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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Gavin Richardson, post: 2726533, member: 83956&quot;][ATTACH=full]618965[/ATTACH]</p><p>Here’s a “Weary Hercules” early type for Constantine, with a reverse modeled on a popular sculptural motif, the best example of which is at the Archeological Museum in Naples. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting this museum a few times, as well as the Baths of Caracalla in Rome where this sculpture was found. It seems that the die engraver had this sculpture or one like it in mind when designing the coin reverse. For more on the coin, see Victor’s note below. For more on the sculpture, see this lovely Khan academy video: <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/late-classical/v/lysippos-farnese-hercules" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/late-classical/v/lysippos-farnese-hercules" rel="nofollow">https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/late-classical/v/lysippos-farnese-hercules</a></p><p><br /></p><p>About the coin:</p><p><br /></p><p>312 A.D. AE (bronze) follis or nummus</p><p>20.17 mm. 4.16 g. 180°</p><p>IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate head facing right.</p><p>HERCULI VICTORI; Hercules in “Hercules Farnese” style standing, leaning on club, which is draped with a lion’s skin.&nbsp; * and Δ in left field.</p><p>SMN; Nicomedia. RIC VI Nicomedia 75c, *D</p><p>Ancient Treasures (Plamen Arsoff). eBay.</p><p><br /></p><p>This issue rare for Constantine and Licinius. Notes: “This type is only listed in RIC VI for Maximinus, but examples are also known for Licinius and Constantine. It should be RIC VI Nicomedia 75c. Two of the tetrarchs, Maximianus and Constantius (the father of Constantine) were associated with Hercules. The other two, Diocletian and Galerius, were associated with Jupiter.”</p><p><br /></p><p>“The depiction of Hercules on the reverse of this coin was modeled from a statue made in the third century A.D. by Glykon, which copied an original of Lysippos. The statue shows Hercules leaning on a club draped with the skin of the Nemean lion. He is resting after performing one of the last of the Twelve Labors, and he is holding the apples of the Hesperides behind his back…The statue was originally located in the baths of Caracalla, which were dedicated in 216 A.D. In 1546, the statue was recovered and moved to the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Alessandro Farnese, who built the Palazzo Farnese, was the future Pope Paul III. In 1787, the statue was moved to Naples. It is currently displayed at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale.” –Victor Clark[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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