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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Silphium Addict, post: 8130428, member: 116882&quot;]Very nice coins and great topic!</p><p>I have collected Bretti coins since I started collecting ancients because of the Greek themes and historical connection to Hannibal during the 2nd Punic War.</p><p>The Bretti were an Oscan speaking Italic people that controlled most of the peninsula that is the &quot;toe&quot; of Italy. They grew stronger in the 4th Century BC and took over several Greek cities, assimilating some of the Greek culture. They opposed Roman expansion into southern Italy during the Samnite Wars and sided with Pyrrhus. After subjugation by Rome, they joined Hannibal after the Battle of Cannae and were the last pocket of resistance until Rome regained control in 203 BC.</p><p>Their coinage has the legend ΒΡΕΤΤIΩΝ with various symbols and is diverse. Scheu cataloged the coins in three <i>Numismatic Chronicle</i> articles in 1955, 1961 and 1962. The coins are often found in hoards that also contain Carthaginian coins from the time of Hannibal&#039;s occupation. In “Carthaginian and Other South Italian Coinages of the Second Punic War” <i>Numismatic Chronicle</i>, 7th series&nbsp; 4:37-64, 1964, Robinson determined that the entire Brettian coinage was produced during their alliance with Hannibal. Rutter catalogs the coins well in <i>Historia Numorum</i> - Italy (HN Italy) 2001 as the following series:</p><p>First series 216-215 BC</p><p>- large AE didrachm? (head Apollo / Nike in biga)</p><p>Second series 215-214 BC</p><p>- AR didrachm (jugate heads Dioscuri / Dioscuri riding horses)</p><p>- AE drachm (head Zeus / eagle standing), triobol (head Nike / Zeus throwing thunderbolt) , trihemiobol (head goddess wearing crab headdress / crab), obol (head Athena / owl)</p><p>Third series 213-207 BC</p><p>- AV drachm (head Posiden / Thetis on hippocamp), hemidrachm (head Melqart / Nike standing <i>or</i> head Herakles / biga)</p><p>- AR drachm (bust Nike / god crowning himself <i>or</i> head Hera / Zeus standing), hemidrachm (head Apollo / Artemis advancing)</p><p>Fourth series 214-203 BC (similar to and contemporary with other AE series, but uses ancillary symbol)</p><p>Grain ear 214-211 BC,</p><p>- AE double (head Ares / Nike with trophy), unit (head Zeus / eagle standing), half (head Nike / Zeus throwing thunderbolt), quarter head goddess wearing crab headdress <i>or</i> head river god / crab), sixth (head Athena / owl <i>or </i>head Herakles / club and bow)</p><p>Thunderbolt 211-208 BC</p><p>- AE double (head Ares / Athena advancing), unit (head Zeus / warrior advancing), half (bust Nike / Zeus in biga), quarter head goddess wearing crab headdress), sixth (head Athena / owl)</p><p>Plough 211-208 BC</p><p>- unit (head Zeus / eagle standing), double, half, quarter and sixth - same as Thunderbolt group</p><p>Lyre 208-203 BC - same as Plough but no sixth</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are two of my favorite Bretti AEs:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1416213[/ATTACH]</p><p>Bretti - First series 216-215 BC</p><p>AE didrachm?&nbsp; 18.91 gm</p><p>O: head Apollo left, lyre lower right</p><p>R: Nike driving biga right; thunderbolt and [Γ] lower right; [ΒΡ]ΕΤΤI[ΩΝ] in exergue</p><p>HN Italy 1940</p><p>Triton III:132 11/30/1999</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1416217[/ATTACH]</p><p>Bretti - Second series 215-214 BC</p><p>AE trihemiobol 2.91 gm, 16 mm</p><p>O:female head left wearing crab headdress; Γ below</p><p>R: crab; ΒΡΕΤ between claws; ΤΙΩΝ below</p><p>HN Italy 1944[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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