend).
Good VF, green paAna, hairline flan crack.
From the Alexandre de Barros Ship CollecAon. Ex Vecchi 6 (9‐10
June 1997), lot 1465.
Postumus. Romano‐Gallic Emperor, AD 260‐269. Æ
SesterAus (14.95 g, 6h). Mint I (Trier). 1st emission,
AD 260‐261. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust
right / Galley with four oarsmen leM, hortator at
stern. RIC V 144; Mairat 202; BasAen, Postume 85;
BanA 23. Near EF, black‐green paAna with olive
overtones.
From the Alexandre de Barros Ship CollecAon. Ex
James Fox CollecAon (Classical NumismaAc Group 40,
4 December 1996), lot 1675.
Noah’s Ark

CNG Triton V AucAon 15 January 2002

Lot number: 1735
Price realized: 24,000 USD
Berk, 100 Greatest Ancient Coins, p. 100

Also struck by SepJmus Severus, Macrinus, Trebonianus Gallus and Philip I

Medallion, bronze, struck on the occasion of the foundaAon of ConstanAnople, 327‐328. AE 27.25 g.
CONSTANTI‐NOPOLIS Draped bust l. of ConstanAnople, wearing laureate and crested helmet and large necklace;
holding sceptre in her l. hand. Rev. V‐IC‐TORIA ‐ AVG Galley r. over waves, on board, five rowers, on l., aplustre,
three standards and steerman in his cabin; on prow, Victory advancing r., holding wreath in her r. hand, palm
over shoulder with her l. hand. RIC VII, 332, 301. C. 324, 13 (this specimen, illustrated). Gnecchi II, 136, 5 (this
specimen menAoned, illustrated on pl. 131, 9). Of great rarity and of great historical interest. Blackish brown
paAna, slightly smoothed.
The New York Sale XI: 11 January 2006
Lot : 357
Price realized: 14,000 USD
 Big Emperor, Li\le Ship

Possibly the last roman coin type to depict a ship

Constans I., 337 ‐ 350 n. AE Maiorina (4,94g). 348 – 350 Siscia.

D N CONSTA‐NS P F AVG, draped bust with pearl diadem
Rv. FEL TEMP REPARATIO / ESIS∙ Emperor with Phoenix and Labarum in Galley,
Viktoria at the Rudder. RIC VIII 201
Trireme on modern Greek Euro cent