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1 Tridrachm Beast series: chimera
| Issuer | Populonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 501 BC - 450 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm (circa 550-450 BC) |
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| Obverse description | The chimera, a composite mythological creature rendered in the Archaic Etruscan style, depicted in profile advancing to the right, with the body of a lion, a serpentine tail, and a goat's head rising from the back. The beast strides dynamically across a ground line composed of multiple parallel horizontal lines in the lower field, lending a sense of register to the composition. A dotted border frames the design around the periphery of the flan. The engraving is bold and vigorous, characteristic of early Populonian die-cutting, with musculature suggested through confident incised lines. No legend or inscription appears on this face. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Populonia was the only Etruscan city to strike its own coinage directly — every other major Etruscan center relied on imported or Greek-made currency. This tridrachm belongs to the earliest phase of that mint, produced when Populonia's iron-smelting economy was at its peak, processing ore shipped from Elba across the short channel separating the island from the Tyrrhenian coast.
The chimera type is among the most frequently cited of the Beast series in the major reference collections, yet actual surviving specimens are genuinely scarce. The Vecchi and HN Italy concordance places this issue firmly in the archaic phase before Populonia's weight standard began drifting toward lighter denominations around mid-century.