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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Sallent, post: 2470244, member: 76194&quot;]I have this beautiful coin on it&#039;s way from one of my dealers:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]519408[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t have an attribution yet, and it is hard to attribute as this coin changed little for centuries, but based on the portrait, I believe this is close, if not it:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>GAUL, Massalia. Circa 350-215 BC. AR Obol. Youthful male head left / M-A, wheel with four-spokes. Depeyrot, Hellénistiques 10; SNG Copenhagen 723-727.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>So what was Massalia? Well, you may know it by it&#039;s modern name, Marseilles, but did you know that ancient Massalia was one of the biggest naval powers in the ancient Mediterranean?&nbsp; Originally founded by Ionian Greek settlers around 600 BCE, the Massaliots became a prosperous people due to sea commerce, and built a powerful naval fleet that challenged Carthaginian sea power.&nbsp; The Massaliots sided with Rome in the Punic Wars, and their navy assisted Rome in resting control of the Mediterranean away from Carthage.</p><p><br /></p><p>Massalia was one of Rome&#039;s oldest and most loyal allies, and remained an independent ally long after the rest of the areas around it came firmly within the grasp of Rome. Unfortunately for them though, they backed Pompey and not Caesar, and Caesar&#039;s armies defeated Massalia, annexing the city into the empire. Even then, Caesar was generous to the defeated Massaliots in recognition of their long loyalty and service to Rome, and spared the city from the worst outrages that would have come with defeat.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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