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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,394 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Sorting through the latest batch from CNG before it goes for sale - this one was too cool not to share! Sicily, Morgantina AE 21 C. 211 BC Minted under the Hispani, Spanish mercenaries of the Punic War Bare-headed male head right, Punic script before (faint on this coin) Horseman galloping right holding lance, HISPANORVM below (also faint)  Ref: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/gree...spani/i.htmlMorgantina was a small town located roughly in the center of Sicily. Initially a small city state ruled by a king, it came under the dominion of Syracuse in 449 BC, and then changed hands repeatedly as a bargaining chip. It came under indirect Roman rule in 269 BC when Hiero II submitted to Rome. A few years into the Second Punic War, Morgantina decided to shrug off the Romans and allied with Carthage I'm 214 BC. Carthage sent a number of Iberic mercenaries (the Hispani) to hold the city against Roman military action, but the mercenaries defected to Rome and surrendered the city peacefully in 211 BC. The city slowly dwindled until it was abandoned sometime in the middle of the first century AD. Other than its military history, it was renowned for its wine. |
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
Really enjoy your historical documentaries Steve. That right there is what has peaked my interest in the ancients. Still not decided on exactly what era yet, they ALL look interesting but unfortunately, most neat ones/are out of budget. Will just have to keep playing a while, lots to learn!
Edited by Crazyb0
04/19/2018 1:58 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
1194 Posts |
The excavations of ancient Morgantina included many coins with well preseved specimens of the earliest Roman coins of the denarius system , some of them ever die linked . this coins were discovered in sealed deposits or in unsealed but coherent and strtigraphically related contexts , beneath destruction layers doubtless connected with the double revolt and recapture of the town in the Second Punic War in 214/213 and 211 BC. Since the destruction , where it was noted by the excavators,seems not to have been repeated,it was convincingly associated with Morgantina's second revolt from Roman sovereignty in 211 BC. Consequently,this year has become a universally accepted terminus ad quem for the introduction of the denarius .albert
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Neat coin Steve, like the reverse and background information.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
992 Posts |
Nice dissertation on the history of the era, much better than just coin talk. Ancients deserve more from collectors than a grade.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7958 Posts |
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Other than its military history, it was renowned for its wine. If you like dry red wines, you can enjoy a bottle of that red for which Morgantina was famous. It's called cerasuolo, and there is even one producer who ages it in clay amphorae as was done in antiquity. That winery's name is COS. (slightly off the numismatic beaten path, but sometimes that interest intersects with others) |
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
1194 Posts |
maybe we can create a subforum of ancient coins from wine producing cities with possibility to taste the wine and not only see the coins  . albert |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7958 Posts |
It would be a rather long list for ancient cities on the European side of the Mediterranean, but very short for most cities which are now in the Islamic world.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6130 Posts |
Thanks all for the comments! The coin is up on ebay, for anyone who is interested. Regarding the wine, I thought that nearly all grape varietals had changed so much in the past two millennia that most/all ancient wines are lost forever. I used to be into wine, spirits, and especially craft beer, but I gave it up a few years ago - I can dig out and look at a coin I bought 6 years ago, while the only remnant of the hundreds I spent on craft beer are gone, save for some tipsily-penned tasting notes and unhappy numbers on my bathroom scale! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7958 Posts |
Quote:
I thought that nearly all grape varietals had changed so much in the past two millennia that most/all ancient wines are lost forever. Yes, I think very few grapes have been traced past medieval times via historical records. I expect some clever botanists/ampelographers will eventually find a way through DNA analysis to "date" more of the varieties. Still, in Italy, you have all of these very local varieties, and in Sicily the odds they were brought by the Greeks must be pretty high, I'd expect. Nero d'Avola or Frappato anyone? And yes, I prefer the durability of a coin, too! |
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Pillar of the Community
Netherlands
521 Posts |
Nice find, In my early study years, I wrote a small travel guide article about the site and visited it shortly after.Impressive site! Nowadays close to the modern city of Enna.
Edited by Archeo1982
04/23/2018 1:37 pm
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,394 |
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Posted 04/19/2018 2:54 pm
