RIC VI, ALEXANDRIA 3, MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS, REVERSE VARIETY

6-569

OBVERSE

MAXIMI-ANVSAVG [MAXIMIANVS AVG]; head r., laur.

REVERSE

HERCVLI-CO-MAVςς [HERCVLI COM AVςς]; Hercules stg. r. (or facing), head l., r. resting on club, l. holding up two apples and lion's skin. Star in left field (under Hercules' r. arm). ALE in exergue.

NOT IN RIC

REVERSE VARIETY. Specimen similar to ALEXANDRIA 3 (from the Dumbarton Oaks Collection; BZC.1951.12; 5.345 g; cited in RIC) except for Hercules stg. r., head l. Sutherland describes rev. as follows: "Hercules stg. facing (actually l.), head r., r. resting on club, l. holding up four apples and lion's skin". Note that variety listed in RIC is much rarer. There are sometimes other minor differences (place of star or number of apples).
Note also that so far three different rev. legend breaks are attested: I-CO-M, C-OMA-V and C-O, which could make in RIC three separate entries (cf. TREVERI 802 and 807 or SISCIA 61 and SISCIA 62).
Listed in Depeyrot (p. 149, no. 5/2; rev. legend breaks C-OMA-V).

NOTES

Aureus. Weight 5.06 g. Coin sold on Gorny & Mosch auction 180 (lot 430) in October 2009 for EUR 5,400.
Other specimens:
- from the British Museum Collection (reg. no. 1862,0714.3; also cited in RIC!); weight 5.16 g; star over Hercules' arm; three apples (?); rev. legend breaks C-OMA-V [click for picture];
- sold on CNG Triton XXVI (lot 839) in January 2023 for USD 11,000; weight 5.30 g; diameter 19 mm; star over Hercules' arm; three or four apples; rev. legend breaks C-OMA-V [click for picture];
- sold on Numismatica Ars Classica auction 106 (lot 1041) in May 2018 for CHF 16,000; sold on Künker auction 416 (lot 2094) in October 2024 for EUR 24,000; weight 5.46 g; star over Hercules' arm; three apples; rev. legend break C-O [click for picture];
- sold on Numismatica Ars Classica auction 49 (lot 430) in October 2008 for CHF 2,900; weight 5.16 g [click for picture];
- sold on LHS Numismatik auctiom 95 (lot 846) in October 2005 for CHF 8,500; weight 5.48 g; three apples (?); rev. legend breaks C-OMA-V [click for picture].