Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Æ Uncia
| Issuer | Brettii |
|---|---|
| Year | 211 BC - 208 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Eagle standing to the left with wings spread open and head turned back to the right, a motif emblematic of Bruttian bronze coinage and closely associated with Zeus. A plough is depicted in the left field, serving as a secondary symbol referencing the agrarian character of the Bruttian confederacy. The ethnic legend BΡET-TIΩN is inscribed in Greek characters, identifying the issuing authority. The composition is boldly conceived despite the modest flan size, reflecting the energetic engraving style of southern Italian mints during the Second Punic War period. |
| Reverse script | Greek |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Brettii — the Bruttians of the Italian toe — struck this uncia during the years they held de facto control of much of Calabria and Lucania as allied partners of Hannibal. After Rome's catastrophic defeat at Cannae in 216 BC, the Bruttians defected and began issuing an independent coinage to pay troops and administer territory. By 208 BC, Roman reconquest was tightening, and this series was running out of time. The Bruttian state ceased to exist as an issuing authority not long after, and its bronze coinage was effectively demonetized by Roman fiat.