Happy Father's Day! I spent my morning doing the traditional father's day activity of cleaning out the basement and taking stuff to the dump while my son slept in. He did make up for it by bringing in dinner for the family and getting me a nice card. On to the coin - I thought I would post something after being inspired by the great thread on the legionary denarii started by Bing. Pseudo-autonomous AE, 9.83g, 25 mm Dated year 220 KΣ (94/95 AD) laureate head of Melquat-Hercules right with lion skin tied around neck club surmounted by monogram of Tyre all surrounded by oak leaf wreath; MHTPOΠOΛEωΣ around club, "of Tyre" in Phoenician to right (still working on this bit of script - I think it may be a different name for Tyre in Phoenician) I really like the look of this coin - I seem to be drawn to these eastern coins (just received a copy of Butcher with lots of interesting northern Syrian material) - not many well preserved AE coins from this area but lots of history around them. Melquat-Hercules is one of these syncretic deities that combines attributes of both Melquat and Hercules. We are pretty familiar with Hercules but Melquat is new to me and information on him is scanty - it seems he was the main god of Tyre and was considered the ancestor of the Tyrian royal family. He was also associated with the sea, trading and contracts, which makes some logical sense given the nature of the Phoenicians. I need to add this one to the research list. Bring on the Melquat-Hercules!
No Melquat here, but Herculies 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 Or Herakles MACEDONIAN KINGDOM Coinage in the style of Alexander III AR Drachm OBVERSE: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin REVERSE: AΛEΞANΔΡOY, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; crescent in left field, monogram below throne Kolophon, Macedonia 310-301 BC 19mm, 4.5g Price 1827 ex. JAZ Numismatics
Here's mine: Tyre, Phoenica AE25, 12.5g; 12h; 2nd-1st Century BC Obv.: Head of Heracles-Melqart right Rev.: MHTPONΠOΛΕΩΝ; Club surmounted by monogram of Tyre, all within oak wreath
