Nomos 20

CILICIA. Uncertain mint. Circa 450-425 BC. Stater (Silver, 20.5 mm, 10.73 g, 3 h). Herakles striding to right, holding club in his upraised right hand, preparing to strike a fallen helmeted warrior – almost certainly an Amazon with bare breasts who holds a double axe, just visible near Heracles' left leg, in her right hand – whom he holds by the helmet with his left hand; in field to left, uncertain Aramaic letter (zayin?, here invisible). Rev. Bull standing to right, its tail entwined with a ribbon; all within a square border of dots inside a shallow incuse square. Apparently unpublished save for auction appearances, as Obolos 13, 2019, 408 (same obverse die) and Roma XVI, 2018, 334 (same dies). Of great rarity. With a fascinating obverse type that is probably the clearest known. Struck from worn dies, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

The obverse of this coin depicts Herakles preparing to kill Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. One of the labors of Herakles was to get the famous Belt of Hippolyta, which had been given to her by Ares. When he arrived she was most impressed by him and decided to give him the belt; this infuriated Hera, who wished to foil Herakles, and so, stirring up trouble, she convinced the Amazons that Herakles was actually assaulting Hippolyta, and, so, they rushed to her rescue. Seeing that he was being attacked, and believing that he had been betrayed, Herakles then killed Hippolyta.