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Hemiobol - Dionysius I
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 367 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Octopus depicted facing, with a prominent rounded mantle at center and eight sinuous, undulating tentacles radiating outward to fill the field. The creature is rendered in a bold, archaic style characteristic of Syracusan small silver coinage, with the tentacles shown in low relief curling across the flan. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Sixteen-rayed star with a central pellet boss, the rays alternating in length and radiating symmetrically to the edge of the flan. The design is boldly incuse, struck in a shallow concave field typical of archaic Sicilian coinage. No legend or inscription is present. |
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| Additional information |
Dionysius I ruled Syracuse for nearly four decades, transforming it into the dominant power of the western Greek world through relentless warfare against Carthage and the other Sicilian poleis. His mint output was vast, but the fractional silver denominations — the hemiobol among the smallest — were struck in comparatively limited numbers and survive today in genuinely poor condition far more often than not, having circulated hard in a port economy that ground lightweight flans mercilessly.