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100 Litrai
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 304 BC - 289 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Head of Athena facing right, wearing a Corinthian helmet pushed back on the head, the helmet adorned with a prominent crest and cheekpieces. The goddess's hair falls in loose curls beneath the helmet rim, framing her finely modelled facial features. The portrait is rendered in high relief in the accomplished Syracusan engraving tradition. A beaded border encircles the entire field. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Syracuse's gold coinage of this period falls under the reign of Agathocles, the tyrant-turned-king who declared himself basileus in 304 BC in direct imitation of the Diadochi carving up Alexander's empire. The emission was partly a political statement aimed at peer recognition among Hellenistic dynasties, partly a military necessity — Agathocles spent the final decade of his reign in near-constant campaigning across Sicily and southern Italy, and gold coin was the currency of mercenary contracts.
The 100 litrai denomination placed this issue at the apex of the Syracusan value scale. Agathocles died in 289 BC, reportedly poisoned, and the kingdom collapsed within months. Issues struck close to that terminal date are presumed to have circulated briefly before the city's monetary system fractured entirely.