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Æ Litra
| Issuer | Gela |
|---|---|
| Year | 339 BC - 310 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 27 mm |
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| Obverse description | Helmeted warrior on horseback advancing to the right, depicted in vigorous action with arm raised as if hurling a spear or javelin; the rider wears a Corinthian-style helmet and is rendered in high relief with considerable artistic energy. The horse is shown at full gallop, its legs extended dynamically. The overall composition fills the flan and reflects the bold, expressive style characteristic of Sicilian civic bronzes of the late Classical period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Gela's bronze coinage of this period was produced under extraordinary political duress. The city had been sacked by Carthaginian forces in 405 BC and then partially resettled, but it remained a contested and diminished polis throughout the fourth century — caught between Syracusan dominance and recurring Carthaginian pressure along Sicily's southern coast. The mint was ultimately silenced for good when Agathocles of Syracuse destroyed Gela entirely around 310 BC, making that date the hard terminus for this type.
The weight places this firmly among the heavier litra issues, consistent with Jenkins's grouping in the later phase of production.