That's the first time I pick up a coin with Hercules on reverse. So I thought it must be scarce. The obverse has Gallienus who is usually common. But the most intriguing is the mint mark in exergue, VIIC dot. I don't know what it means. The coin weighs 4.05 g. and it's dark indeed. RIC 623. Post your Hercules coins if you like. Thanks..
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 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 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIIII, laureate head right REVERSE: HECVLI DEFENS, Hercules standing half-right, resting on club, holding bow, lion's skin over arm Struck at Rome, 197 AD 3.1g, 17mm RIC 97, RSC 212, BMC 218 Comment: Struck to invoke the protection of Hercules against the revolt of Clodius Albinus.
Anonymous AE Quadrans, Roman Republic Obverse: Hercules to right, wearing lion skin, three pellets to left Reverse: Prow of galley right, ROMA above, three pellets to right Crawford 56/5, McCabe H1 (underweight/overstrikes), 2.34g, minted in Sardinia, Sicily or Italy after 211 BC Q. Fabius Maximus AE Quadrans, Roman Republic Obverse: Hercules to right, wearing lion skin, three pellets to left Reverse: Prow of galley right, three pellets to right, Q. MAX above, ROMA below. Crawford 265/3, 16mm, 2.86g, minted at Rome in 127 BC, rough but still loved
Maximianus Herculius, AD 286-305, 306-308, and 310 Bl Antoninianus, Antioch mint, AD 286-295 Obv.: IMP C M AVR VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG. Radiated and cuirassed bust to right. Rev.: IOVI ET HERCV CONSER AVGG. Jupiter standing right holding sceptre and orb facing Hercules standing left holding Victory, club, and lion’s skin; Є between, XXI in exergue. 23.23mm 4.0g Reference: RIC Vb 622, p. 294. Gallienus AR Antoninianus. Asian mint. GALLIENVS PF AVG, radiated cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Hercules standing right holding lion's skin and leaning on club set on rock. Star in right field. Cohen 1321. RIC V 672 21.84mm, 3.2g
According to RIC, the VIIC stands for his 7th consulate, also his last. So the coin can be dated to 266-68. Very neat! Here's a related coin, also from Antioch/Asian mint, slightly different from the RIC 672 from @ken454 above (position of the star). RIC 673:
HERCULES: ROMAN REPUBLIC: RR C Curiatius f Trigeminus 135 BCE Æ quadrans 18 mm 4.8g Rome Hd Hercules lionskin 3 plts - CCVR F ROMA prow Victory wreath 3 plts Cr 240-4a; Syd460b RR AE Quadrans 18mm 3.6g Rome 206-195 BC Hercules R wearing lions skin pellet behind - ROMA Prow of galley right 3 pellets Cr339-4a; Syd679c RR AE Double Litra 235 BCE 19.5mm 6.54g Rome mint Hercules r club - Pegasus r club ROMA Cr 27-3 HN Italy 316 S 591 RR Anon AE 28mm 19-2g Quadrans - Sicily mint 214-212 BCE Hercules-boar headress - Bull ex RBW Craw 72-7 ROMAN EMPIRE: Gallienus Silvered Æ Ant CE 263-264 AVG rad cuiras R Hercules R lion skin club star RIC 673 RI Gordian III 238-244 CE AE As 25mm Hercules S-C RR Anon AE 28mm 19.2g Quadrans - Sicily mint 214-212 BCE Hercules-Erymanthian boar headress - Bull ex RBW Craw 72-7
Amazing detail on a lot of these coins! Very impressive and fun to look at! Here are a couple of mine. Caracalla was a big fan of Hercules: Caracalla. AR denarius, Rome mint, struck 213 CE; 19.4mm, 3.43g, 6h. BMCRE 48–9, Hill 1357 (C2), RIC 206a, RSC 220. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT; head laureate right. Rx: P M TR P XVI COS IIII P P; Hercules, naked, standing half-left, holding branch and club with lion’s skin. Perhaps the bearded figure on the reverse is intended to represent Caracalla as Hercules; its head bears a strong resemblance to Caracalla’s “angry scowl” portrait as shown on the obverse.VF ––––––––––––––––– Caracalla. AR denarius, Rome mint, struck 212 CE; 19mm, 3.38g. BMCRE 35–8, Hill 1325 (C), RIC 192, RSC 196. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT; head laureate right. Rx: PM TR – P XV COS III PP; Hercules, naked, standing half-left, holding branch and club with lion’s skin. First issue of the sole reign of Caracalla. VF
Gordian III AD 238-244 Roman AR Antoninianus; 5.52 g, 23.2 mm, 2:00 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 am not a coin collector....and this is not a coin. But I found this in an uncle's possessions & wondered if anyone can say what it is. I think it is made of light metal, not brass. I can make out 'HERCUL...' around the edge starting opposite the nose, but no more. I assume the lettering will be symmetrical so going round to behind the head under the club. Thank you.
Here is a Probus - Hercules Probus Obv:– IMP C PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right (seen from rear) Rev:– COMITI PR-OBI AVG, Hercules standing left, holding olive-branch, club and lion skin Minted in Lugdunum (IIII) Emission 7, Officina 4. Summer A.D. 281 Reference:– Cohen -. Bastien 330 (2 examples cited) this example with an unlisted reverse legend break though this isn't unexpected. RIC 71 Bust Type C
Here's another Hercules: Caracalla, AD 198-217. Roman provincial Æ 28.3 mm, 13.70 g, 8 h. Thrace, Serdica, AD 198-217. Obv: AVT K M AVP CEVH ANTΩNEINOC, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust, right, seen from behind. Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑC CΕPΔΙΚΗC, Hercules standing right, forearm draped with lion skin, holding club set on ground and bow. Refs: Ruzicka Serdica 266; Moushmov Serdica 397; Moushmov 4912; Varbanov 2355; cf. BMC 3.173,15.
Some nice and interesting depictions of Hercules Republic, Didrachm Rome mint c. 269-266 BC No legend, Diademed head of young Hercules right, with club and lion's skin over shoulder ROMANO, She wolf right, suckling Romulus and Remus 7.29 gr Ref : RCV # 24, RSC # 8 Commodus, Sestertius - Minted at Rome, AD 192 L AEL AVREL CO---MM AVG P FEL, Laureate head of Commodus right HERCVLI ROMANO AVG, Hercules facing, head left, holding club and lion's skin, resting on trophy. SC in field 21,01 gr Ref : RCV #5752, Cohen #203, BMC # 314. RIC # 640. Gordian III, Antoninianus Rome mint c. AD 241-243 IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, Draped and radiate bust of Gordian right VIRTVTI AVGVSTI, Hercules standing right, leaning on club 5.41 gr Ref : RCV #8670, Cohen #404 Q
