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Nomos
| Issuer | Herakleia (Lucania) |
|---|---|
| Year | 281 BC - 278 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Head of Athena facing right, wearing an Attic helmet adorned with a coiled serpent and decorated crest, with flowing locks of hair visible beneath. The helmet bowl is richly detailed with incised ornamental work in the characteristic late Classical style of Herakleia. The ethnic legend ΗΡΑΚΛΗΙΩΝ arcs around the upper field, with the control letter E positioned in the lower left field. The portrait is rendered with fine artistic detail, exhibiting the high-relief engraving tradition of Lucanian mint work of the early third century BC. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ˫ΗΡΑΚΛΗΙΩΝ E |
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| Additional information |
These nomoi from Herakleia fall within the years immediately surrounding Pyrrhus of Epirus's arrival in southern Italy — a period when the city was navigating its position as a Tarentine ally under acute Roman military pressure. Herakleia had been the site of Pyrrhus's first victory over Rome in 280 BC, fought on the very plain between the city and the Siris River. Whether these coins helped fund Pyrrhic operations or simply continued a municipal issue through the upheaval is unresolved, but the chronological overlap is not incidental.