Alba Fucens was a Latin colony planted by Rome in 303 BC in the territory of the Aequi, deep in the Apennines. The date range on this issue places it squarely within the period of the Samnite and Pyrrhic Wars, when Rome was asserting control over central Italy and its allied colonies were producing small silver fractions to meet local exchange needs. The obol format reflects Greek influence filtering up through southern Italy — unusual for a Latin colony this far north.
Alba Fucens was a Latin colony planted by Rome in 303 BC in the territory of the Aequi, deep in the Apennines. The date range on this issue places it squarely within the period of the Samnite and Pyrrhic Wars, when Rome was asserting control over central Italy and its allied colonies were producing small silver fractions to meet local exchange needs. The obol format reflects Greek influence filtering up through southern Italy — unusual for a Latin colony this far north.