TYPE Roman Empire, Commodus (180-192 AD), silver denarius, struck ca. 192 AD. DESCRIPTION . Obv: Laureate head to right, legend L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL Rev: Commodus as Hercules, naked with foot on prow and resting club an a tree stump, clasping hands (exchanging grain stalks?) with figure of Africa, the latter with elephant headdress, holding sistrum and with lion at her feet legend: PROVID[...] AVG REFERENCE: RSC 643, VM 90 GRADING: VF / F+, some porosity and gray toning, scarce ORDER INFO: R2412, $100 Scarce and interesting type, apparently in reference to the reorganization of the vital North African grain fleet, probably in Commodus' last regnal year (192 AD). The immodest allusion to the emperor's wisdom and "foresight" in this matter, through the reference to the deity of Providentia, is only topped by Commodus' latter-day obsession and (worse yet) identification with the cult of Hercules, also evident here - one of the last straws that eventually pushed his opponenets to move from imaginary or failed plots to carefuly planned successful one, on the closing night of the same year.