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Hemilitron
| Issuer | Morgantina |
|---|---|
| Year | 339 BC - 317 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hemilitron (1/2) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | An eagle displayed in left profile, with wings partially spread and raised, standing over a serpent coiled beneath its talons; the eagle's head is turned downward toward its prey in a dynamic predatory pose. A dotted border frames the left portion of the design, and a control mark or letter appears in the left field. The composition is bold and vigorous, reflecting the high artistic quality of Sicilian die-cutting of the period. No legend is present. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Morgantina's monetary production in this period falls squarely within the city's phase of Sikel and then Campanian mercenary occupation, following the turbulent decades after Timoleon's intervention in Sicily. The city changed hands repeatedly between roughly 339 and 317 BC, and the civic bronze issues of this window reflect a community trying to maintain local economic infrastructure despite chronic political instability.
The hemilitron denomination — half a litra — functioned as everyday small change in a bronze-heavy Sicilian monetary system where silver was scarce in local transactions.