7 Wonders of the Ancient World

Greek Coins
SATRAPS OF CARIA
Maussollos (377–353 BC) AR Drachm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This coin was minted in Halikarnassos by Mausolus, or Maussollos (Ancient Greek: Μαύσωλος or Μαύσσωλλος), a ruler of Caria (377–353 BCE) and a satrap of the Achaemenid Empire. After his death, his sister-wife, Artemisia II of Caria, built for him the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. The very term Mausoleum was coined after Mausolus himself!

Greek KINGS OF MACEDON
Alexander III 'The Great' (336–323 BC) AR Tetradrachm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Struck under satrap of Babylon Stamenes or Archon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This coin was minted either in Babylon or by a travelling mint while Alexander was moving from Susa to Babylon. The coin possibly circulated in the vicinity of Alexander himself, and the people who held it either saw Alexander (alive or dead) or were probably in Babylon at the time of his death. We can only speculate as how close this coin got to Alexander or someone who knew him / saw him, but the minting year and the location make it one of the best candidates for "Closest coin to Alexander". Regardless of the actual proximity to the conqueror, the coin is an iconic type and one of the most historically important in my collection.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Nemean lion (Ancient Greek: Νεμέος λέων, romanized: Neméos léōn; Latin: Leo Nemeaeus) was a mythical lion in Greek mythology that lived at Nemea. Famously one of the mythical beasts killed by Heracles (Hercules) in his 12 labours. Because its golden fur was impervious to attack, it could not be killed with mortals' weapons. Its claws were sharper than mortals' swords and could cut through any strong armour. After Heracles killed the lion, its pelt (Leontè) would come to symbolize Heracles and his strength, being used in art to both recognize the myth itself and to draw connections between Heracles' heroism to others.

ISLANDS off CARIA
Rhodos AR 'Plinthophoric' Drachm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Anaxidotos magistrate
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
These drachms were called 'plinthophoric' from the Greek plinthos = brick or ingot, for the incuse square that contains the design.

The head of Helios might represent the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world, particularly in a series of didrachms according to Richard Ashton. However, those didrachms were coined before the construction of the Colossus, while this drachm, belonging to Jenkins Group A, was coined around 35 years after the earthquake that caused the destruction of the Colossus, while the pieces were still visible (they stayed visible for a long time, as Pliny tells us). The profile is constant with time and with the different magistrates, and there are similarities with the facing head of Helios as well.

The reverse depicts a rose (Greek rhodon) and it refers to Rhodes as a canting symbol, making a sort of pun of the name.

Roman Provincial
EGYPT, Alexandria.
Antoninus Pius (138–161 AD) Æ ‘Lighthouse of Alexandria’ Drachm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This coin represents one of the wonders of the ancient world: the Lighthouse of Alexandria! Thanks to this and other coins, which were struck when the lighthouse was still standing, we know what it looked like. We can see the base with stairs, the windows, the statues of the tritons blowing a conch, and on top, a statue of a God, possibly Helios.
This coin is remarkable for a variety of reasons:

• One of the best preserved of its kind
• Belonged to Giovanni Dattari (1853–1923. Wiki article)
• Belonged to Giovanni Maria Staffieri
• Published in RPC IV.4 by the British Museum and Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Coin 74, specimen 13, plate 6). Here the online version and here my coin and the complete plate
• Published in Dattari-Savio (8561). Here the comparison with my coin.
• Published in Figari-Mosconi (645)
• Classical Numismatics made a video about it.
• Here I talk extensively about it
• Here a video of the coin
• I even made an animation!

Roman Provincial
EGYPT, Alexandria.
Reign of Antoninus Pius (138–161 AD)
Marcus Aurelius as Caesar (139-161) Æ ‘Sphinx’ Obol
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This coin is part of my 'Wonders of the ancient world' series. While the Pyramids of Giza were never featured on an ancient coin (that we know of!), the sphynx was a popular subject in Alexandria and it can be seen in this scarce Obol. The obols featuring the reclining sphynx do not appear very often on the market, but this particular type depicting Marcus Aurelius and the left-facing sphynx is extremely rare, with only 2 other specimens known.

While we have no proof that the sphynx represented here is the Sphynx of Giza, the similarities are enough to let us dream.