The club of Herakles is a common fixture on the reverse of Roman provincial coins from the city of Caeserea in Cappadocia (present day Kayseri, Turkey). However, it isn't common at all to see the club appropriately paired with the portrait of a megalomaniacal emperor who fancied themself to be Herakles incarnate. The didrachm below came into my collection recently and is extremely rare, with RPC citing just one specimen. Cappadocia, Caesarea, Commodus AR didrachm Ruled as sole emperor 180-192 AD Struck 180-182 AD (third consulship) Obverse: ΑΥΤO Μ ΑΥΡ ΚΟΜΟΔΟϹ ΑΝ ϹƐ; Laureate head of Commodus right. Reverse: VΠΑΤΟϹ Γ ΠΑΤ ΠΑΤΡΙΔΟϹ; Club between crescent (on left) and star (on right). References: Metcalf 154b; Sear/GIC 2038; RPC IV.3, 8165 (temporary); G. Hirsch 208, 2158, pl. 21. 17.6mm; 3.9g; toned To illustrate how long the club iconography had appeared on Cappadocian issues, here is a drachm of the last king of Cappadocia, Archelaus, dated to 6-7 AD. In AD 17, the city of Caesarea passed under Roman rule and coins struck at the imperial mint from then on featured portraits of Roman emperors and empresses, up to the point it was closed during the reign of Gordian III. Kings of Cappadocia, Archelaus, AR drachm 36 BC - 17 AD Struck regnal year 42 = 6-7 AD Obverse: Diademed head of Archelaus right within filleted border. Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΡXEΛAOY ΦIΛOΠATΡIΔOΣ TOY KTIΣTOY; club. M-B (date) across fields. References: RPC I 3606; Simonetta 5; HGC 7, 857. 18mm; 3.5g Rare Here is a hemidrachm issued under Hadrian showing the club reverse: Cappadocia, Caesarea, Hadrian, AR hemidrachm 117-138 AD Struck regnal year 4 (120-121 AD) Obverse: AVTO KAIC TPAI AΔPIANOC CЄBACT; Laureate head right, with slight drapery. Reverse: ЄT Δ (year 4); Club facing downward. References: Metcalf 85; Sydenham 257; RPC III 3072; SNG Copenhagen 223. 14mm; 1.56g It's interesting to note that while my Cappadocian didrachm of Commodus featuring the club was struck in 180-182 AD, near the beginning of his sole reign as emperor, it's only in the last years of his rule, with a deteriorating grasp on reality, that Commodus intentionally invoked the symbolism of the lion skin and club on his coinage to connect himself with Herakles. These antics preceded his murder (via strangulation in his bath) by a wrestler named Narcissus. Here is a denarius struck in Rome showing Commodus in the guise of Herakles. Commodus AR denarius 177-192 AD Struck 191-192 AD Obverse: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL; Head of Commodus as Hercules right, wearing lion skin. Reverse: HERCVLI ROMANO AVG; Bow, club and quiver with arrows upright. References: Cohen 195; BMC 343 (these dies); RIC 253. 18mm; 3.38g Thanks for looking! Feel free to post Cappadocian coins featuring clubs, or anything else you think is relevant. -Jeremy
Well, you've got to admit, Commodus was a man who liked going clubbing! That didrachm is a nice coin, the first I've ever seen! I've been looking for a nice example of his "Hercules" type As, but locating one in decent condition and at a reasonable price is a challenge, especially these days.
Nice set of Caesarea clubs! I don't have any silver coinage of Caesarea, but I appreciate it from a distance in my nice little copy of Sydenham (1933) The Coinage of Caesarea in Cappadocia. As a reference, the 1978 hardcover reprint is cheaper and better, as it includes Alex Malloy's supplement. I bought my copy as a duplicate from the ANS Library from one of their regular ebay auctions. The 1933 ed. was originally softcover, so Philadelphia coin dealers David Bullowa (1912-1953) or Catherine Bullowa (1919-2017) must've had it custom bound. (A.N.E. also has a similar copy ex Bruce Brace library.) Unfortunately, it seems like only one club reverse is illustrated in Sydenham 1933 (pp. 51-52, No. 126, Fig. 37), one of the Domitian Didrachms: That's a great Commodus-Herakles denarius. I usually only see very worn ones. The detail on the club and bow-case are really interesting. I've got one of the club & bow-case reverses (not as nice) as well as one of the club-in-wreath reverses. I really like both of those. For all of Commodus' craziness, it meant he produced some interesting varieties of Imperial coins! Unfortunately neither is at home and I don't have good photos. I believe the one below is ex Jencek (JHE) Auction 15 (12 Nov 2013), 100, but I'm just inserting as a thumbnail because I need to confirm next time I get it from the safety deposit box (or just build a vault at home!).
Nice set of Caesarea clubs! My only one is from Hadrian Hemidrachm AR Cappadocia, Hadrianus 117-138 AD, Caesarea Mint, year 5, ca. 120/121 AD 13 mm, 1,7 g Obv: ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒΑϹΤ, Laureate bust right, slight drapery / Rev: Club; ET-Δ (date) across field. RPC III 3072; Metcalf, Conspectus 85; Sydenham, Caesarea 257; SNG Copenhagen 223, Ganschow 193a But my favorite club coin (quite a popular motif) is this Blaundos - a scarce coin I had issues identifying and I got help on CT Lydia. Blaundos circa 200-0 BC. Bronze Æ 12 mm, 2,04 g Obv: Head of Herakles right, bearded / Rev: MΛAYNΔE ΘEOTIMIΔO (or MΛAYNΔEΩN ΘEOTIMIΔO); club IMHOOF LS S50,4(1) / COLL IMHOOF(1) ; BMC 16 S42,5(1)
That's a cool copy of Sydenham's work, complete with a bookplate from the ANS library! I picked up a copy a while back from Amazon with Alex Malloy's supplement and it's been great to have around. I think I paid $25 for a hardcover version - surprisingly affordable given the steep cost of most numismatic references!
Very BEEFY club on your Cappadocian What's the deal with ancients fixation on this, one of the most basic, weapon? They like projecting dominance, that it's phallic, anything to connect them with Herakles, all of the above??? I love a good club thread as well. Here's one I had much fun with: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/wh...greece-da-club-of-course.345632/#post-3992883 And as for the clubs, here's a few of my favs:
My one didrachm from Caesarea, with a very impressive club on the reverse: Hadrian, AR Didrachm, 128-138 AD, Caesarea, Cappadocia Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ - ϹΕΒΑϹΤΟϹ/ Rev. Club, handle at top, ΥΠΑΤΟϹ Γ ΠΑ-ΤΗΡ ΠΑΤΡΙΔΟϹ [ΥΠΑΤΟϹ Γ = COS III, 128-138 AD; ΠΑΤΗΡ ΠΑΤΡΙΔΟϹ = Pater Patriae]. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 3109 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3109 ; Sydenham 280 [E. Sydenham, The Coinage of Caesarea in Cappadocia (1933)]; Metcalf, Caesarea 280 [Metcalf, W.E., The Silver Coinage of Cappadocia, Vespasian-Commodus. ANSNNM (American Numismatic Society, Numismatic Notes & Monographs) No. 166 (New York 1996)]; SNG Von Aulock 6422 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Deutschland, Sammlung Hans Von Aulock, Vol. 3: Pisidia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cyprus, Imperial Cistophori, Posthumous Lysimachus, Alexander tetradrachms (Berlin, 1964)]; Ganschow 178d [Ganschow, T., Münzen von Kappadokien, Band 1 Konigreich und Kaisareia bis 192 n. Chr. (Istanbul 2018)]. 21 mm., 6.02 g. Double die match to CNG E-Auction 110, 16 Mar 2005, Lot 134. See https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/70825.
