Horses and Donkeys on Coins

[Figleaf]

Here's one I saw today. Dareik of Pharao Nektanebo II (360-343 BC). The first coin of ancient Egypt. It may be difficult to find, let alone afford, unless you are ready to trade it for a small house

Peter

[chrisild]

Here is a big horse piece, both in terms of diameter (6 cm!) and denomination ...


(Image:Pladeck/muenzauktion.com)

This is a 1 Billion Mark "coin" from Westphalia, which back then was a province of Prussia. (Note than in German a Billion is one million millions.) Those Westphalian inflation notgeld issues were not really used as emergency money but rather as fundraisers. The horse is still part of the CoA of the German state of North Rhine Westphalia. It is also the main element of Lower Saxony's CoA, and if you look at older coins from that area (Braunschweig, Hannover ...), you will also find lots of horses.

Christian

[Figleaf]

Here's one you can't afford.

Peter

[Figleaf]

Here's another one you can't afford. Fortunately, it's a Schauthaler, meant as an exibit, not a coin, so I can sniff at it



A full description is here

Peter

[chrisild]

Gorgeous. Not so much because of the horse but because of all the details around: the arm at the top, the agricultural scenes, and particularly the mining. A mine "tube" cut open, wow ...

Well, for this one you need god eyes too. Does not have many details but is pretty small (Ø 14 mm):



A somewhat abstract horse on a Celtic silver coin. This piece was probably made in Southern Germany some time in the 1c BC, and found in Saxony more than 2000 years later. The horse's legs are indicated by dots.

Christian

[Figleaf]

Perfect counterpoint, Christian. There is a straight line from Celtic art to abstract art. They know how to bring out the speed and the power without making a snapshot in metal.

Here's a whole web page of horse "coins" (don't know what to call them). And here's a foretaste. I'd think some of these would go for below $20...

Peter

[<k>]

Ireland, half crown, 1966.

Here is the Irish half crown, showing an Irish hunter.



Ireland, 20 pence, 1986.

The Irish 20 pence coin, with a design adapted from the one on the pre-decimal half crown.

[<k>]

Italy, 10 lire, 1949.

Here's Pegasus, the mythical winged horse.

[<k>]

Greece, 5 drachmai, 1973.

Pegasus graced the Greek 5 and 10 drachmai coins of 1973.

[<k>]

Norway, 1 krone, 1963.

Norwegian fjord horse.

[<k>]

Mali 10 francs 1961.

From the Kremnica Mint, Czechoslovakia.

[<k>]

Slovenia, 10 tolar, 2001.

And a most beautiful stylised horse from Slovenia.

Its euro designs cannot match this for style and beauty.

[bart]

Here's another simple, yet beautiful design on a 1976 Greek 20 lepta coin. It reminds the Mali coin.

[Arminius]

Siculo-Punic, Carthage and other mints, 325-300 BC.,
Æ Trias / Æ15 (14-16 mm / 2,00 g),
Obv.: head of Tanit left, wreathed with corn, wearing necklace and triple-drop ear-ring.
Rev.: free horse standing right, palm behind; before in field 3 pellets.
Alexandropoulos 18f ; SNG Cop. 119 ; Müller 167 ; SNGuk_0800_0290 .

[<k>]

Manchukuo (Japanese-occupied China), 1 chiao, 1940.

Horses' heads.