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Litra
| Issuer | Messana |
|---|---|
| Year | 412 BC - 408 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Litra |
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| 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 | A hare in full gallop springing to right, rendered in bold relief characteristic of Sicilian die-cutting of the early fifth century BC. In the lower field below the animal, the Greek letter Λ (lambda) appears alongside a scallop shell, both serving as subsidiary control marks. The composition is enclosed within a plain circular border, and the vigorous naturalistic treatment of the hare reflects the high artistic standards of Messanan coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Messana's silver litrai from this period fall squarely within the First Carthaginian War's destabilizing shadow over northeastern Sicily. The city had been refounded by Anaxilas around 488 BC after the expulsion of the Zanclaeans, and by the early fourth century it retained enough autonomous monetary output to issue small silver denominations independently — a capacity many Sicilian cities lost entirely during Carthaginian incursions after 409 BC. The litra, as the native Sicilian weight standard, predates the Attic system's dominance and reflects an indigenous monetary tradition that Greek colonists absorbed rather than replaced.
Caltabiano 638 is a scarce variety within an already thinly documented series.