1/2 As Dolphin series

Volaterrae — modern Volterra — was one of the most powerful Etruscan city-states, and its bronze coinage belongs to a brief window when several northern Etruscan centers produced heavy cast aes grave alongside Roman issues but entirely outside Roman monetary authority. The dolphin series takes its name from the marine motif used as a value mark, a convention borrowed from coastal Italic traditions despite Volaterrae sitting well inland in the hills of Tuscany.

At roughly 63g, this half-as represents the upper end of surviving Volaterran bronzes by weight — attrition through casting defects and post-casting trimming means most examples fall lighter.