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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2347653, member: 56859&quot;]I&#039;ve kept an eye out for one of these since seeing <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-great-skot-nice-hat.256786/page-2#post-2041208" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-great-skot-nice-hat.256786/page-2#post-2041208">Doug&#039;s example</a> in 2014.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_ab60fd00616e4a02a0a6a1c59cb8ae34.jpg/v1/fill/w_1000,h_625,al_c,q_90/ae43f8_ab60fd00616e4a02a0a6a1c59cb8ae34.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>BRUTTIUM, the Brettii</b></p><p>216-214 BCE</p><p>Æ quartuncia, 13.5mm, 2.06 g</p><p>Obv:&nbsp; head of Amphitrite left, wearing crab headdress</p><p>Rev:&nbsp; crab; torch above, BPET-TIΩN above and below</p><p>Ref:&nbsp; Pfeiler p. 33, 4a; Scheu, Bronze 51; HN Italy 1944; SNG ANS 123–4; SNG Lloyd –; McClean 1579</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the fifty Nereids*, Amphitrite was reportedly shy and clever.&nbsp; Poseidon was smitten and wanted to take her as his wife but she spurned his advances and fled.&nbsp; Poor Poseidon, thoroughly unaccustomed to being undesired, became depressed.&nbsp; He had his wingman, Delphin (god of Dolphins), chase her down and convince her of the wondrous benefits of being his wife.&nbsp; It worked; they were joined and several children, including Triton.</p><p><br /></p><p>In ancient works of art she resembles Aphrodite, but she was usually distinguished by a net on her hair and by the claws of a crab on her forehead. Sometimes she is depicted&nbsp; riding on marine animals, and sometimes as drawn by them.</p><p><br /></p><p>*<font size="3">Her origin varies in ancient sources, as does her role and her exploits-- the usual Greek mythological murkiness.</font></p><p><br /></p><p>Amphitrite didn&#039;t enjoy much face time on ancient coins.&nbsp; In addition to the crab hat bronze I&#039;ve only seen two other types which are generally thought to represent her:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=42841" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=42841" rel="nofollow">BRUTTIUM, The Brettii. Time of the Second Punic War. Circa 221-201 BC. AV Drachm</a></p><p><a href="http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=110346" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=110346" rel="nofollow">Roman Republic, Q. Creperius M.f. Rocus. 69 BC. AR Serrate Denarius</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve seen at least a couple more types described as Amphitrite in some places but Hera in most (<a href="http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=224626" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=224626" rel="nofollow">The Brettii, AR drachm</a>), plus a <a href="http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1738544" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1738544" rel="nofollow">bronze from Arados</a> with jugate busts of Zeus and Hera which were called Poseidon and Amphitrite by Rouvier.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for the issuers of this coin, there is about as much agreement about the origins of the Brettii as there is of Amphitrite.&nbsp; From a <a href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=404" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=404" rel="nofollow">CNG writeup</a>:</p><p><br /></p><p><font size="4">&quot;The Brettii were an indigenous Italian people who emerged in southern Italy in the mid-fourth century BC. Ancient authors describe them as a group of revolted slaves and miscellaneous fugitives who came together after seeking refuge in the rugged mountains of the area. Nonetheless, it is more likely that most of these people were native Oenotrians or Pelasgians who had escaped from domination by the Greek cities and other native groups to the north. By the mid-third century BC, this disparate congregation of people, now known as the Brettii, had become the predominant power over most of Italy south of the river Laos, including the important mints of Consentia, Medma, Hipponium, Terina, and Thurium (Diod. XVI.15; Strabo VI).&quot;</font></p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p><font size="4">...</font></p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p>Now, since I don&#039;t have much of a pseudo-scholarly writeup prepared, here&#039;s a modern recreation of the obverse&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="4">[ATTACH=full]477598[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p><font size="4">...</font></p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p><br /></p><p>Let&#039;s see your coins of Bruttium, crabs, Amphitrite, or whatever you think works!</p><p><font size="4"><br /></font></p><p><font size="4"></font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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