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Message:: [QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 3170038, member: 97383"][ATTACH=full]815276[/ATTACH]  Silver Denarius-Serratus, circa 209-208 BC, Anonymous Sicilian Mint, 19 mm, 4.19 gm.Earlier this year I sold most of my Republican denarii, however, this one I decided to hang onto. The obverse depicts Roma facing to the right & wearing a winged helmet, a pearl necklace, & an earring resembling a clump of grapes. In the left field is an X, a mark of value, meaning the coin is equal to 10 bronze asses. The reverse depicts the Dioscuri (sons of Zeus & Leda), Castor & Pollux, on horseback each caring two lances. Under the horses is a wheel with six spokes, & below the ground line the word ROMA. After the Romans won the 1st Punic War in 241 BC, the Carthaginians evacuated Sicily & agreed to pay the Romans a large war indemnity. This coin was struck in Sicily most likely to pay Roman troops who took part in the 2nd Punic War which lasted from 218-201 BC. Counterfeiting of coinage became a serious problem to the Roman economy shortly after the minting of coinage began. Bronze planchets plated with silver circulated among genuine pure silver coinage. To fight this epidemic pure silver planchets were often hit with a chisel on their edges to show they weren't plated fakes. These coins were called serrated denarii. The dies that struck this coin were probably made by a Greek celator.[/QUOTE]