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Litra
| Issuer | Gela |
|---|---|
| Year | 339 BC - 310 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Bearded male head facing left, identified as the river-god Gelas, with wavy hair and a full, flowing beard rendered in fine strands with naturalistic detail. The hair is bound or adorned with a reed or floral element at the side, consistent with river-deity iconography on Sicilian coinage. The field to the left bears a partial inscription; the overall style reflects the high-quality engraving tradition of late 4th-century BC Sicilian mints. |
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| Mint | Gela |
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| Additional information |
Gela's final decades as an independent mint were turbulent. The city was sacked by Agathocles of Syracuse in 311 BC, an assault so devastating that the population was effectively dispersed and the mint ceased operation shortly after. Coins struck in this closing window are consequently scarce, produced in diminishing quantities as Syracusan pressure mounted throughout the 310s.
The litra denomination itself was a Sicilian silver unit, lighter than the Aeginetan standard, rooted in a local weight system that predated widespread Attic influence on the island.