Ancient Coin Images on Modern Coins History of coin art can be traced consistently from ancient to modern times. Images of animals followed the first amorphous symbols. Then came the first depictions of gods and goddesses, and finally, rulers themselves appeared on their coins: after their death, at first, but very soon during their lifetime. The following coins, however, do not primarily bear the images of sovereigns. They first and foremost show images of women: of women from ancient times, followed by their counterparts from modernity. As the comparison shows, surprisingly little has changed in the meantime… 1 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Kingdom of Macedonia, Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC), Stater, 330-323 BC, Amphipolis Denomination: Stater Mint Authority: King Alexander III of Macedon Mint: Amphipolis Year of Issue: -330 Weight (g): 9 Diameter (mm): 19.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation This stater was issued by Alexander the Great. The obverse depicts the Greek goddess Athena wearing a Corinthian helmet, while the reverse shows a Nike, the Greek personification of victory. One of Alexander's many achievements was the establishment of a single currency in his huge realm. These "imperial coins" replaced the wide variety of local issues. Only the Romans were to achieve something like that in their empire again. 2 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Subalpine Republic, 20 Francs (Marengo) Year 10 (1800- 1801) Denomination: 20 Francs (Marengo) Mint Authority: Subalpine Republic Mint: Turin or Paris Year of Issue: 1801 Weight (g): 6.44 Diameter (mm): 23.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation In 1800, the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte conquered northern Italy. After his victory, Napoleon proclaimed the Subalpine Republic in northern Italy and put it under French military administration. Napoleon introduced the then very modern decimal franc currency to the Subalpine Republic. This 20- franc coin was the first Italian gold coin minted under the decimal system. Its obverse bore the antique goddess Minerva, the Greek Athena. The reverse gave the date, L'AN 10, referring to the French- republican calendar; after the Gregorian calendar, the coin was minted in 1800 to 1801. 3 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Sicily, Dionysius I (405-367 BC), Decadrachm, 405-400 BC, signed Kimon, Syracuse Denomination: Decadrachm Mint Authority: Tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse Mint: Syracuse Year of Issue: -405 Weight (g): 43.31 Diameter (mm): 33.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation The die for this decadrachm (piece of 10 drachms) was cut by the master-engraver Kimon, as the signature on the dolphin below the head of Arethusa on the reverse shows. Kimon, who worked approximately between 420 and 400 BC for the Syracusian mint, was one of the most famous engravers of his time. Kimon's decadrachms are considered to be among the most beautiful coins of antiquity. 4 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Republic of France, 5 Francs 1850 Denomination: 5 Francs Mint Authority: 2nd Republic of France Mint: Paris Year of Issue: 1850 Weight (g): 24.93 Diameter (mm): 38.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation The beautiful image on this coin of the Second French Republic can be traced back to antique Greek coins from Southern Italy and Sicily. The head belongs to the ancient goddess Ceres, who had relations to the dead in the underworld, and who was revered by the Romans as goddess of agriculture, growing plants and motherly love. The head of Ceres with an elaborated wreath of leaves, flowers and spikes, as shown on this modern French coin, was depicted on coins since the 5th century BC. 5 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Swiss Confederation, 5 Franks 1889, Berne Denomination: 5 Franken Mint Authority: Swiss Confederation Mint: Berne Year of Issue: 1889 Weight (g): 24.99 Diameter (mm): 38.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation Im Jahr 1888 wurde für das 5-Franken-Stück ein neues Münzbild entworfen. Als Vorbild für den Frauenkopf mit Diadem und Alpenrosenkranz diente dabei das französische 5-Franc-Stück mit dem Kopf der Fruchtbarkeitsgöttin Ceres, das 1870 in Paris letztmals geprägt worden war. Das französische Münzbild wiederum griff zurück auf die herrlichen Köpfe auf den Münzen von Syrakus KEIN TEXT AUF DER ENGLISCHEN WEBSITE !!!!!!!!!!! 6 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Southern Italy, Calabria, Taras, Stater, c. 302 BC Denomination: Stater Mint Authority: City of Taras Mint: Taras (Taranto) Year of Issue: -302 Weight (g): 8.61 Diameter (mm): 18.0 Material: Gold Owner: In 315 BC, the rich city of Taras was threatened by neighboring peoples, and asked for help in Sparta. To pay the Spartan mercenaries, Taras minted coins that bore the nymph Persephone on the obverse, while the Dioscuri Castor and Pollux were depicted on the reverse; they were on horseback and holding a palm leaf and a laurel wreath in anticipation of victory. This stater shows Persephone in all her beauty. She is adorned with an amphix – a tiara –, earrings and a necklace; a delicate veil falls from the back of her head. In Greek mythology, Persephone was the queen of the underworld. Four months of the year, she lived with Hades in the underworld. The rest of the time, she spent on earth with her mother Demeter. During that time, the earth flourished with vegetation and color, but when Persephone returned to the underworld, it became a barren realm of darkness ... 7 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Swiss Confederation, 20 Francs 1883 Denomination: 20 Franken Mint Authority: Swiss Confederation Mint: Berne Year of Issue: 1883 Weight (g): 6.47 Diameter (mm): 21.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation Republican Switzerland could not put the head of a sovereign on its coins. During the formation of the Swiss state in the year 1848, it was thus decided that Switzerland's symbol had to be the personification of the country – an idealized head, not a real portrait. The head of Helvetia (or Libertas, after the inscription on her diadem) was inspired by coins from antiquity. The Helvetia shown on this coin looks serious and heroic, lost in reverie and removed from every day life. In her hair, she wears a laurel wreath; her face with its straight nose and high forehead is classical Greek. 8 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Sicily, Syracuse, Tetradrachm, c. 445-440 BC Denomination: Tetradrachm Mint Authority: City of Syracuse Mint: Syracuse Year of Issue: -445 Weight (g): 17.32 Diameter (mm): 25.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation The coins of the ancient city of Syracuse on Sicily generally show the same motifs, in ever changing depictions, however. The obverse usually bore a quadriga, a four horse race chariot. In the time around 440 BC, the diesinkers tried for the first time to give the horses an appearance of motion by making them rear. The reverses of the Syracusian coins depicted the head of the nymph Arethusa in many different representations. On this tetradrachm, she has her hair done in a chignon on top of her head. 9 von 27 www.sunflower.ch United Kingdom of Great Britain, Victoria (1837-1901), Crown 1844 Denomination: Crown Mint Authority: Queen Victoria of England Mint: Undefined Year of Issue: 1844 Weight (g): 28.26 Diameter (mm): 38.0 Material: Silver Owner: Schweizerisches Landesmuseum Dep. ZB At the age of 18, Queen Victoria ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Therewith, the young queen became the most powerful woman of her time. This coin shows her at the age of about 25 as a young maiden with a fashionable Greek hairstyle. In 1877, Victoria was made empress of India. She had been queen for 40 years at that time, and at the age of 58 was not a young girl anymore. Nevertheless, her coin portrait had never been changed: on her coins, Victoria was still depicted as a young woman. To mark the jubilee of her 50 years as queen, however, a new coin portrait was produced. Henceforth Victoria was shown as an elderly matron on her coins. 10 von 27 www.sunflower.ch Sicily, Syracuse, Dionysius I (405-367 BC), Tetradrachm, 400- 395 BC Denomination: Tetradrachm Mint Authority: Tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse Mint: Syracuse Year of Issue: -400 Weight (g): 17.18 Diameter (mm): 26.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation Sometime around 425 BC, some audacious Syracuse die cutters began to experiment with movement and perspective. The rigid compositions of the images were given up and the illustrations became fanciful and vibrant. This tetradrachm is a masterpiece of this new style. The horses pulling the carriage gallop thunderously, but at the same time are marked by a supremely elegant and smooth movement. The hooves form a harmonious pattern and the heads are evenly spread, even if the third head is slightly lowered. The reverse depicts the head of a nymph or a goddess. A crown of reed is woven into her hair, giving it an extra animation as it curls riotously in all directions. Four dolphins float happily around it. 11 von 27 www.sunflower.ch United States of America, 1 Dollar 1884, Philadelphia Denomination: 1 Dollar Mint Authority: United States of America Mint: Philadelphia Year of Issue: 1884 Weight (g): 26.7 Diameter (mm): 38.0 Material: Silver Owner: Conzett The dollar is the major world currency to this day. Many states in the world designed their currency following its example, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The dollar itself, however, is not an original American invention. The portrait of Miss Liberty strongly resembles antique archetypes, especially the Greek coins of the Sicilian cities of the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Other states have been inspired by the same models, for instance Switzerland and France, whose Helvetia and Marianne respectively resemble Miss Liberty like twins.