In my pursuit of 3rd century coins I keep running across Gallienus coins from Antioch I just can't say no to! This Gallienus Ant with a "Labours of Hercules" reverse made this one made it a MUST HAVE for the collection at a price that was no brainer. I am pretty stoked!! I have wanted to add a Labours of Hercules for a while now The reverse represents Hercules 11th Labour, Golden Apples of the Hesperides, explained below. (I was going to do my own write up but Wiki has done a fairly decent job so here is an excerpt of the labour #11.) If you have a Labours of Hercules coin, please post it! "After Hercules completed the first ten labours, Eurystheus gave him two more, claiming that slaying the Hydra didn't count (because Iolaus helped Hercules), neither did cleaning the Augean Stables (either because he was paid for the job or because the rivers did the work). The first additional labour was to steal the apples from the garden of the Hesperides. Hercules first caught the Old Man of the Sea, the shape-shifting sea god,[17] to learn where the Garden of the Hesperides was located.[18] In some variations, Hercules, either at the start or at the end of this task, meets Antaeus, who was invincible as long as he touched his mother, Gaia, the earth. Hercules killed Antaeus by holding him aloft and crushing him in a bearhug.[19] Herodotus claims that Hercules stopped in Egypt, where King Busiris decided to make him the yearly sacrifice, but Hercules burst out of his chains. Hercules finally made his way to the Garden of the Hesperides, where he encountered Atlas holding up the heavens on his shoulders. Hercules persuaded Atlas to get some of the golden Apples for him, by offering to hold up the heavens in his place for a little while. (Atlas could get the Apples because, in this version, he was the father or otherwise related to the Hesperides.) This would have made the labour – like the Hydra and the Augean Stables – void because Hercules had received help. When Atlas returned, he decided that he did not want to take the heavens back, and instead offered to deliver the Apples himself. But Hercules tricked him by agreeing to remain in place of Atlas on condition that Atlas relieve him temporarily while Hercules adjusted his cloak. Atlas agreed, but Hercules reneged and walked away with the Apples. According to an alternative version, Hercules slew Ladon, the dragon-like guardian of the Apples, instead. Eurystheus was furious that Hercules had accomplished something that Eurystheus thought could not possibly be done." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labours_of_Hercules#Eleventh_labour:_Golden_Apples_of_the_Hesperides Gallienus, antoninianus, Antioch. Sole reign. AD 263-268. O: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right Rx: VIRTVS AVG, Hercules standing slightly right, looking left, holding club and apple. Mintmark VIIC dot. RIC V-1 (S), Asian Mint 623 var; Goebl 1647a; Sear 10404.
Here's a provincial showing the same Labour. It's in pretty rough shape, but you can see to the left of Hercules the apple tree, as well as poor, clubbed-to-death Ladon hanging from its branches. GORDIAN III AE34. 20.82g, 34.3mm. CILICIA, Tarsus, circa AD 238-244. SNG France 1667 var. (rev legend). O: AVT KAI M ANTΩNIOC ΓOPΔIANOC CЄB, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; Π – Π in exergue. R: TAPCOV MHTPOΠOΛЄΩ / A M - K Γ B, Hercules standing facing, head left, holding club and apples of Hesperides; serpent-entwined tree to left.
There are some provincials with types of the labors of Hercules: 28 mm. 11.61 grams. Geta. 198-209-212. Struck at Hadrianopolis. Hercules left in combat with the Hydra with three snake-like heads. BMC Thrace 119. Sear Greek Imperial 2786. SNG Copenhagen -- ex CNG in 2003.
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
Nice OP coin, it seems with the advent of Christianity as the new universal religion that all of these interesting mythological types went by the wayside, which is clearly reflected in the coinage of the times, unfortunately.
One of my better provincials with full rims and legends. Moesia, Markianopolis. Commodus AE20. Nemean Lion. Obv: AVT KAI L AVP KOMODOC, laureate head right Rev: MAPKIANOPOLEITWN, Hercules wrestling Nemean lion left.
