The following coin is my first and only one showing Hercules on reverse. I like it and had always wished to acquire Hercules in " my pocket". The coin was struck under Gallienus, radiate and cuirassed bust right. Hercules is holding a club, as usual, and surprisingly an apple. Maybe eating an apple a day would make him stronger. I thought in this thread, we can recall his works ( 7 ). It weighs 4.06 g. Asian Mint- RIC 623 . Please post your coins with Hercules.
Yeah, Hercules needs to hit the gym a little bit doesn't he? I don't have many coins with Hercules on them, here's my first...an Indo-Scythian Hercules chillin' on rock with his club.
The apple is a reference to Hercules' 11th labor. Here's a roach with a Hercules reverse, which I posted a few months ago in a similar thread: Gordian III AD 238-244 Roman AR Antoninianus; 5.52 g, 23.2 mm, 2:00 Rome, AD 241-243 Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate and draped bust, right Rev: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI, Hercules standing right, right hand on hip, left holding lion's skin and resting on club set on rock Refs: RIC 95; Cohen 404; RCV 8670; Hunter 71.
I just got this one in the mail two days ago: Constantine I ("the Great"), A.D. 307-337 Ticinum mint, A.D. 307-308 RIC 99 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AGV[sic] Rev: VIRTVS PER-PETVA AVG - Hercules, strangling Nemean lion; club behind left leg ST in exergue 26 mm, 7.1 g.
Hercules sure played a prominent role in Ancient coins TI QUINCTIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Denarius OBVERSE: Bust of Hercules left, wearing lion's skin headdress, club over shoulder REVERSE: two horses left, rider on the nearer horse, dot X; TI Q and rat below, DOS.S in incuse on tablet in ex. Struck at Rome 112-111 BC 3.92g, 18mm Cr297/1;Quinctia 6
Hercules wrestling with the Nemean lion C POBLICIUS QF ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS POBLICIA AR Serratus Denarius OBVERSE: ROMA, draped bust of Roma right, helmeted & decorated with corn ears, control mark letter above REVERSE: C•POBLICI•Q•F, Hercules strangling the Nemean lion, club at his feet Struck at Rome 80 BC 3.88g, 16mm Cr380/1, Syd 768, Poblicia 9
Here's one more Hercules wrestling with the Nemean lion Septimius Severus AD 193 - 211 Æ18; 3,65 g., 18 mm Obv.: AV K Λ CEΠТ CEVHPOC Rev.: MAΡKIAN-OΠOΛITΩN Hercules standing left, strangling the Nemean lion. Marcianopolis Mint, Moesia Inferior Moushmov 397
Hercules struck over Roma cast RR bronze of Hercules The RR series had Herc on the obv of 3 dotters (Quadrans of 1/4 of an As).
In his eleventh labor, Hercules obtained the golden apples from the Garden of Hesperides, guarded by the sleepless dragon Ladon and the giant Atlas. I'm still curious to know what does the apple represent in the hand of Venus, Roman goddess of love ?
Two AR diobols from Taras in the 4-3rd centuries BC show two views of Hercules (Herakles) and the lion.
That is the golden apple, awarded to Venus/Aphrodite by Paris. Read about the judgement of Paris here.