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Tetrobol 'light drachm' AK
| Issuer | Massalia |
|---|---|
| Year | 150 BC - 130 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | AK (monogram) |
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| Reverse lettering | MAΣΣA AK ΛIHTΩN (Translation: Massalia) |
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| Additional information |
Massalia — the Greek colony at modern Marseille — struck silver in extraordinary volume throughout the Hellenistic period, and this lighter fractional type reflects a deliberate weight reduction adopted as the city navigated competing monetary systems across southern Gaul. The "light drachm" designation distinguishes it from the heavier civic drachms that preceded it, and the shift corresponds broadly with Rome's tightening grip on trade routes through the region following the Gracchan land reforms and escalating military presence in Transalpine Gaul.
MHM#38/7 places this piece within a well-documented die sequence, though individual die linkages within the series remain incompletely published.