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Æ - Hieron II
| Issuer | Syracuse (Sicily) |
|---|---|
| Year | 269 BC - 263 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 4.14 g |
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| Reverse description | A horse galloping vigorously to the right, depicted with all four legs extended in a dynamic flying gallop pose, conveying considerable energy and movement. The animal is rendered with attention to musculature and anatomical detail characteristic of Syracusan bronze coinage of this period. A ground line is visible beneath the horse. The abbreviated Greek legend ΙΕΡΩΝΟΣ (genitive of Hieron) appears in the exergue below the ground line. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Hieron II struck these bronzes shortly after seizing power in Syracuse, initially as a general who had defended the city against Mamertine mercenaries raiding from Messana. His early coinage preceded any formal royal title — he would not claim the kingship until around 265 BC, making issues from the opening years of this series technically the coinage of a strategos, not a monarch. The Mamertine threat that defined this political moment would ultimately draw Rome into Sicily for the first time, triggering the First Punic War.