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Didrachm
| Issuer | Capua |
|---|---|
| Year | 216 BC - 211 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Didrachm (2) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate head of Zeus facing right, rendered with vigorous Italic artistry; the deity displays a full, curling beard and flowing locks of hair beneath the wreath, with strongly modelled facial features in high relief. The portrait is enclosed within a beaded border that follows the coin's irregular flan. No legend appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 𐌊𐌀𐌐𐌖 |
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| Additional information |
Capua struck this issue after defecting to Hannibal following the Roman catastrophe at Cannae in 216 BC — one of the most consequential acts of Italian disloyalty Rome would ever face. The city's willingness to abandon the Roman alliance gave Hannibal his most valuable Italian base and prompted Rome to promise, upon reconquest, a punishment severe enough to deter any future defection.
That reconquest came in 211 BC. Rome stripped Capua of political existence entirely — no magistrates, no senate, no citizen body. The city was governed as a mere possession. These coins therefore represent the complete lifespan of Capuan independence under Barcid protection, beginning and ending within five years.