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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Silphium Addict, post: 8132594, member: 116882&quot;]Good point [USER=86498]@Terence Cheesman[/USER] and excellent question [USER=51347]@Alegandron[/USER]</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Bretti clearly used a different standard for their coinage than the Carthaginian shekel. (Perhaps they were hoping the Carthaginians would go away after the region gained independence from Rome!) However, I can&#039;t find a good explanation of the denomination and weight standard for the Bretti coins. Here&#039;s what I found:</p><p><br /></p><p>The first silver coin of the Bretti HN Italy 1941 (jugate heads Dioscuri / Dioscuri riding horses) 215-214 BC was ~5.6 gm. It was about the same weight and contemporary with the only silver coin of Capua HN Italy 480 (head Zeus / eagle standing with wings spread). They are sometimes called Attic weight octobols, like Pyrrhus&#039; Syracuse coin. There is no evidence to support that idea. The silver coinage used in Italy before the 2nd Punic War was the quadrigatus and the Taras reduced nomos (Evans IX) of ~6.6 gm. Robinson thought the weight was related to the decreasing weight and debasement of the quadrigatus. But is that really the reason? Rutter lists the coins a a reduced didrachm, but does not explain.</p><p><br /></p><p>The last and more extensive series of Bretti silver HN Italy 1958-74&nbsp; 214-207 BC was on a standard of ~4.8 gm, probably reduced due to the protracted war. Rutter lists to the denominations as a drachm and half drachm, again with no explanation.</p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t have any of the earlier AR coins of ~5.6 gm, but here are two of mine from the later series:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1416616[/ATTACH]</p><p>Bretti - Third series 214-207 BC</p><p>AR drachm 4.55 gm</p><p>O: veiled head Hera</p><p>R: Poseiden standing, foot on pillar, holding staff, eagle to left</p><p>HN Italy 1970</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1416618[/ATTACH]</p><p>Bretti - Third series 214-207 BC</p><p>AR hemidrachm 2.31 gm</p><p>O: laureate head Apollo</p><p>R: Artemis standing holding arrow and torch; dog at feet</p><p>HN Italy 1967[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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