THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

THE COLLECTOR SERIES
Metapontum symbolises the worship of Ceres or
Demeter. The head of Herakles (sometimes with a
ram's horn and ear) on those of Heraklea has a similar
import. On some of the money of Metapontum the
river Acheloiis occurs in the form of a nude man hold-
ing a patera and a reed. A large assortment of beauti-
ful and interesting examples is to be found in this
series. Of the archaic incuse coins the authenticity
should be assured. The silver pieces of Sybaris which
we possess seem to belong to a coinage of very short
duration (b.c. 453-451); they are all incuse.
Bruttii.—This was another region where the incuse
uniface pattern at first prevailed ; it included the
coinage of Croton, Caulonia, Rhegium, and Western
Locri. No silver was coined after the submission to
Rome, b.c. 272, and the bronze ceased about b.c. 203.
Certain silver coins of Rhegium equivalent to the
Sicilian libra were intended exclusivelv for the com-
merce with that island. There must have been an enor-
mous output of currency between the commencement,
about B.C. 550, and the final close of monetary rights in
B.C.