The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 10, 2026

A horizontal arrangement of two silver coin faces depicts a bearded head and a horse. Left, the profile of Herakles faces our right, wearing a lion skin with thick curls. Right, a horse stands in profile within a shallow rectangular frame, facing our right with its front right leg raised. Above, Greek letters read "MYN," while "TA" is inscribed vertically along the right. Both images sit against a neutral, light background.

Stater: Head of Bearded Herakles (obverse); Horse (reverse)

389–369 BCE

Greek, Macedonian, probably minted at Pella , reign of Amyntas III

(Macedonia)
silver
Diameter: 2.1 cm (13/16 in.)
Gift of J. H. Wade 1916.990
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Amyntas III was the father of Philip II and grandfather of Alexander III (the Great).

Description

An older, bearded Herakles wears his lion-skin on the obverse of this coin, surrounded by a beaded border. On the reverse, a horse stands within an incuse square, where the inscription ΑΜΥΝ ΤΑ identifies King Amyntas III as ruler. The pairing of head and horse extends back to the earlier Macedonian king Archelaus (413-399 BC), though a young male head sometimes takes the place of Herakles.
  • Stories from Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
  • {{cite web|title=Stater: Head of Bearded Herakles (obverse); Horse (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=389–369 BCE|access-date=10 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.990