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Didrachm - The Gamoroi
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 510 BC - 490 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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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | A large incuse square divided into four triangular sections by deeply recessed compartments arranged in a swastika-like pattern, characteristic of the early Sicilian incuse technique. At the centre of the incuse square, a small raised circular medallion bears the facing or three-quarter profile head of Arethusa in low relief, rendered in the early Archaic manner. The surrounding quadrants display fine parallel striations within the sunken fields, a hallmark of the earliest Syracusan coinage tradition. |
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| Mint | Syracuse |
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| Additional information |
Syracuse's earliest silver coinage emerged under the Gamoroi — the landowning aristocracy who dominated the city's political structure until their expulsion by a democratic revolt around 491 BC. That uprising, led by the Killichirioi (the lower classes and freed slaves), drove the Gamoroi into exile at Kasmenai before Gelon of Gela restored them to power, an event that ultimately set the stage for his own takeover of Syracuse in 485 BC.
Boehringer's die study remains the foundational reference for sequencing this early Syracusan series, placing this type among the first organised coinage of the western Greek world.