Collection online
coin
- 1/6 Next
-
Object type
Museum number
1885,0606.284
-
Description
Alloy coin.
-
State
- Roman Empire
-
Authority
-
Culture/period
-
Date
- 244-249
-
Production place
- Minted in: Apamea
- (Asia,Turkey,Aegean Region (Turkey),Afyonkarahisar (province),Apamea (Phrygia))
- Minted in: Apamea
-
Materials
-
Dimensions
- Weight: 17.42 grammes
- Diameter: 35.5 millimetres
- Die-axis: 12 o'clock
-
Curator's comments
This Old Testament Biblical scene is depicted on coinage of the third century AD, in the last century of the pagan Roman Empire. The story of Noah and the flood has a local connection in Apamea’s location near to Mount Ararat where Noah’s Ark came to rest according to Genesis 8:4. The coin reverse depicts Noah and his wife twice. On the left they have arrived on Ararat but even more interestingly on the right they are adrift in the ark; shown as a simple box or rather a chest with lid (and on better preserved specimens this can be seen to be conveniently labelled with Noah’s name in Greek: NΩЄ). Above them the dove with olive branch sets the scene from Genesis 8:10-11:
"He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf. Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth." -
Bibliography
-
Location
Not on display
-
Associated names
-
Acquisition date
1885
-
Department
Coins & Medals
-
Registration number
1885,0606.284
-
C&M Catalogue number
- GC25p101.182
Feedback
If you’ve noticed a mistake or have any further information about this object, please email: collectiondatabase@britishmuseum.org
View open data for this object with SPARQL endpoint
Object reference number: CGR12406
British Museum collection data is also available in the W3C open data standard, RDF, allowing it to join and relate to a growing body of linked data published by organisations around the world.
Support the Museum:
donate online
The Museum makes its collection database available to be used by scholars around the world. Donations will help support curatorial, documentation and digitisation projects.
About the database
The British Museum collection database is a work in progress. New records, updates and images are added every week.
Supporters
Work on this database is supported by a range of sponsors, donors and volunteers.
