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Tetrobol 'light drachm' A
| Issuer | Massalia (Greek colony) |
|---|---|
| Year | 150 BC - 130 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tetrobol (⅔) |
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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 | A lion standing right in a striding, aggressive pose with head turned to face forward and mouth open, displaying a dynamic and vigorous treatment typical of Massalian civic coinage. The mane is rendered with detailed radiating lines. The ethnic legend ΜΑΣΣΑ is inscribed above in the upper field, and ΛΙΗΤΩΝ appears in the lower exergue, together reading ΜΑΣΣΑΛΙΗΤΩΝ (of the Massaliotes). A letter A appears in the right field as a control mark. A linear border and dotted border frame the design. |
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| Mint | Massalia (modern Marseille, France) |
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| Additional information |
Massalia — modern Marseille — was the most commercially active Greek colony in the western Mediterranean, and its silver coinage circulated far beyond the city's immediate territory. These lighter fractional pieces, sometimes called "light drachms" by modern catalogers, proliferated during a period when Massalia was navigating increasing Roman influence in southern Gaul while still maintaining independent monetary production. The city would retain that independence until 49 BC, when Caesar besieged and subdued it for backing Pompey.
The weight reduction from the standard drachm reflects deliberate monetary policy responding to regional trade pressures, not debasement.