Coins of Maximianus that reference his ancestor Hercules

I have a small collection of coins that feature Hercules or reference him. Most of these are for Maximianus, as he was related to Hercules (as was his junior- Constantius I); which is why he was known as Maximianus Herculius. Diocletian was related to Jupiter, as was his junior- Galerius. Coins with Hercules references were often issued for all the rulers though.


There is a theory that Diocletian and Maximianus started to proclaim their relationship with Jupiter and Hercules because of the revolt of Carausius. It was "an attempt to impose a divine order on the administering of the Empire, a "cosmic unity" that would automatically exclude any usurper from a place within the Empire." (In Praise of Later Roman Emperors pg 48) It is impossible to prove, but an interesting idea.
see: William Seston "Dioclétien et la Tétrarchie"





Maximianus
A.D. 287-289
Ӕ Antoninianus 21mm 3.9g
IMP C VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
HERCVLI PACIFERO; Hercules standing left, holding olive branch, club and lion-skin; B in left field.
In ex. SML
RIC Vii Lugdunum 372

Ex- Phil Peck (Morris) Collection






Maximianus
A.D. 289
Ӕ Antoninianus 21x23mm 3.7gm
IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG; radiate and cuirassed bust right.
VIRTVTI AVGG; Hercules stg. r., strangling lion, club thrown behind him.
In ex. T
RIC Vii Lugdunum 456 variation; Bastien 226 footnote

This coin is not in RIC for the T in exergue. It is not listed in Bastien either, though he does mention in a footnote for #226 that an example was noted in the Nieder-Rentgen hoard (pg 42)






Maximianus
A.D. 289
Ӕ Antoninianus 21mm 3.7gm
IMP C MAXIMIANVS P AVG; Radiate and cuirassed bust right.
HERCVLI INVICTO AVGG; Hercules stg. l., holding Victory on globe, club and lion’s skin; in left field S.
RIC Vii Lugdunum 369






Maximianus
A.D. 291
Ӕ Antoninianus 23mm 3.9g
IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
VIRTVS AVGG; Hercules stg. l., head left, holding club,trophy and lion’s skin.
In ex. XXIA
RIC Vii Rome 515






Maximianus
A.D. 285- 288
Ӕ Antoninianus 23x24mm 3.6gm
IMP M AVR VAL MAXIMIANVS AVG; Radiate, cuirassed and draped bust right.
HERCVLI CONSERVAT; Hercules stg. r., holding club with lion’s skin, on rock.
In ex. VIXXIT
RIC Vii Ticinum 547






Maximianus
A.D. 289- 290
Ӕ Antoninianus 23mm 3.2g
IMP C M A VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear.
CONSERVATOR AVGG; Maximianus holding sceptre, and Hercules, leaning on club; standing face to face, sacrificing at altar; Γ in right.
In ex. •XXI•ΛI•
RIC V Siscia 580 var. (bust type)

bust type not listed in RIC

this coin has a secret code in Greek that spells Hercules--

workshop A= HP, workshop B= KOY and workshop Γ = ΛI

HP/KOY/ΛI for Hercules

https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/CONSERVATOR/








Maximianus
A.D. 296- 297
Ӕ follis 27mm 10g
IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right, H under bust.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; B in left, Γ in right.
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 171b


This coin from Trier has an H under the bust, which honors the family members of Hercules-- Maximianus and Constantius. RIC says it was issued when "Constantius' British campaign was successfully concluded" This is his campaign against Carausius and Allectus. It also commemorates the beginning of the campaign of Maximianus against the Quinquegentiani in North Africa which started the minting of coins at Carthage.





here is a coin from the Carthage campaign; which the previous coin referenced.



Maximianus
A.D. 297- 298
27x28mm 8.3g
IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN; Africa standing left, holding labarum and tusk; at feet, lion with captured bull, in left field H.
in ex. PKS
RIC VI Carthage 23b

the H in left field is for Hercules

https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Carthage/







Maximianus
A.D. 307
23x25mm 5.8g
D N MAXIMIANO P F S AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust.
HERCVLI CONSERVATORI; Hercules standing facing, head left, right leaning on club, left holding bow, lion's skin over left shoulder.
In ex. PLN
RIC VI London 91



The descendants of Hercules (and Jupiter) were not long for this world though.

Here is a quote from Lactantius, a Christian author of the 4th century, who mocks the Tetrarchy for their affiliation with the pagan gods--

“Where now are the surnames of the Jovii and the Herculii, once so glorious and renowned among the nations; surnames insolently assumed at first by Diocles and Maximian, and afterwards transferred to their successors?” Lactantius LII

 

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Here is a Maximian follis with a Hercules connection that I bought in 1979.



27 mm. 10.63 grams.
RIC Alexandria 38.
Sear IV 13824.
ex Berk 8th mail bid sale Nov. 5, 1979, lot 192.

As you can tell from my web pages, I love coins of the tetrarchy:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/tetrarchy/extra.html

 

I know that condition counts against it but....

Maximianus - Follis

Obv:– IMP C MAXIMIANVS AVG, Laureate, cuirassed bust left, holding club over right shoulder and lion's skin in left hand
Rev:– GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, left hand holding cornucopiae and right hand holding patera, plain altar beneath.
Minted in Lugdunum (_ | A //PLC). Officina 1. Spring A.D. 300 – A.D. 302
Reference(s) – Bastien 148 (8). RIC VI Lugdunum 85 (Rated S)

 

here's my example that I recently got.



Maximianus
A.D. 304- 305
Ӕ follis 26mm 9.6g
IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG; laureate head right.
HERCVLI VICTORI; Hercules stg. facing, hd. l., r. leaning on club, l. holding apples of Hesperides and Nemean lion’s skin; across fields S-P and Γ in left field.
in ex. ALE
RIC VI Alexandria 38

it's better than my Trier example


Maximianus
A.D. 298- 299
27mm 8.2g
IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG; laureate bust left, lion’s skin on l. shoulder, club over r. shoulder.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera over altar, left cornucopiae; in left field A, right ✶
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 315

 

It's impressive to have so many of the neater types of Maximianus.

I have only an inexpensive example, one of the probably less than 25 AE Ant's that I own. I collect relatively few Ant's and even less of the AE variety. I do have a soft spot for Ant's of Maximian from Lugdunum. They tend to have better portraits and neater obverse types.





Maximianus Herculius, first reign. 286-306 AD. AE Silvered Antoninianus (3.59g, 21mm). Lugdunum mint. Struck 287-9 AD. Obv.: IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: VIRTVTI AVGG, Hercules standing right, strangling the Nemean lion; at his feet to left, club. RIC 454; Cohen 650; Lyon 214. Reverse struck from a worn die, aEF.

 

My sole example of Maximianus with Hercules looks as if someone with the strength of Hercules ripped off a bit of silver for small change:

'Tis assuredly short of being "perfectly round", eh? LOL! It makes the term "jagged flan" a slight understatement. Regardless, it has nice detail and shows character (not to mention it is a rare type).

 

I find it relatively interesting that whilst we see these coins o Maximian with Hercules there is no real shortage of coins of Maximian with Jupiter (that favoured deity of Diocletian) but it would appear that there are not too many example of Diocletian coins solely with Hercules or am I incorrect?

 

That is true, but there are some:



Diocletian
22 mm. 3.64 grams.
HERCVLI CONSERVAT
Hercules standing right with right arm behind his back and club and lionskin in left
PXXIT
IMP C VAL DIOCLETIANVS AVG
RIC 215F, Ticinum, p. 242 "286, C"
Sear 12648

 

There are a few but they are not a prolific as coins of Maximian with Jupiter.

 

here's my latest Maximianus Herculius; which is ex Phil Peck. I have a few of his coins in this Hercules collection and suspect he might have been collecting Hercules coins also.



Maximianus
A.D. 289
Ӕ Antoninianus 22mm 3.6g
IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
VIRTVTI AVGG; Hercules stg. r., strangling lion, club thrown behind him.
RIC Vii Lyons 454

Ex- Phil Peck (Morris) Collection

 

my latest is this rarer reverse type with a Herculean bust on the obverse



Maximianus
A.D. 292
Ӕ Antoninianus 22mm 3.7g
IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; radiate, bare-chested (Herculean) bust right, slight drapery on shoulders.
VICTORIA AVGG; Victory standing between Diocletian and Maximianus extending hands to one another.
In ex. XXI•B•
RIC Vii Cyzicus 588


this mintmark is not recorded in RIC; but there is a lot of variation in these RIC Vii coins

 

I just added a new coin to my Maximianus as Hercules collection. RIC and Bastien describe this type as cuirassed; but Maximianus is actually bare chested and wearing a baldric. There is also a spelling error-- the L in HERCVLI is an I.



Maximianus
A.D. 288
silvered Ӕ Antoninianus
21x22mm 3.6g
IMP MAXIMIANVS P AVG; Radiate, bare bust wearing baldric, lion’s skin across shoulder and carrying club.
HERCVLI PACIFERO; Hercules stg. l., holding branch, club and lion’s skin; in left field B.
In ex. SML
RIC Vii Lugdunum 375; Bastien 130 (2 ex.)

 

FANTASTIC

 

some recent updates of my coins of Maximianus that reference his ancestry with Hercules.


this one is an upgrade




Maximianus
A.D. 307
26mm 7.2g
D N MAXIMIANO P F S AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust.
HERCVLI CONSERVATORI; Hercules standing facing, head left, right leaning on club, left holding bow, lion's skin over left shoulder.
In ex. PLN
RIC VI London 91; LMCC 5.04.006; RML 201




This coin is from the Rauceby Hoard and the bust type is unrecorded during this period with slight drapery over left shoulder. It is in "Recent Discoveries of Tetrarchic Hoards from Roman Britain and their Wider Context" British Museum Research Publication 236 as coin #843; though it is misdescribed as RIC VI Trier 96b; as no mention of the slight drapery is made. It is a plate coin; though it was in uncleaned condition then.



Maximianus
A.D. 299- 301
Ӕ follis 27mm 9.0g
IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right; slight drapery on left shoulder.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera.
In ex. S club
RIC VI Trier --; BM Rauceby hoard # 843






Maximianus
A.D. 289
Ӕ Antoninianus 22x23mm 3.8g
IMP C MAXIMIANVS P AVG; Radiate and cuirassed bust left, holdig spear and shield.
HERCVLI INVICTO AVGG; Hercules stg. l., holding Victory on globe, club and lion’s skin; in left field S.
RIC Vii Lugdunum 369

Ex Grohs-Fligely collection 1875-1962








Maximianus
A.D. 301-303
Ӕ follis 26x28mm 9.7g
IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG; Laureate and cuirassed bust left, holding club over his right shoulder and wearing lion skin over left.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera and sacrificing over lit altar, cornucopiae in left; In right field A.
In ex. PLG
RIC VI Lyon 120; Bastien 155 (2 ex.)






Maximianus
A.D. 300- 301
Ӕ follis 28mm 6.9gm
IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
SACRA MON VRB AVGG ET CAESS NN, Moneta standing left with scales & cornucopiae.
In ex. S club
RIC VI Rome 100b








Maximianus
A.D. 291
Ӕ Antoninianus 23mm 3.8g
IMP C M A VAL MAXIMIANVS P AVG; radiate, bare-chested (Herculean) bust right, slight drapery on shoulders.
VICTORIA AVGG; Maximianus stg. l. receiving victory on globe from Diocletian; B between them.
In ex. •XXI•
RIC Vii Siscia 586

bust type not in RIC