15 / 194
16
Bruttium, The Bretti. Silver Drachm (4.76 g), 216-214 BC. Second Punic War issue. Diademed and draped
bust of Nike right, wearing single-pendant earring and necklace. Rev.
BRETTIWN
, River god standing
facing, crowning himself with wreath and holding scepter; in right field, rhyton. Arslan dies 35/53; HN
Italy 1959. Well struck and nicely toned. Extremely Fine.
$800
From the Dionysus Collection.
17
Bruttium, The Bretti. Silver Drachm (4.23 g), 216-214 BC. Second Punic War issue. Veiled head of Hera
Lakinia right, wearing polos; over shoulder, scepter and fly. Rev.
BRETTIWN
, Zeus standing left, resting
foot on Ionic capital, holding scepter; in left field, eagle flying left, holding wreath in talons. Arslan dies
29/43’; HN Italy 1970. Minor porosity, untoned. Extremely Fine.
$500
From the Dionysus Collection.
18
Bruttium, Kaulonia. Silver Nomos (7.63 g), ca. 500-480 BC. KAV
L
O (retrograde), Apollo advancing
right, holding branch; small daimon running right on Apollo’s outstretched arm; to right, stag standing
right, head turned back.
rev.
Incuse of obverse, but daimon and ethnic in relief and palm branch to right.
Noe grp. D, 53 (same obv. die); HN Italy 2038.
Rare.
Underlying luster present.
About Extremely Fine.
$2,000
From the Dionysus Collection.
This issue of Kaulonia belongs to a remarkable class of coins struck by Greek cities in southern Italy in the late
sixth century BC and characterized by incuse reverse designs replicating the raised designs of the obverse. The rea-
son for the development of this peculiar and technologically complex method of coining (obverse and reverse dies need-
ed to be produced with precision so that the raised and incuse designs would line up properly on the finished coin) re-
mains unclear. It has been suggested, a little implausibly, that the incuse reverses were employed to facilitate the easy
stacking of coins. Perhaps somewhat more likely are the suggestions that the incuse reverses might have been intended to
thwart counterfeiting or that they represent the influence of local tradtions of repoussé work in Magna Graecia. Whatev-
er the case, the coins are impressive in the technological skill required to create them and charming in their Archaic style.