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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Heros||View Options:   | | | |
Herakles is depicted wearing the Nemean lion skin around his neck. The first of Herakles' twelve labors, set by his cousin King Eurystheus, was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its skin. Herakles discovered arrows and his club were useless against it because its golden fur was impervious to mortal weapons. Its claws were sharper than swords and could cut through any armor. Herakles stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, strangled it to death. During the fight, the lion bit off one of his fingers. After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife but failed. Wise Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told him to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.RP114277. Silver tetradrachm, RPC III 3533, Prieur 1496, McAlee 458, Wruck 151, VF, broad flan, double struck, edge cracks, graffito X obverse right field, weight 14.097 g, maximum diameter 27.2 mm, die axis 180o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 103 - 111 A.D.; obverse AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK (Imperator Caesar Nerva Trajanus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus), laureate head right, club left below, eagle standing right with wings closed at point of bust; reverse ΔHMAPX - EΞ IE YΠAT E (tribunicia potestate, consul V), laureate bust of Melqart-Herakles right, Nemean lion-skin around neck tied at front, cruder larger bust style variant; $350.00 (€329.00)
Macedonian Kingdom, Kassander, Regent 317 - 305 B.C., King 305 - 298 B.C., In the Name and Types of Alexander III
When Antipater transferred the regency of Macedon to Polyperchon, Kassander rejected his father's decision, obtained support from Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus, defeated Polyperchon, and in 317 B.C. declared himself Regent. After Olympias had Philip III assassinated later that year, Kassander besieged her in Pydna. The city fell two years later, Olympias was killed, and Alexander IV and Roxanne were imprisoned. To associate himself with the Argead dynasty Kassander married Alexander's half-sister, Thessalonica. About 310 B.C. he had Alexander IV and Roxanne poisoned. Kassander proclaimed himself King in 305 B.C. After Antigonus was killed at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 B.C., Kassander held undisputed rule of Macedonia. He had little time to savor the fact, dying of dropsy in 297 B.C.GS114298. Silver tetradrachm, Price 475, Müller Alexander 72, SNG Alpha Bank 540, SNG Munchen 323, SNG Saroglos -, SNG Cop -, gF, scratches, areas of mild porosity, rev. a little off center, weight 16.921 g, maximum diameter 26.2 mm, die axis 180o, Macedonia, Amphipolis mint, 307 - 297 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck; reverse Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, eagle in right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, right leg drawn back, AΛEΞANΔPOY downward on right, Λ over torch left, star on cone under throne; $300.00 (€282.00)
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
Herakles is depicted wearing the Nemean lion skin around his neck. The first of Herakles' twelve labors, set by his cousin King Eurystheus, was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its skin. Herakles discovered arrows and his club were useless against it because its golden fur was impervious to mortal weapons. Its claws were sharper than swords and could cut through any armor. Herakles stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, strangled it to death. During the fight, the lion bit off one of his fingers. After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife but failed. Wise Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told him to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.RP114278. Silver tetradrachm, RPC III 3533, Prieur 1496, McAlee 458, Wruck 151, VF, well centered, full legends, flow lines, rev. die wear, areas of porosity, tiny edge cracks, weight 13.550 g, maximum diameter 25.5 mm, die axis 180o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 103 - 111 A.D.; obverse AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK (Imperator Caesar Nerva Trajanus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus), laureate head right, club left below, eagle standing right with wings closed at point of bust; reverse ΔHMAPX - EΞ IE YΠAT E (tribunicia potestate, consul V), laureate bust of Melqart-Herakles right, Nemean lion-skin around neck tied at front, cruder larger bust style variant; $280.00 (€263.20)
Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 B.C., Unofficial Imitative of Sidon, Phoenicia
GS112791. Silver hemiobol, Unofficial imitative of Sidon, for prototype see Price 3478, VF, toned, porous, weight 0.334 g, maximum diameter 9.6 mm, unofficial mint, early posthumous, c. 323 - 305 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck; reverse Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, right leg drawn back, ΣI (Sidon) left, AΛΕΞANΔ (or similar, mostly off flan) downward on right; ex Classical Numismatic Group e-sale 518 (15 Jun 2022), lot 82; $160.00 (€150.40)
Selge, Pisidia, c. 2nd - 1st Century B.C.
GB114252. Bronze AE 12, unpublished in primary references; cf. SNG BnF 1985, SNG Cop 268, SNGvA 5290; SNG PfPs 386; BMC Lycia p. 262,50 (none with quiver), VF, green patina, slightly off center on a tight flan, weight 2.076 g, maximum diameter 12.2 mm, die axis 90o, Selge (southern slope of Mount Taurus, Turkey) mint, c. 2nd - 1st Century B.C.; obverse head of Herakles to right, club over shoulder; reverse quiver and bow left, CE upward in center, winged fulmen (thunderbolt) right; ex Savoca Coins auction 162 (29 Apr 2023), lot 551; only one other specimen of this type known to FORVM (Roma Numismatics e-sale 87 (29 Jul 2021), lot 389 (VF, realized £170 plus fees); extremely rare; $160.00 (€150.40)
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D.
| A gilded 2nd century B.C. slightly over-lifesize bronze statue, Hercules of the Forum Boarium, has Hercules in a similar pose. This statue is probably the one mentioned by Pliny, which originally stood in the Temple of Hercules Victor, by the Tiber. It lacks the lion skin. Perhaps a actual lion skin was once draped on it. The sculpture is now in the Musei Capitolini, Rome. Another similar sculpture, from the 2nd Century A.D., the Hercules of the Theatre of Pompey, was discovered in 1864, carefully buried under protective tiles. It was incised FCS (fulgor conditum summanium), indicating that it had been struck by lightning, and had been carefully interred on the spot. The figure lightly supports himself on his grounded vertical club, the skin of the Nemean Lion is draped over his left forearm. This sculpture is now in the round room area of Museo Pio-Clementino, in the Vatican. |  |
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy V Epiphanes, 204 - 180 B.C.
The name of Ptolemy V Epiphanes appears on the Rosetta stone. He married Cleopatra I, the daughter of the Seleukid king Antiochos III, and was the father of Ptolemy VI, VII, and Cleopatra II. Ptolemy V lost Judea, Philistia, and Phoenicia to Antiochos III after the battle of Panium in 198 B.C. (Dan 11:13-16).GP113991. Bronze obol, Svoronos 1494 (Ptolemy VIII), SNG Cop 339 ff. (Ptolemy VIII), Weiser 126, BMC Ptolemies p. 69, 9 - 10 (Paphos?), Noeske -, Hosking -, aVF, rough green-brown patina, some encrustation on reverse, central depressions, obv. edge beveled, sprue remnant, weight 11.570 g, maximum diameter 26.0 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 200 - 197 B.C.; obverse bearded head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean lion scalp headdress; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, head left, wings closed; ex CNG e-sale 534 (15 Mar 2023), lot 225; scarce; $115.00 (€108.10)
Syracuse, Sicily, Pyrrhus of Epirus, 278 - 276 B.C., Barbarous Ancient Imitation
In 279 B.C., Pyrrhus' forces, supporting the Greek cities of southern Italy, met and defeated the Romans at the battle of Asculum in Apulia. Pyrrhus, however, lost many men, several close associates, and all of his baggage. When one of his soldiers congratulated him on his victory, he famously replied: "Another such victory and we are ruined!" From this we have the term Pyrrhic victory, a victory achieved at ruinous cost.
Although it can be argued that the style of the present coin is not strictly "barbarous," it does deviate from the usual specimen with finer details. More significantly, it contains no inscriptions, which was listed as a defining characteristic in Calciati for imitations of this type. Most likely Calciatii 175 or 177 served as the prototype, perhaps with the obverse slightly off centered and/or worn, thus misleading the imitator into thinking the official coin at their disposal did not have a legend. Note also the low weight and cruder-than-normal strike. In considering this fascinating coin, this cataloger cannot help but recall the 18th century flood of contemporary counterfeit British halfpence that were largely tolerated by the public on both sides of the Atlantic who were in sore need of small change.GI114059. Bronze litra, cf. Calciati II 179 BI (2 spec.; rev. symbol[?] on #1; diff. style for #2), aVF, flan splits, interesting "cameo" effect on obv. from dusting of light sediments over darker patina, weight 7.482 g, maximum diameter 22.8 mm, die axis 180o, uncertain Sicilian or Magna Graecia mint, c. 278 - 270 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles left, clad in Nemean Lion scalp headdress; reverse Athena Promachos advancing right, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, shield in left; ex Roma Numismatics, "The Mike Ballerini Collection," (19 Oct 2023), lot 766; rare; $110.00 (€103.40)
Valerian I, October 253 - c. June 260 A.D., Cotiaeum, Phrygia
Asklepios is the Greek god of medicine. Hygieia is the goddess of health and Asklepios' daughter. Telesphoros is Asklepios' assistant. Asklepios learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one snake bringing another snake healing herbs. Woman seeking fertility, the sick, and the injured slept in his temples in chambers where non-poisonous snakes were left to crawl on the floor and provide healing.RP110209. Bronze tetrassarion, SNG Hunt 2048; SNG Mu 333 var. (rev. leg.); SNG Cop 337 var. (same) BMC Phrygia p. 177, 94 var. (bust); SNGvA 3791 var. (Telesphoros in center), VF, dark near black patina, light deposits, near centered, die wear, small rev. die crack/breaks, weight 7.089 g, maximum diameter 25.1 mm, die axis 195o, Cotiaeum (Kutahya, Turkey) mint, Oct 253 - c. Jun 260 A.D.; obverse AVT K Π ΛIK OVAΛEPIANON, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse EΠ Π AIΛ ΔHMHETPIANOY IΠ (P. Ailios Demetrios hipparchos, HM ligate), Hygieia, on left, standing right, feeding serpent in right hand from patera in left hand; Asklepios, on right, standing facing, head left, leaning with right hand on serpent-entwined staff; AP/X (archon) in two lines above center, KOTIAEΩN (ΩN ligate) in exergue; $100.00 (€94.00)
Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander III - Kassander, c. 325 - 310 B.C.
The B A on the reverse refers to BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, King Alexander (Alexander the Great). Born a leader, his genius and charisma led the Macedonian Army across the world creating an empire spanning from Greece to India. His reign begins the Hellenistic Age, a time when civilization flourished. He was regarded as a god and his fame grew even greater after his premature death at thirty-three.GB113971. Bronze unit, SNG Munchen 880, Price 373, VF, nice green patina, obv. slightly off center, scattered porosity, weight 4.609 g, maximum diameter 17.0 mm, die axis 90o, Macedonian mint, c. 325 - 310 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck; reverse B thunderbolt A, club right above, bow in bowcase left below; $100.00 (€94.00)
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