Horses
USA - Delaware State Quarter


Obverse
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Reverse
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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Coin Description: 1000F 2004 TOGO SPORTS ANTIQUES CONVEX
Grade: NGC SP 69
Owner: brg5658
 
Set Category: Thematic & Topical Coins
Set Name: Horses
Slot Name: USA - Delaware State Quarter
Research: Currently not available

Owner's Description

Purchased on 2/16/2013. Mintage: 2,500 pieces Diameter: 40 mm Weight: 31.1035 g Composition: 0.999 Silver ASW: 0.9990 oz Obverse: National arms Obverse Legend: REPUBLIQUE TOGOLAISE Reverse: Relief rendering of statue of Princess Cynisca of Sparta on horseback facing right Reverse Legend: SPORTS - ANTIQUES Edge Description: Plain ======================================================= Cynisca (or Kyniska) was born around 440 BC in the ancient Greek city of Sparta. She was the daughter of the Eurypontid king of Sparta, Archidamus II, and Eupoleia; her brother Agesilaus II also later became king of Sparta. She is said to have been a tomboy, an expert equestrian, and very wealthy. However, the "tomboy" label may have fit most girls raised in Sparta at the time. While most women in the ancient Greek world were kept in seclusion and forbidden to learn any kind of skills in sports, riding or hunting, Spartan women were brought up from girlhood to excel at these things so as to produce strong children. In addition to her physical strength, she possessed ambition and superb qualifications to become a successful breeder and trainer of horses. So much so that she would succeed at the Olympic Games and become the first woman to breed horses and win an Olympic victory, according to Pausanias. The ancient Olympic Games were almost entirely male-only and women were forbidden even to set foot in the main stadium at Olympia, where running events and combat sports were held. Women were allowed to enter only the equestrian events, not by physically competing themselves, but by owning and training the horses. Cynisca did just this, and entered her team of horses by employing men to compete at the Olympics. Her team of horses won in the four-horse chariot racing (tethrippon) twice, in 396 BC and again in 392 BC. Of particular irony is that she likely did not even witness her victories. This coin was issued in two varieties in 2004. This example exhibits a right-facing Cynisca on horseback in relief, whereas the other variety exhibits a left-facing Cynisca on horseback incuse design. Both coins are a part of my horse collection, and both are graded at a superior Specimen 69 (SP69) by NGC.

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