2 1/2 Centesimae Incuse series: spiral

Populonia occupied a unique position among Etruscan city-states in that it was the only one known to have operated its own mint, smelting bronze directly from the iron ore trade it controlled along the Tyrrhenian coast. This series, distinguished by its incuse spiral reverse, belongs to the late phase of Populonian bronze production — a period when Roman expansion was rapidly contracting the political space available to independent Etruscan minting authorities. The city's output ceased entirely within a generation.