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This coin bears the image
of a beardless helmeted head with a sword and the letters “S” and “V” to
the right and behind. On the reverse, a walking figure representing
Hercules carrying a club and trophy. The motif is derived from Roman
denarii of 47 BCE (Allen 94). Under
the right arm of Hercules is printed the letters “ARVS.” Hercules
is bearded, stands with his left leg bent behind the right, and is composed
of exaggerated musculature, especially in the abdomen. Also
on the reverse is a figure on a pedestal touching the right of Hercules.
He wears a long thick cloak that fastens in the front and hides its arms.
The head is small, round, and bears roughly naturalistic features that
are not of a child. It is not clear whether the figure wears shoes.
Although some sources identify the figure as Telesphoros (Muret;
Ployart). The cloaked figure has also been attributed to the cult of
the genius cucullatus because the coin is dated to a period at least
one hundred years before the appearance of Greek money bearing the image
of Telesphorus (Deonna
48). This coin and a few others with the same impression are
thought to depict the legend of Segusiaus Arus and were found in
the region of the Seguisiavi, among the great silver hoards found in Gaul
dated to around 50 BCE.
Allen,
fig. 335, 336
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