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12 Litrai - Fifth Democracy
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 214 BC - 212 BC |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Mint | Syracuse |
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| Additional information |
Syracuse's Fifth Democracy was the city's last gasp of self-governance before the Roman siege of 214–212 BC ended three centuries of Greek independence in Sicily. These coins were struck under the pressure of imminent military catastrophe — Marcellus had already encircled the city, and the famous defensive engines of Archimedes, who died during the eventual Roman sack, were the primary reason the siege dragged on for two years rather than weeks. Emergency silver issues of this period drew on whatever bullion reserves the treasury could mobilize.
The short production window of roughly two years makes die-linked survivors traceable across major collections.