The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World In Classic Numismatics

With some minor variations, the first text on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was first written by the Sicilian historian Diodorus Siculus, who lived in the first century B.C. The traditional list consists of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

This article examines the presence (or absence) of these monuments in ancient numismatics. In many cases, coins serve as a vital tool for understanding the actual appearance of these, mostly disappeared, wonders.

As the oldest of the Seven Wonders, having been built c. 2,600 B.C., the Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one still standing. The largest Egyptian pyramid served as the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It was the world’s tallest human-made structure at a height of 146.6 meters for more than 3,800 years, only to be surpassed by the Lincoln Cathedral in England.

Quite surprisingly, the Great Pyramid of Giza was not depicted on ancient coins. While some bronze coins struck around 111–112 during the reign of Emperor Trajan in Caesarea (present-day Cappadocia, Turkey) display a pyramid on the reverse, this has been confirmed to represent a pyramid-shaped baetyl or sacred stone, rather than, as previously thought, a reference to the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Some of the earliest numismatic pieces that display the monument appear to be a group of French and English medals struck at the beginning of the 19th century. The pyramids of Giza are also engraved on several coins and bank notes of modern Egypt.

While the Great Pyramid was never depicted on ancient coins, its neighbor, the Great Sphinx of Giza, was well-represented. Although not one of the Seven Wonders, the Great Sphinx remains equally impressive, as it was a limestone statue of a reclining mythical creature with a lion’s body and a human head. Archaeological evidence suggests that it was built around 2,500 B.C. There are coins minted in Egypt during Roman times that most likely feature a depiction of the monument. Similar representations have also been found on coins struck c. 460–450 B.C. in places as far as Byblos, which was under Persian rule.

The second-oldest of the Seven Wonders, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were described as an ascending series of tiered gardens that resembled a large green mountain. According to some earlier descriptions, the gardens were erected in the city of Babylonia by King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled between 605 and 562 B.C. However, no extant Babylonian texts mention the existence of the gardens, and no archaeological evidence has been found in the city. Some historians have suggested that the mentions of gardens in ancient sources refer to the well-documented grounds of Assyrian King Sennacherib (704–681 B.C.) that were built in his capital city of Nineveh. Other scholars affirm that the gardens were purely mythical.

It remains, therefore, unclear whether the Hanging Gardens of Babylon existed and, if so, what they looked like and when they were destroyed. Babylon fell to King Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C., while Nineveh was destroyed by a coalition of Median and Babylonian forces in 612 B.C. Ancient scholars reported that the gardens had been destroyed during an earthquake sometime after the first century B.C. In any case, no representation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, whether real or artistic, is found depicted on ancient coins

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was an about 12.4 meters tall seated sculpture of Greece’s main god, Zeus made by the Greek sculptor Phidias around 435 B.C. The monument was housed in the Temple of Zeus, built between 466 and 456 B.C., at the Sanctuary of Olympia, located on the mainland of Greece.

The statue was made of ivory plates and gold panels (chryselephantine) on a wooden framework. Zeus sat on a painted cedarwood throne ornamented with ebony, ivory, gold, and precious stones. Some ancient scholars, such as the 2nd-century geographer and traveler Pausanias, left detailed descriptions of the statue. Zeus was crowned with a sculpted wreath of olive sprays and wore a gilded robe made of glass, carved with animals and lilies. The right hand held a small chryselephantine statue of a crowned Nike, goddess of victory. The left hand held a sceptre, supporting an eagle. The throne featured painted figures and wrought images. It was decorated with gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory. Zeus’ golden sandals rested upon a footstool decorated with scenes of war between Greeks and the Amazonians (an Amazonomachy). The statue was coated with olive oil to protect the ivory exterior and the wooden interior from moisture.

The circumstances of its eventual destruction are unknown. According to tradition, it was disassembled and carried off to Constantinople, where it was later destroyed by a fire in 475 B.C.

While no copies in marble or bronze of the statue have survived, the actual shape can be somewhat ascertained from its depictions on ancient coins, which largely corroborate the ancient descriptions of the monument that have survived.

It is interesting to note the existence of many Greek coins that predate the erection of the statue, which depicts an image closely resembling the one sculpted by Phidias. Zeus is represented on these coins seated on a throne, holding a sceptre in his left hand, with an eagle flying around his right arm. These specimens strongly suggest that Phidias’ monument was in turn based on earlier representations of the god.

Some representations of Zeus engraved on coins minted during the reigns of Alexander the Great (336–323 B.C.) and Seleucus I (358–281 B.C.), as well as other coins like those minted by the Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (256–120 B.C.), are believed to be based on the statue created by Phidias. Likewise, several coins dating from the Roman period are also thought to reproduce Phidias’ statue.

The Temple of Artemis (Artemision) was dedicated to the goddess Artemis, who was revered as the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, vegetation, and childbirth. It was located in Ephesus, in present-day Turkey. An earlier building constructed on the site during the Bronze Age was replaced around 550 B.C. by a more grandiose monument. The latter was destroyed by a fire in 356 B.C. After which, the largest temple was built in 323 B.C. after Alexander the Great’s death.

Based on archaeological excavations at the site and ancient descriptions, scholars have figured out the appearance of the colossal temple. It is believed to have measured 115 meters in length by 55 meters in width, and was surrounded by 127 Ionic marble columns, each 18 meters high. An image of the goddess Artemis was revered inside the temple.

The temple may have been destroyed in 260 following the Gothic raids in Asia Minor. In any case, scholars believe that only scattered ruins subsisted at the beginning of the fifth century. The monument was represented in ancient coins issued under Roman rule by Ephesus, depicting the statue of the goddess, although it used her Roman name, Diana.

Other Roman coins also displayed the statue of Artemis in the temple, where the goddess is in an upright, rigid position with arms outstretched and flanked by two deer. Many sculpture fragments from the latest temple of Artemis have been found during excavations and can now be admired in the Ephesus Room of the British Museum.

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of Mausolus (377–353 B.C.), who was the King of Caria and a satrap of the Achaemenid Empire. It was erected in the city of Halicarnassus (present-day Turkey), from which the king ruled. Ancient sources, such as the Roman polymath Pliny the Elder, described the architecture and dimensions of the building.

The tomb, which was approximately 45 meters in height, was built between 353 and 351 B.C. The four sides were adorned with sculpture reliefs, each created by a Greek sculptor (Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas of Paros, and Timotheus).

A staircase flanked by stone lions led to the top of the platform, which bore along its outer walls many statues of gods and goddesses. At each corner, stone warriors mounted on horseback guarded the tomb. It was the last surviving of the six destroyed Seven Wonders, as it was demolished by a series of earthquakes occurring from the 12th to the 15th century.

Like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, no contemporary representations of the mausoleum have survived to the present day, and no ancient coins depicting the actual shape of the monument are known to exist. Some contemporary coins struck in Halicarnassus do carry the name of King Mausolus on the reverse.

The Colossus of Rhodes was a gigantic statue of the Greek sun god Helios erected in the city of Rhodes on the Greek island of the same name. It was built by Chares of Lindos between 292 and 280 B.C. to celebrate the successful defence of the city against an attack by Demetrius I of Macedon. According to contemporary descriptions, the Colossus stood 33 meters high, which made it the tallest statue in the ancient world. The monument remained for only 54 years before it collapsed during an earthquake in 226 B.C.

No copies of the Colossus have survived to the present day, and scholars are uncertain of how the statue appeared. However, some specialists believe that the depiction of the sun god Helios engraved on Rhodian coins is based on the sculpted head of the Colossus of Rhodes.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280–247 B.C.) and was estimated to have been at least 100 meters tall. It was also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, in allusion to the name of the small island off the coast of Alexandria on which the monument was erected. The tower was said to have been constructed primarily from solid blocks of limestone and granite. A mirror was situated at its apex, reflecting sunlight during the day, and at night, illuminated by a lit fire.

Three earthquakes between 956 and 1303 severely damaged the lighthouse, leaving it as an abandoned ruin. The remains of the lighthouse were later reutilised in other buildings erected in medieval times. Recent subaquatic excavations have discovered remnants of the lighthouse within the submerged ruins of the old port of Alexandria.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria is depicted on many Roman coins struck in the city of Alexandria. Some show that a statue of Triton was positioned on each of the building’s four corners, and that a huge statue stood on the top of the building. The latter has been thought to represent Poseidon, Zeus, or a statue of Alexander the Great or Ptolemy I Soter in the form of the sun god Helios. On some coins, Isis is depicted, who is the patron goddess and keeper of the lighthouse. Coins produced in other parts of the Roman Empire, like Cilicia and Corinthia, also display the monument.

The monument was also a source of inspiration for the motifs engraved in various medallions produced in Roman times. These pieces have a recurring theme: harbor scenes featuring the Roman fleet in the Bay of Alexandria, overlooking the lighthouse.

Do you have an ancient coin that features one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Visit NumisMaster.com to discover more about its characteristics and value.

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