Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XVII 28 Mar 2019
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Cilicia, uncertain mint AR Stater. Persic standard. Circa 450-400 BC. Herakles(?) standing to right, preparing to strike fallen Amazon(?) whom he holds by the helmet crest; I (Aramaic 'zayin'?) in left field / Bull standing to right, tail tied with ribbons(?); all within dotted border within incuse square. Unpublished in the standard references including: BMC -; Traité -; Casabonne -; MIMAA -; SNG France -; SNG Levante -; Roma XVI, 334; CNG e430, 193 (Cyprus). 10.61g, 20mm, 3h.
Very Fine. Apparently only the third known example, and of great fascination.
From a private German collection.
The stance of the standing figure on the obverse is greatly reminiscent of the attitude in which Herakles is depicted while fighting the Hydra on certain very rare coins of Crete (see Roma IX, 9 and Svoronos 66, pl. XXIV, 23), and to a lesser extent, staters of Kition. The fallen figure in comparison is considerably more slight in build, with slender legs and waist, and what look to be well defined breasts. As such this type immediately recalls the myth of Herakles' ninth Labour and his battle with the Amazons after slaying their queen Hippolyta, with similar depictions preserved on surviving vases such as Tampa 82.11.1 and Met 61.11.16.
This cataloguer thus favours a Cilician origin for this coin on account of the coin's fabric, weight standard, the predominantly Cilician origin of the other coins with which it was reportedly originally found, and its obverse theme - since Amazons are represented at other Cilician mints including Soloi and on the three surviving coins of an uncertain mint (Roma XIII, 371; CNG 103, 344; CNG e386, 313). The latter issue depicts an Amazon on the obverse and the familiar Persian lion-bull combat motif on the reverse, together with the mysterious Aramaic legend 'DRGL' or 'RRYL', and may be related to the present issue.
Herakles' killing of the Amazon queen Hippolyta is one of the many tragic incidents that make Herakles such a flawed individual, driven by the whims of the gods, by misfortune and by his own violent nature to commit terrible crimes and acts of slaughter. Ordered by Eurystheos to bring him the Belt of Hippolyta as his ninth Labour, Herakles duly set out with his companions to retrieve this gift of Ares. When at last he reached the lands of the Amazons, Hippolyta herself came to meet the men, and impressed by Herakles and his exploits, agreed to give him the Belt. She would have done so had Hera not disguised herself and walked among the Amazons sowing seeds of distrust, claiming the strangers were plotting to carry off the Queen. Alarmed, the Amazons armed themselves and set off on horseback to confront the 'invaders'. Herakles, seeing this armed host approaching, guessed that Hippolyta had been plotting treachery all along and had never meant to gift him the Belt, so he killed her, and in the ensuing battle between the Greeks and Amazons he took the Belt and returned to Eurystheos.
Very Fine. Apparently only the third known example, and of great fascination.
From a private German collection.
The stance of the standing figure on the obverse is greatly reminiscent of the attitude in which Herakles is depicted while fighting the Hydra on certain very rare coins of Crete (see Roma IX, 9 and Svoronos 66, pl. XXIV, 23), and to a lesser extent, staters of Kition. The fallen figure in comparison is considerably more slight in build, with slender legs and waist, and what look to be well defined breasts. As such this type immediately recalls the myth of Herakles' ninth Labour and his battle with the Amazons after slaying their queen Hippolyta, with similar depictions preserved on surviving vases such as Tampa 82.11.1 and Met 61.11.16.
This cataloguer thus favours a Cilician origin for this coin on account of the coin's fabric, weight standard, the predominantly Cilician origin of the other coins with which it was reportedly originally found, and its obverse theme - since Amazons are represented at other Cilician mints including Soloi and on the three surviving coins of an uncertain mint (Roma XIII, 371; CNG 103, 344; CNG e386, 313). The latter issue depicts an Amazon on the obverse and the familiar Persian lion-bull combat motif on the reverse, together with the mysterious Aramaic legend 'DRGL' or 'RRYL', and may be related to the present issue.
Herakles' killing of the Amazon queen Hippolyta is one of the many tragic incidents that make Herakles such a flawed individual, driven by the whims of the gods, by misfortune and by his own violent nature to commit terrible crimes and acts of slaughter. Ordered by Eurystheos to bring him the Belt of Hippolyta as his ninth Labour, Herakles duly set out with his companions to retrieve this gift of Ares. When at last he reached the lands of the Amazons, Hippolyta herself came to meet the men, and impressed by Herakles and his exploits, agreed to give him the Belt. She would have done so had Hera not disguised herself and walked among the Amazons sowing seeds of distrust, claiming the strangers were plotting to carry off the Queen. Alarmed, the Amazons armed themselves and set off on horseback to confront the 'invaders'. Herakles, seeing this armed host approaching, guessed that Hippolyta had been plotting treachery all along and had never meant to gift him the Belt, so he killed her, and in the ensuing battle between the Greeks and Amazons he took the Belt and returned to Eurystheos.