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1 Semis Wheel / Krater
| Issuer | Uncertain Etruscan mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 240 BC - 225 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 94.55 g |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central device consisting of a large spoked wheel with six spokes radiating from a raised central hub, rendered in bold relief typical of Etruscan aes grave coinage. The wheel, a recurring symbol in Etruscan monetary iconography, is contained within a plain raised border. The casting is characteristically irregular at the flan edges, and the overall workmanship reflects the archaic, schematic aesthetic of central Italian bronze casting of the third century BC. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device depicting a krater (a wide-bodied mixing vessel with two handles and a footed base) rendered in schematic relief within a raised circular border. The krater is shown frontally with its characteristic broad bowl, short neck, and splayed foot clearly delineated despite the coarse casting technique. This vessel type served as a mark of denomination and cultural identity on Etruscan aes grave issues. The field is plain with no inscription or additional ornament, consistent with the anonymous character of this series. |
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| Additional information |
The heavy cast bronzes of Etruria present persistent attribution problems — no single mint has been conclusively identified for this wheel/krater series, and the issuing authority remains debated among specialists. What is certain is that these pieces belong to the final phase of Etruscan monetary independence, produced just as Roman political and economic dominance was rendering local bronze-casting traditions obsolete. By the 220s BC, Roman expansion into northern Italy had effectively ended autonomous Etruscan coinage.
At 94 grams, this semis sits well above the theoretical half-as weight of any contemporary Roman standard, reflecting a local Etruscan weight system that never fully synchronized with Roman libral norms.