CALABRIA. Tarentum. Circa 325-280 BC. Diobol (Silver, 12 mm, 0.95 g, 6 h). Head of Herakles, wearing lionskin headdress, three-quarter facing to left. Rev. Herakles, bare-headed, standing right, battling the Nemean lion; between Herakles' legs, ΔΙ. Cf. HN III 977 and Vlasto 1348 ( both lacking ΔΙ ). Rare. A lovely, lightly toned and pleasing piece. Extremely fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, ex Monnaies & Médailles 68, 15 April 1986, 16.

On the reverse of this coin we see Herakles, his legs spread, lifting up his lion; but on the obverse we have his extraordinary nearly facing head. This portrait of the youthful demigod is astonishingly well-done and ought to be compared with the equally flamboyant facing head of Athena struck a generation of two later (see, below, lot 40).