Catalog
Æ Roman rule
| Issuer | Syracuse (Sicily) |
|---|---|
| Year | 208 BC - 204 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Litra |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A torch set vertically at center, flanked by a pileus (felt cap) on either side, representing the Dioskouroi (Castor and Pollux), their traditional symbols under Roman-period Syracusan coinage. The Greek ethnic legend ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ is inscribed around the design in two lines, divided by the torch, reading across the upper and lateral fields. The entire type is enclosed within a beaded border. The composition reflects the civic pride of Syracuse during the period of Roman administration. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Syracuse fell to Rome in 212 BC after a two-year siege that killed Archimedes and ended the city's long independence. These small bronzes, struck in the years immediately following, represent the Roman administration's pragmatic decision to continue local coin production rather than flood Sicily with Roman currency — a pattern Rome repeated across newly acquired Greek territories to avoid disrupting trade networks that depended on familiar denominations.