The sun on coins

[saro]

Ganja /civic copper dated (12)16 AH

[THCoins]

Really magnificent and globally recognizable design of that sunface !

[Figleaf]

This is surely one of the best thematic threads.

I see three kinds of suns on the coins upthread:

• Part of the landscape or the climate. Just a ball in the sky, part of a wider design.
• An astral body. Symbol of life (light), power, magnificence. It may be connected to a state in heraldry or to a ruler or all rulers (e.g. Iran). It is quite easy to personify the star by giving it a face, even on modern coins. Remarkably, the face is usually (always?) without expression.
• A heavenly body. Several religions have a sun god. It cannot be approached (Icarus), but has vast power.

What's still missing in this thread are examples of the sun-moon pair as a symbol of complete and universal power. There are several examples on ancient and medieval coins, notably those of the maliks of Chach.

Peter

[<k>]

Mongolia, 50 tugrik, 1994.

National Symbol - the Soyombo: it is a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations of fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the taijitu or yin-yang symbol.

[<k>]

Nepal, 2 paisa, 1966.

[Figleaf]

Good stuff, <k>! Here is another sun/moon combination. This coin was produced 1500 years ago, so it's a bit less clear,

but I added a drawing to guide your eyes. The sun, reduced to a ball on my coin, is on the lower left while the moon is above the structure on the right.

Peter

[andyg]

This one was on my desk...
Indore, ¼ Rupee.

[<k>]

Central American Republic, 8 reales, 1824.

The Central American Republic later became Guatemala.


The sun's face looks distinctly human on this design.


Traditionally the sun is regarded as male.

By contrast, the moon is regarded as female.

[<k>]

National emblem of Sri Lanka.




Sri Lanka, 2 rupees, 1984.

From Wikipedia:

The emblem features a gold lion passant, holding a sword in its right fore paw (the same lion from the flag of Sri Lanka) in the centre on a maroon background surrounded by golden petals of a Blue Lotus, the national flower of the country. This is placed on top of a traditional grain vase that sprouts sheaves of rice grains that circle the border reflecting prosperity.

The crest is the Dharmachakra, symbolizing the country's foremost place for Buddhism and just rule. Traditional Sinhalese heraldic symbols for the sun and the moon form the supporters.

[<k>]

Romania, 1 leu, 1951.

The oil rig symbolises industrialisation.

The sun symbolises a radiant future.


This is a political sun.

Romania was a communist country in those days.