For centuries, countries have placed artistic images of animals on a range of objects as symbols and emblems. From coinage’s earliest days, empires and nations selected meaningful animals for their designs, drawing on what those creatures represented and how that symbolism connected with a country’s beliefs, values, and outlook. This article examines how animal symbolism appeared on ancient coins.
The Lion
Among the earliest animals to appear repeatedly on historic coinage was the gold lion. Lydia, an ancient kingdom located in western Asia, is thought to have been the first empire to mint coins around 610-600 B.C. It is also believed to have been the first to use an image of a lion on its coinage.
At first, the coin showed only the lion’s head; later, the kingdom added the lion’s complete body to the design. Across history, lions have represented pride and royalty, while also standing for lasting courage and strength. Those qualities could appeal to a nation seeking to reflect them in both the country itself and its people.
The Dog
Dogs are another familiar animal whose symbolic meaning has been used throughout history. Since ancient times, they have commonly been viewed as symbols of protection and guardianship. The Roman Republic was among the earliest civilizations to place a dog as the principal image on its coins, around 235 B.C. Dogs also carried importance for the ancient city of Segesta, where they appeared on two known coins: the Silver Didrachm, dated c. 461-415 B.C., and the Triantes of Segesta, dated c. 410-400 B.C.
The Eagle
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the eagle was the animal depicted most often on coins from ancient times through the publication date of this article. Romans used eagles on their coinage for many years, and the city of Antioch included numerous eagle variations on currency from the Greco-Roman civilization. At the time of publication, the United States used the eagle as a symbol of freedom and featured it on many coins.
When this article was originally published, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers reported an assortment of coins depicting animals, including the American Buffalo, Chinese Panda, and Australian Kangaroo, among others. Readers were invited at that time to call 404-236-9744 for more information about our inventory and the symbolism of animals on ancient coins. The original article also invited readers to contact the business to continue building a coin collection.
