Rhine Legions. Anonymous, circa May/June-December 68. Denarius (Subaeratus, 16 mm, 2.08 g, 4 h), uncertain mint in Gaul or in the Rhine Valley. 'Hercules Group'. HE[RCVLES AD]SERTOR Laureate and bearded head of Hercules to right. Rev. FLORENTE [FORTVNA P•R•] Fortuna standing front, head to left, holding branch in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left. BMC p. 294, *. CG 9.1 (this coin). Cohen 365. Martin 9. Nicolas 9. RIC 49. Extremely rare, one of five known examples, only two of which are in private hands (both in the Gollnow Collection). A very interesting and unusual issue. Some breaks in plating, otherwise, very fine.


The remarkable 'Hercules Group' can be attributed to the Rhine Legions by its fabric - the coins are mostly struck on small flans and plated - as well as by Hercules' unusual epithet ADSERTOR, which also occurs for Mars (Martin 22-23 and Nicolas 23). It is a word with different meanings and in this context perhaps best translated as 'Hercules the defender' and 'Mars the defender', respectively. The coins with Mars reveal to us what the god of war and the belligerent demi-god are invoked to defend, namely LIBERTAS, 'liberty', which, according to the message, was taken away from the Roman people by the tyrant, Nero.

Perhaps even more unusual is the reverse legend, written here, curiously, in the ablative and praising the 'flourishing fortune of the Roman people'. Another issue reads FELIX FORTVN P R, thus promising the 'happy fortune of the Roman people'. Clearly these coins were struck in a military environment, praising Mars and Hercules, both of whom were particularly popular among soldiers (in fact, Hercules was used as the coat of arms of the Legio XXII Primigenia in Mogontiacum), but the overall message of the issue is that of a rebellion of the legions in the interest of the Roman people.