Nomos 29

CALABRIA. Tarentum. Circa 280-228 BC. Diobol (Silver, 12 mm, 1.01 g, 7 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing a Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled serpent on the bowl and with a neckguard. Rev. Herakles standing facing, holding club in his right hand and, with his left, seizing the bridle of a horse rearing to right (one of the Horses of Diomedes - the Eighth Labour of Herakles) with his left; above to left, monogram of AP; to right, monogram of MI (or ΜΥ). Côte 569 (same dies). Diobols, Series I, Type 276. HN III 1067. SNG Copenhagen 1013. Vlasto 1448 (this coin). Nicely toned. Reverse slightly off-center and traces of corrosion, otherwise, good very fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, acquired from Spink's c. 2000 (GR0076), and once in the collection of M. P. Vlasto.

Most Tarentine diobols depict varying scenes from the First Labour of Herakles: the capture of the Nemean Lion. We see Herakles standing or kneeling, grappling with or clubbing the lion. However, this coin is part of a rare and exceptional series of Tarentine diobols, which show some of the other labours: the Eighth, the Taming of the Horses of Diomedes; and the Eleventh, the taking of some of the Golden Apples of the Hesperides (there are two versions, one showing Herakles with the apples and one with Herakles, on his journey, defeating Antaios - as HN III, 1063). It would be interesting to speculate why these other scenes appeared on the coins.