Anchors on Ancient Coins, or which way is up

My interest in ancient anchors is related to my cast bronze collection. I purchased an uncia from Hatria with an anchor on one side and HAT on the other.

Aes Grave Uncia, Hatria, 280 BC (275 – 225 BC)

Obv – Anchor, some coins have an H to the right of the anchor

Rev – HAT surrounding a mark of value, one dot. Some coins have TAH on reverse.

I found 17 examples on line. See statistics below.

Wt = 31 grams; avg wt = 31 g; Min wt = 20.4; Max wt = 50.4; StDev = 6.8

Diameter = 31.5 max and 30.2 min & 7.3 mm thick; avg = 31 mm; Min = 29; Max = 34; StDev = 1.8

Die axis = 12; of the 13 coins I found on line 13 had a die axis of 12 and one had an axis of 6. This is consistent with other aes grave coins I have.

TV – 186

V – 242

HNI – 16

Syd AG – 191

Haberline plate 16, # 13 - 16

I normally do a bit of research before buying a coin and a bit more after the fact. Die rotation is one of the attributes I track. Most cast bronze from Italy have a die rotation of 0^o (or 12 o’clock), the second most common rotation is 180 ^o (or 6 o’clock), and all other positions are less common. I could not tell die rotation for this coin without knowing how the anchor (anker in German) should be viewed.
It looks to me that the direction an anchor points on an ancient coin changes. 

I am not an expert on ancient anchors, but have handled many Widow’s Mites.  

Most of these coins are shown with an “inverted” anchor, or the coin is minted with the point to the top of the coin. Note – inverted is David Hendin’s description of the anchor in Guide to Biblical Coins. 

A recent Agora auction showed an anchor counter mark in the same position: “C/M Seleukid anchor in oval, flukes upward.”

A similar coin from LAC: Seleukis Uncertain date. Athena/Nike, c/m: anchor.

Some other Seleukid anchor coins

I have a couple of Orodes bronze coins with anchors similar to this one above sold by CNG and the ones below sold by LAC.

A few other examples of points up –

 Two Alexander the Great (or his followers after his death) Herc/Zeus coins with an anchor on the coin (from Art Coins Roma), above, and an anchor counterstamp (from Roma), below.

A Brutium coin with an anchor, LAC

Drachms from Thrace have a point up anchor also:

Per CNG the coin above is from Pontika in Northern Greece and was minted in mid-late 4^th century BC. The obverse has a facing Gorgoneion and the reverse has an upright anchor.

A similar coin from Artemide Asta

a Corinthian coin from AA has an anchor on the reverse

The Romans put anchors of both Republican and Imperial coins. Several Aes Grave coins have anchors. A Vecchi 160/166, minted in Tuder in 260 – 270 BC has a Frog & Anchor on the obv & rev. The anchor has circles on both ends. The coin was sold by AA.

By 210 BC, bronze coins were struck. The following As has an anchor on the reverse.

Roman Republic, AE, struck As, anonymous, 209 – 208 BC

Obv – head of Janus, above mark of value – I

Rev – Prow R, above mark of value – I, before anchor, in ex – ROMA with archaic A (v pointing down)

Cr 50/3

Syd – 145

34.99 g

About the same time, the Romans put an anchor on the reverse of the denarius. In this case the anchor is sideways, but has a connecting circle at both ends. 

Roman Republican Denarius circa 209-208 BC, Rome

Obv - Helmeted head of Roma r.; behind, X.

Rev - The Dioscuri galloping r.; below, anchor. In exergue, ROMA in partial tablet.

3.72 grams

Crawford 50/2.

Sydenham 144.

Russo RBW 186.

Rare. Toned. Very Fine.

Note that the later anchor denarius has a circle connection only on the end opposite the V (coin by AA).

I have seen two of the following coins with an anchor. Both are point up. Mine has no eyelets for an attachment rope.

Roman Republican Denarius, L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, 90 BC, Rome

Obv – head of Apollo R, before letter, behind anchor

Rev – galloping horseman R, holding palm branch, above V, below L.PISO.FRVGI

Cr 340/1

A second coin of the same type has connecting circles at both ends.