A new Herakles coin for Black Friday: buy one labor get one free

[kirispupis]

Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum
Elagabalus 218-222 CE
Æ 26mm, 13,11g
struck under governor Novius Rufus
Obv.: AVT K M AVPH - ANTΩNEINOC
           Laureate head r.
Rev.: VΠ NOBIOV POVΦOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPOC ICTP
          in l. and r. field O - N
          Herakles, bearded, nude, stg. frontal, head l., resting with r.. hand on club, lion's 
          skin over l. arm, holding l. hand at hip
Ref.: a) AMNG I/1, 1947 b) not in Varbanov  c) Histova/Hoeft/Jekov (2023) 8.6.14.7

(special thanks to Hans-Joachim for the attribution!)

This is an intriguing coin from Nicopolis ad Istrum, who had a habit of minting coins from sculptures, though sadly in this case the sculptor is unknown.

Like many of their coins, this one was likely copied from a copy of the original, and one sculpted copy exists today in the Museu San Francisco Montefalco in the cute town of Montefalco in Umbria. Herakles is leaning on a gnarled club with his right hand, with the skin of the Nemean lion hanging on his left and one of the apples of The Hesperides in his left. Thus, two of his labors are recalled in this image.

Herakles was forced to perform these labors, set by his cousin king Eurystheus, due to a madness that overtook Herakles and caused him to murder his wife and children (the Disney movie left that part out). One of those tasks was handling the big kitty in Nemea, whose fur was impervious to arrows. So, he drew the lion into its own cave and then strangled it with his bare hands.

Far more challenging to the brawny brute was skinning the animal, so he could pose on numerous statues, coins, and paintings with it proudly displayed. He tried at first with a knife, and then a stone, before Athena suggested he use one of the creature's own claws.

On the other task, the Hersperides were four(ish) bad-ass maidens who guarded some golden apples. The first problem was, Herakles had no idea where the garden where the Hersperides resided was, and GPS wouldn't be invented for almost 3000 years. So, he hooked up a fishing line, caught the Old Man of the Sea using the latest in lures, and forced him to divulge the location.

To obtain the apples, he tricked Atlas into doing the job for him by offering to hold up the heavens while Atlas asked his cousins/daughters the Hesperides to toss him a few apples. When Atlas got back, he got to thinking about things and resolved that munching on a few apples was a lot easier than holding up the heavens all day, so Herakles then played another trick and offered to keep holding up the heavens if he could just make his cloak more comfortable. Atlas complied, and Herakles walked away with the apples.

From the museum's web site, it's mentioned that their copy - created in the 1st century BCE or CE, was from a 4th century BCE original. A similar reverse is depicted on a provincial from Las, Lakonia and is covered in Imhoof-Blumer and Gardner. The attribution of the statue isn't strong, but is based on Pausanias' description of Las - "and standing before the city wall is a statue of Herakles." In this case, Imhoof Blumer and Gardner are assuming that a statue of Herakles depicted on a coin from that period is the same as that found by Pausanias.

It's difficult to know whether the Herakles on my coin is of the same type that existed at Las, but mine strongly resembles that in the Montefalco, down to the apple that most attributions seem to miss. It does certainly look like an apple to me. One difference that struck me, though, is that my Herakles is looking to the right, while the Montefalco Herakles looks straight forward. I believe this to be an artifact of the die maker, who found it far easier to depict a person looking to the side.

I haven't been able to find much about the provenance of the Montefalco Herakles, but per their website most of their pieces were found during refurbishment work on medieval buildings in the city. Most likely, this was a very famous statue of the time and commonly copied, and I suspect there was another one in Nicopolis ad Istrum from which this coin was modeled. We don't know who carved the original, but it was probably someone famous.

Feel free to post your own Herakles coins!

Edited Friday at 08:58 PM by kirispupis

[expat]

Interesting looking coin. Great acquisition. One of my newest purchases also had a reverse of Herakles/Hercules

Claudius II AE Antoninianus. Antioch Mint. 268-270 CE. IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate and draped bust left, seen from the back / IVVENTVS AVG, Hercules standing front, head left, holding club with left hand and apple in right, Lionskin. Draped over arm. Mintmark (officina letter) SΔ or dot. RIC 213 Sear5 11344.
22mm, 3.47g

[CPK]

That's a great depiction of Herakles! Very well proportioned, great detail on the club, and even the lion skin seems to hang naturally from his arm. A wonderfully artistic coin!

Edited Friday at 11:19 PM by CPK

[Ryro]

Great Herakles coin! Very nice portrait as well. I'm not sure I'm seeing him holding the apples of the Hesperides, though I see them on the statue. Just leaning on club and the other arm is holding the Nemean lionskin. But I'd like to see other examples of the type. It's a beauty for sure. 

Here are a couple coins of the square shaped man holding the apples of the Hesperides:

LYCAONIA, Dalisandus. Philip I. 244-249 AD. AE. (30mm, 20.2 g) Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev. Hercules standing facing, head right, holding the apples of the Hesperides, club, and lion's skin.

Gordianus III (238-244 AD). AE34 (21.86 g). Cilicia, Tarsus. Obv. AVT K M ANTΩNIOC ΓOPΔIANOC CEB / Π Π, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right, holding spear and shield decorated with gorgoneion between two serpents. Rev. TAPCOV MHTPOΠOΛEΩ, A / M in left field, K / Γ / B in right field, Herakles standing left holding club in right hand, apples of the Hesperides in left hand, lion skin hanging from left forearm, to left dead serpent in tree. SNG Paris 1669 (same dies). Light green patina. Fine/almost very fine. See Voegtli, Heldenepen, pp. 42-44: this scene appears on the provincial coins of Tarsus and ten other cities

aaaand for fun here's a recent purchase of the yet to be god after just polishing off a bottle of wine:

Gordian III (238-244). Ae.

IONIA. Smyrna.

Obv: Α ΚA Μ ΑΝ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟϹ.

Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.

Rev: ϹΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ Γ ΝƐΩΚΟΡΩΝ.

Heracles standing left, holding cantharus and club with lion-skin.

RPC 312; Smyrna LXX 19-28.

Condition: Very fine.

Weight: 5.4 g.

Diameter: 23 mm.

Purchased from Bay Numismatics Nov 2024

Edited Saturday at 03:49 AM by Ryro

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

It's a neat coin! I've always liked those 3rd century Balkan provincials.

 

[Roman Collector]

Lovely coin, @kirispupis! Almost makes me want to take up a subcollection of labors of Hercules, but ...

I have only a few Hercules with the Nemean lion coins. This pair of coins is a favorite from the Severan dynasty. They are little bronze provincials from Marcianopolis and were probably issued together as a set. It features husband and wife with mirror images of the same reverse design, as though viewed from opposite vantage points. It's a reminder that you and your spouse may not see things the same way, even if you're looking at the same thing.


Septimius Severus, AD 193-211.
Roman provincial Æ 18.6 mm, 4.37 g, 7 h.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΑV Κ CΕΠΤΙ CΕΥΗΡΟC Π, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: MAPKIA-NOΠOΛITΩ-N, Herakles standing left, wrestling the Nemean lion.
Refs: AMNG I 585 v.; Varbanov 710; Moushmov 397; H&J 6.14.14.5-6; Mionnet Suppl. 2, 126.



Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ 16.8 mm, 4.33 g, 1 h.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: IOVΛIA ΔO-MNA CEB, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN, Herakles standing right, wrestling the Nemean lion.
Refs: AMNG I 606; Varbanov 673; Moushmov 419; SNG Copenhagen --; SNG Budapest --.

 

[Brennos]

The first labor of Herakles was to slay the Nemean Lion. This lion was a fearsome beast with an impenetrable hide, making it immune to ordinary weapons. Determined to defeat the lion, Herakles decided to rely on his incredible strength. He cornered the lion in its cave, blocked one of the two entrances, and entered through the other to confront it directly. In a fierce struggle, Herakles managed to overpower the lion by grabbing it and squeezing its neck until he choked it to death. A scene rather well depicted on this coin of Syracuse.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. AV 100 Litrai – Double Dekadrachm (13.5mm, 5.79 g). Struck circa 405-400 BC. Unsigned dies in the style of Kimon.
O/ ΣYPAKOΣION. Head of Arethusa to left, wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace, hair in sphendone ornamented with two stars; A behind.
R/ Herakles kneeling right, strangling the Nemean Lion; rocks below.
Bérend 30; Gulbenkian 324 (same dies); SNG ANS 332-333 (same dies) HGC 2, 1275