HERACLES Authentic Greek Bronze Coin 4th cent. BC (Minted by Alexander the Great) Pendant

An incredible and authentic 4th century BC Greek bronze coin is set in this pendant, depicting Heracles (Hercules) wearing the lion skin on the obverse. On the reverse, the coin shows a club and quiver, traditional attributes of the hero and enduring symbols of his legendary strength and warrior spirit.

Heracles was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon. He was a great-grandson and half-brother of Perseus (both sired by Zeus). Considered the greatest of the Greek heroes, Heracles was a paragon of masculinity, the ancestor of royal clans who claimed descent from him (the Heracleidae), and a champion of the Olympian order against chthonic monsters. In Rome and the modern West, he is known as Hercules, with whom later Roman emperors—particularly Commodus and Maximian—often identified themselves. The Romans adopted the Greek version of his life and labors largely unchanged, but added details linking him to the geography and traditions of the Central Mediterranean.

Heracles was renowned for his extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity, and even his passionate nature, which made him both a beloved benefactor and a formidable enemy. His iconographic attributes—the lion skin, the club, and the quiver—were central to his cult and imagery throughout the Greek world. Together with Hermes, he was honored as the patron and protector of gymnasia and palaestrae.

By conquering monsters and dangerous forces, Heracles was believed to have “made the world safe for mankind,” cementing his role as both protector and cultural hero. His myths, however, also portrayed him as deeply human—capable of playfulness and warmth, but also of wrath and tragedy, as explored in the works of Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca.

Our jewelry store, Serra Roma, proudly presents an exquisite collection that beautifully honors the ancient traditions of Greek and Roman civilizations. Each piece in our collection, including authentic ancient Roman and Greek coins and intaglios, is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, providing proof of its historical significance and origin.