★ Extremely rare heroic bust type ★

Maximianus (286-305), antoninianus, issued c. 290. Siscia, second officina, 3.69g, 23mm.
Obv: IMP C M A VAL MAXIMIANVS P AVG; Radiate bust right, heroically nude, with slight drapery on both shoulders.
Rev: CONSERVATOR AVGG / B / XXIKOY; Maximianus, holding sceptre, and Hercules, holding club, standing facing one another and sacrificing over tripod between.
RIC 581var.
cf. Naumann 44 lot 1118, 07.08.2016 (realized 725 EUR) (RIC 580, the more common obverse legend)
Extremely rare bust type and scarce obverse legend (none on acsearch, one listed is misidentified). An impressive coin.

RIC catalogues a bare bust viewed from behind, which is reasonably common, but this impressive heroic bust viewed from the front, and with prominent pectoral muscles, is extremely rare. There could be no better illustration of the Herculean association with Maximianus, who was by all accounts a powerfully built man.

This coin is part of the HPKOYΛI coded series at Siscia. Each officina used a designated portion of "Hercules" spelled out in Greek letters; officina B had "KOY." (Similarly IOBI was divided among the officinae for Diocletian's coins.) See Doug Smith's page on the series: https://bit.ly/sisckoy.