Italy, Bruttium, Rhegion, AE, 12mm

Italy, Bruttium, Rhegium, Æ 12mm, c.450-425 BC, head of lion facing within beaded border, rev. R-E and olive sprig, within beaded border, 1.46g (SNG ANS 678-79; HN Italy 2517). Good very fine.

This small bronze coin was minted at Rhegium, an important Greek city in Bruttium in southern Italy, around 450425 BC. Rhegium, known today as Reggio Calabria, was founded by Greek settlers from Chalcis and became an important city of Magna Graecia. Its position on the Strait of Messina gave it a valuable location for trade and contact between the Greek cities of southern Italy and Sicily. The obverse of the coin shows the front facing head of a lion. The lion was an important symbol in the coinage of Rhegium and may have represented strength, power and protection. Its bold, almost mask like appearance is particularly striking on such a small coin. The reverse carries the letters R-E, identifying Rhegium, together with a small sprig of leaves, usually interpreted as an olive branch. The olive branch was an important Greek symbol associated with peace, prosperity and the agricultural wealth of the Mediterranean. Unlike some of the larger silver coins of Rhegium, this 12 mm bronze piece was intended for everyday transactions. Its small size gives us an interesting glimpse into ordinary economic life in the ancient city. Together, the lion, olive branch and city initials combine symbols of strength, prosperity and civic identity, making this little coin a distinctive example of the coinage of Magna Graecia.