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Litra - Dionysius I
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 405 BC - 400 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.80 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | An octopus is depicted centrally in bold, high relief, its eight tentacles radiating outward and curling symmetrically across the field in a dynamic, almost decorative arrangement. The mantle is prominently rendered at the top, and the sinuous arms curl with naturalistic energy, filling the flan entirely. This marine motif was a recurring reverse type on early Syracusan silver litrai, referencing the city's close association with the sea. The reverse is uninscribed, with no exergual line or border. |
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| Mintage | ND (405 BC - 400 BC) |
| Additional information |
Dionysius I seized power in Syracuse in 405 BC amid the chaos of Carthaginian invasion — the same campaign that obliterated Acragas and Selinus. His early coinage, including fractional silver of this type, served immediate military economics: paying mercenaries and garrisoning a city under existential threat. The litra, as the standard Sicilian silver fraction, was the workhorse denomination of that crisis economy.
SNG ANS 282 places this piece within a tightly catalogued sequence. Dies for fractional silver of this period were cut by skilled engravers nonetheless — Syracuse maintained remarkable artistic standards even under siege conditions.