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Obverse: Lion's Head Facing
Reverse: Laureate Head of Apollo Facing to the
Right, Olive Sprig Behind, Legend "REGINON" to
the Right
Bruttium is an ancient region of southern Italy,
roughly corresponding to modern Calabria, the
“toe” of the Italian peninsula. Bruttium faced
Sicily across the Strait of Messina. Inhabited in
the interior by the Brutii (whose chief town was
Cosenza) and by the Lucani, it was settled in the
8th century B.C. along the coast by Greek
colonists. The Romans conquered Bruttium in
the 3d cent. B.C. One of the most powerful cities
in the region was Rhegium, also spelled Regium.
The ancient city of Rhegium (modern Reggio di
Calabria) is strategically located on the Strait of
Messina. Founded (c.720 B.C.) as a colony of
Chalcis, many Messenians later settled there.
Although its location was the source of its
wealth, it also resulted in repeated invasions.
The city remained powerful until its defeat and
destruction in 386 B.C. by Dionysius the Elder of
Syracuse. Later on it would be revived to its
former glory under the stability of the Roman
Empire.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether currency in
the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten
empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals
an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate
sculptural detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies. This
coin is more than an artifact; it is a memorial an
ancient city passed down from the hands of one
generation to another, from one civilization to
another.
- (C.2063)
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