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1 As Sunburst with four rays
| Issuer | Tarquinii |
|---|---|
| Year | 280 BC - 260 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 As |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central sunburst motif with four prominent raised rays radiating outward from a central boss, dividing the flat flan into four equal quadrants. The design is rendered in low relief consistent with the cast aes grave tradition, with the rays extending nearly to the coin's edge. The surface exhibits the characteristic rough, granular texture of sand-cast bronze production. No legend or inscription is present. The flan is broad and irregular in outline, typical of early Etruscan aes grave coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Tarquinii, the old Etruscan center on the Tyrrhenian coast, struck aes grave during a period when Rome was rapidly consolidating control over Etruria following the wars of the early third century BC. This heavy cast bronze issue belongs to a regional tradition that was already being squeezed out by Roman monetary dominance — within a generation or two, autonomous Etruscan coinage of this kind had effectively ceased.
The sunburst with four rays serves as the city's identifying mark across the aes grave series, allowing attribution even when pieces are fragmentary or poorly cast, as many are.