One of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greek mythology, Herakles was known to be the strongest man on earth. He was the son of Zeus (the ruler of the Greek gods) and Alcmene (a human and the wife of the Theban general Amphitryon). Herakles won fame for completing twelve seemingly impossible tasks, known as the "Labors of Herakles." Worshiped by the Greeks as both a god and as a mortal hero, Herakles is depicted on coins throughout ancient Greek history.
Ancient coinage pays intrinsic homage to gods and goddesses; to great nations and powerful leaders; to majestic animals and breathtaking landscapes; to stately buildings and graceful sailing ships. They represent metal creations of human ingenuity, these precious little alloyed articles born in the fiery furnaces of mintmasters' workshops.
Coins have been among us for more than two and one-half millennia. They began as small lumps of electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver, in the 7th century B.C. in Lydia and Ionia in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). It is likely that they will continue to be of use for commerce as long as human beings endure on Earth. Appreciate their history and marvel at their beauty, as coins are eternally scattered to the ends of the globe!
