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Drachm
| Issuer | Brettii |
|---|---|
| Year | 216 BC - 214 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Nike facing right, her hair bound with a diadem and gathered in a bun at the nape, rendered in fine parallel striations characteristic of South Italian die-cutting. A pronounced earring is visible below the ear. In the left field behind the bust appears a horse's head facing right, serving as a secondary control or ethnic symbol. The flan is irregular and slightly ragged at the rim, consistent with hand-struck Italic coinage of the period. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
The Brettii — the Bruttian confederacy of southern Italy — began striking silver coinage around the time of Hannibal's devastating victories over Rome, and this drachm falls squarely within that window. After Cannae in 216 BC, much of southern Italy defected to Carthaginian alliance, and the Brettii were among the most committed. Their silver issues almost certainly served in part to pay troops and sustain a war economy operating outside Roman control. The confederation's coinage output collapsed once Rome reasserted dominance over the region by 211–210 BC, making the production window for this type extremely narrow.