THRACE, Serdica. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ Diassarion (20.5mm, 5.17 g, 12h). VF.

Electronic Auction 590
Lot: 395.
Closing Date: Jul 2 2025 10:00 ET

Roman Provincial, Bronze

Estimate: $ 100

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THRACE, Serdica. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ Diassarion (20.5mm, 5.17 g, 12h). Laureate head right / Infant Herakles, kneeling right, head left, strangling serpent in each hand. H&J, Serdica 12.18.14.14; Ruzicka, Serdica 391 var. (obv. legend); Varbanov 2097 corr. (obv. legend). Yellow-brown patina, slight porosity. VF.

From the Kelly Ramage Collection.

Herakles was the son of Zeus and Alkmene. This union and the child it produced enraged Zeus’ wife, Hera, who tried to kill Herakles. Shortly after his birth, she sent two serpents one night to strangle the infant as he lay sleeping in his crib. The following morning, the nurse discovered Herakles playing with their lifeless bodies: during the night he had strangled one in each hand. This early example of his renowned strength earned him the name Herakliskos Drakonopnigon, or “the serpent-slaying infant Herakles.”

Closing Date and Time: 2 July 2025 at 12:11:20 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.