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| Issuer | Metapontion |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 250 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm (540-200BC) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large barley ear occupies the central field, depicted facing upward with prominent, fanned grains rendered in bold relief — the civic emblem emblematic of Metapontion's agricultural prosperity. To the right of the stalk appears a small leaf or secondary plant motif. The ethnic legend ΜΕΤΑ is positioned to the right of the ear, written in Greek characters. The overall composition is characteristic of the bronze coinage struck at Metapontion during the early Hellenistic period. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Metapontion (Lucania) |
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| Additional information |
Metapontion's bronze small-change coinage of this period reflects the city's gradual economic decline following the catastrophic aftermath of the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC, when the polis threw its support behind Pyrrhus of Epirus — a gamble that ultimately accelerated Metapontion's marginalization within the region. These fractional bronzes circulated locally as the city's once-dominant grain trade contracted.