Etruscan coins

The brief period of Etruscan coinage, with the predominance of marks of value[citation needed], seems to be an amalgam that reconciles two very different monetary systems: the 'primitive' bronze-weighing and aes grave economy of central Italy with that of struck silver and gold issues of southern Italian Greek type not familiar in Etruria[citation needed].

By c. 280 BC, the Roman libra or pound weighed about 325 g, subdivided into 12 unciae of about 27 g and 288 scripula of about 1,13 g. The cast round aes grave coinage of Volterra,[1] Tarquinia, including bars,[2] and the Chiana Valley with its associated struck unciae and semi-unciae,[3] are all firmly dated to the 3rd century BC, including a series of oval shaped cast bronze possibly from Volsini.

An attribution to the 5th century for these first issues of tridrachms, didrachms, or staters and drachms is plausible since they seem to be struck on the 'Chalcidian' silver drachm standard of theoretically about 5.8 grams,[7] which were present at Etruria's nearest Greek neighbour, i.e. Cumae, dated to about 475-470 BC [8] and at other Greek cities important to Etruscan sea-borne commerce in the early 5th century, such as Himera, Naxos and Zancle.

The coins are of Greek style, but with an Etruscan flavour and have a predilection for 'apotropaic' images of exotic animals and monsters that drive away evil demons.

Find evidence from the Ponte Gini di Orentino excavation [17] suggests a dating for this whole phase in the first half of the 3rd century and may be connected with the First Punic War.

[19] The unique Apollo-like head/majestic bull walking 20-unit piece is reminiscent of the bronze issues of the Latin colonies of Aesernia, Cales, Compultaria, Suessa Aurunca and Teanum in Campania [20] dated to the mid-3rd century BC.