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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Carausius, post: 3176807, member: 76440&quot;]Good start!&nbsp;&nbsp; Sicily was an important commercial hub for two reasons: location and grain production.&nbsp; Siciliy&#039;s fertile soil made it a significant grain producer (Note: Romans used grain ears to identify coins of Sicilian mintage).&nbsp; Its location made it a natural trading hub and strategically key to the naval-based powers of the ancient Mediterranean. Keep in mind these early navies didn&#039;t like to sail too far in open seas - they preferred to be within sight of land - making Sicily a perfect stopping point between Africa, Spain and points North or East.&nbsp; The combination of strategic location and grain/trade made Sicily the target of invasion for millennia.&nbsp; Coinage is a natural by-product of all this.&nbsp; Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine etc. The Greek, Carthaginian and Roman coins were often struck on the island near the same time, during these periods of intense conflict for control of the eastern Mediterranean[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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