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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Brettii |
|---|---|
| Year | 215 BC - 214 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Attic drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Nike, depicted as a winged female figure, drives a biga (two-horse chariot) at full gallop to the right; she is shown in dynamic three-quarter view, her drapery billowing behind her as she leans forward holding the reins. In the lower field beneath the horses, a palm branch is visible. The ethnic legend BPETTIΩN appears in the exergue in Greek characters, identifying the issuing authority of the Brettii. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border, consistent with the Hellenistic coinage tradition of southern Italy. |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
The Brettii — the Bruttian confederation of Calabria's interior — issued gold coinage only during a narrow window following their alliance with Hannibal after Cannae in 216 BC. This hemidrachm belongs to that emergency production, almost certainly funded in part by melted Roman booty or tribute diverted from Rome's former allies. The confederation's mint output collapsed as Roman reconquest tightened through the 200s BC, making the entire gold series extremely short-lived by political necessity rather than design intent.