CVC & Collectables presents a bronze hemilitron struck at Syracuse during the city’s Second Democracy, a period marked by political reform, artistic innovation, and military pressure from Carthage. These fractional bronze issues supported everyday commerce while showcasing some of the finest Classical Greek engraving outside mainland Greece.
Coin Highlights:
- Issuer: Syracuse (Second Democracy)
- Region: Sicily, Magna Graecia
- Date: c.415–400 BC
- Denomination: Hemilitron
- Metal: Bronze
- Weight: 5.11 g
- Diameter: ~18 mm
- Mint: Syracuse, Sicily
- Grade: NGC XF
- Strike: 4/5
- Surface: 3/5
- Obverse: Head of Arethousa left, hair bound in sphendone
- Reverse: Eight-rayed star within incuse square
- Orientation: Variable
- Technique: Hammered
- Circulation Status: Demonetized
- References: CNS 16; HGC 2, 1481
Artistic Context:
The nymph Arethousa, sacred to Syracuse, appears here in a restrained Classical style emphasizing balance and naturalism. The reverse star, set within an archaic incuse square, reflects lingering earlier traditions while signaling a transition toward more unified reverse types.
Collectibility:
Bronze hemilitra of Syracuse are highly collectible for their historical depth, compact size, and consistent iconography. NGC-certified examples with strong surfaces and clear devices, such as this piece, are increasingly sought after by collectors of Sicilian Greek coinage.
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