Hemidrachm

The Brettii — the Bruttian confederation of southern Italy — struck this issue at a moment of maximum political urgency. Following Rome's catastrophic defeat at Cannae in 216 BC, Hannibal's coalition rapidly absorbed large portions of southern Italy, and the Brettii formally defected to Carthage shortly after. This coinage was almost certainly minted to fund military operations conducted in direct alliance with Hannibal's forces, making it, in practical terms, anti-Roman war coinage.

HN Italy 1972 is among the scarcer Bruttian silver denominations; the Scheu reference places it within a tightly defined die study that confirms a limited production window.