Catalog
1 Diobol Beast series
| Issuer | Populonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 501 BC - 450 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Diobol = 2 Obol = ⅓ Drachm |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Facing lion head rendered in archaic style, depicted frontally with prominent mane radiating symmetrically around the face, wide-set staring eyes, and a broadly open mouth revealing teeth. The modelling is bold and stylised, characteristic of early Etruscan coinage from Populonia. The design fills the flan with strong relief, occupying the entire obverse field without inscription or legend. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Mint | Populonia |
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| Additional information |
Populonia stands as one of the few Etruscan cities known to have struck its own coinage, and among the earliest issues in the Italian peninsula. The Beast series diobols belong to the formative phase of this mint, when Populonia's economy ran on iron smelting and maritime trade with Greeks and Carthaginians alike — contact that almost certainly introduced the technology and concept of struck coinage to the city in the first place.
The SNG Firenze specimen referenced here was recovered from Tuscany's archaeological record and remains a key comparative piece for die studies of this series.