Bruttium, now known as Calabria, was part of Magna Graecia, a collection of Greek colonies in southern Italy.
Under Greek influence (5th-4th century BC), they minted their coins, imitating Greek designs, featuring gods, animals, and mythological themes.
However the Bruttians were a confederation of Italic tribes who gained independence from Greek influence around the 4th century BC. They then began to issue their own silver and bronze coins, often featuring their own symbols such as Heracles with his club or local fauna.
After being conquered by Rome in the 3rd century BC, the region’s coins became heavily Romanized, featuring emperors and Latin inscriptions.
Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the region saw invasions by the Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Lombards, and Normans.
In the modern era, Calabria (formerly Bruttium) became part of unified Italy in 1861.
Many Bruttium coins can be found on the MA-Shops website, see here for some pieces:
Greek Bruttium Croton. Nomos (Circa 530-500 BC). VF+
3,150.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 7.30 g – Diameter: 25.00 mm
Catalog: HN Italy 2081; SNG ANS 248-9.
Obv: ϘΡΟ Tripod; to right, stork standing left.
Rev: ϘΡΟ Incuse tripod; to right, stork standing left.
Bruttium Stater 425/350 BC Croton VF
1,825.00 US$
Weight: 7.56 gr – Diameter: 22.1 mm.
Catalog: SNG ANS 352 (obverse stgl.) Rutter 2146 Hoesch/Grasser, Tf.
Eagle with folded wings and head turned back on deer head / tripod, ivy leaf on the left. Fine, dark tint, scratches on the obverse, very fine.
Ex auction Hirsch 20, November 13, 1907, 79 (Collection H. C. Hoskier). According to collector’s note, acquired from Schulman in 1955.
Bruttium, Rhegion – AR Tetradrachm, circa 415-400 BC
47,245.00 US$
Weight 17,18 gr. | Silver Ø 22mm.
Catalog: BMC 24 | SNG Fitzwilliam 850 | SNG.Copenhagen 1933 | cf. SNG.München 1583 SNG.ANS.658
obv. Scalp of Nemean lion facing
Rev. Laureate head of Apollo right behind, two olive leaves, PHGINON in front.
According to tradition, Delphian Apollo advised the citizens of Chalcidice to found Rhegium in the 8th Century BC In the early 5th Century BC, it was colonized by Peloponnesian Messenia. The lion on the obverse may refer to the Nemean lion slain by Heracles, a nod to the Messenian component of the Regium population.
This particular issue – which is to be assigned to the period 415-400 BC – certainly represents the best example among a series which is almost entirely composed of dies of outstanding quality. As a matter of fact, the classical ideal of beauty reaches here its most accomplished results and places this work among the great masterpieces of Greek art by creating an image of Apollo which is generally considered as one of the best in the entire history of art thanks to the wonderful expressiveness of the young god as well as the extremely delicate rendering of his head’s profile, in perfect contrast to the powerful image on the obverse – the lion – shown by means of such a relief which amazingly emphasizes the sculptural effect of the huge lion’s head (as a matter of fact, sculpture first enters the art of coinage with the series of Rhegium).
Classica, auction 59, lot.512 (good vf with little scratch CHF 60.000 + 17,5%) RR
Very rare. A masterpiece of Classical coinage.
xf-/vf+
Ancient Greek c. 300 BC Bruttium, Terina. Drachm
1,835.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 2.22 g
Catalog: HN Italy-2642, Holloway-Jenkins-112.
Obv: Head of nymph Terina l., triskeles behind neck.
Rev: Nike seated l. on square cippus, bird perched on her extended r. hand, TE monogram in l. field. This die is taken from the Euainetos decadrachm, and is in rare, good condition for this small drachm, which normally comes flatly struck and corroded. Toned EF
Bruttium Drachma 216/214 BC EF
2,360.00 US$
Weight: 4.56 gr.
Catalog: Scheu 14, HN Rutter 1960, Hoover (Vol. 1) 1356.
Specimen from the Terletzki collection, acquired at auction CNG 76, Lancaster 2007, No. 87.
Drachma 216/214 BC, Kosentia. Winged bust of Nike to the right / Crowning river god with scepter in the left hand.
Æ ca. 214-211 BC Coin, Bruttium, Bronze, HN Italy: 1978 AU(50-53)
300.00 US$
Material: Bronze
Weight: 8.13 g – Diameter: 21.00 mm
Laureate head of Zeus to right; grain ear behind, Eagle with spread wings standing to left on thunderbolt, ΒΡΕΤ-ΤΙΩΝ around, cornucopia to left., Collector’s ticket included. Struck by Brettii people.
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