Amateur Wrestling Collectibles Gallery
Ancient Coins
Greek silver stater coins of the City of Aspendus in Pamphylia
Between roughly 450 BC and 325 BC the Greek colony of Pamphylia produced a wealth of silver coins depicting wrestlers
in the city of Aspendus (also spelled Aspendos), now part of Asia minor in southwest Turkey. They were used throughout
the Mediterranean region and are plentiful today. The earliest coins show a variety of holds and moves by the
contestants. As of 385 BC magistrate one or two letter initials appear on most coins between the wrestlers' legs.
obverse and reverse, most typical position |
385 BC, unusually high detail |
wrist and arm |
leg lift 420-370 BC |
leg trip |
torso/belt |
leg/knee |
leg/knee |
elbows |
arms/toes |
Variety of Magistrate initials/letter combination marks (note slight position differences as well)
AA |
AF |
AFx |
AK |
AM |
AN |
AS |
BA |
BI |
BL |
DA |
DP |
DR |
E |
EI |
ES |
EY |
FH |
FK |
FN |
H |
IO |
K |
KF |
KI |
LF |
ML |
NF |
P |
PA |
PO |
SK |
TN |
Leaf icon |
figure |
characters |
unknown |
unknown |
400 BC, unknown, slater? |
400 BC, unknown, slater? |
Calabria Tarentum diabol 280-228 BC Hercules wrestles Antaeus |
Corinthia- Corinth, Emperor Domitian, 81-96 AD pseudo-autonomous issue |
Egypt- Alexandria, Emperor Antonius Pius, 138-161 AD bronze drachma, Hercules wrestles Antaeus |
Egypt- Alexandria, Emperor Antonius Pius, 138-161 AD Hercules wrestles Antaeus |
Traos, Roman Empire, 138-217 AD |
Thrace 138 AD |
Thrace-Anchialus, Emperor Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD |
Tarsus Cicilia, Emperor Caracalla, 193-211 AD |
Bithynia, Emperor Caracalla, 198-217 AD |
Emperor Caracalla, 198 AD, Hercules wrestles Antaeus |
Thrace-Philippopolis, Emperor Elagabalus, 212-218 AD |
Thrace- Philippopolis, Emperor Elagabalus, 212-218 AD |
Syria- Seleukis and Pieria, Laodicea ad Mare Emperor Elagabalus 212-218 AD |
Pisidia- Selge, Empress Julia Mamaea 222-235 AD |
Tartus Cicilia, Emperor Pupienus, 238 AD |
Thrace- Bizya, Emperor Philip II, 244-247 AD |
Roman 244 AD Philip I, Tarsus Wrestles Antaeus |
Cilicia- Syedra, Emperor Gallienus, 253-268 AD |
Cilicia- Syedra, spouse Salonia, 253-268 AD |
Cilicia- Syedra, Emperor Valerian, 253-259 AD, Themian Games |
Selagabalus Laidicia (unknown date) |
Chinese "cash" coin, unknown year |
1205 AD China Jin Dynasty pattern coin with wrestling figures |