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¼ Unit
| Issuer | City of Arse-Saguntum (Edetani people) |
|---|---|
| Year | 195 BC - 130 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A large scallop shell rendered in high relief, occupying the central field, its radiating ribs fanning outward from a flat base in bold, deeply incised lines. The lower margin of the shell rests upon a row of raised pellets forming a decorative border element characteristic of Iberian bronze coinage of the period. The design is stark and unlettered, with no legend or exergual inscription, the shell motif serving as the sole device within the plain field. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Saguntum's coinage is inseparable from the city's role as the flashpoint of the Second Punic War — Rome's treaty obligation to defend it from Hannibal in 219 BC gave both sides the pretext for the conflict that would define the Mediterranean world for a generation. By the time this fractional bronze entered circulation, the city had been rebuilt under Roman patronage and was operating with a degree of civic autonomy that permitted local bronze issues, even as the Edetani cultural identity was being steadily absorbed into the Roman provincial structure of Hispania Citerior.
The "Arse" toponym preserved in the references reflects the pre-Roman Iberian name, used concurrently with "Saguntum" on coinage through much of this period.