Sicily, Syracuse. Circa 375-344 BC. Litra

Sicily, Syracuse. Circa 375-344 BC. Litra (Bronze, 19 mm, 5.88 g). ΣYPA retrograde. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet. Rev. Hippocamp left. Calciati 41; Morcom, “Syracusan bronze coinage in the fifth and early fourth centuries BC,” in Studies Price, pl. 62, 14; HGC 2, 1456. Dark green patina. Good very fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen Fixed Price List 565, 1993, 14; and Leu Numismatik Winterthur e-Sale 4, 23 June 2018, 72.

A pleasing example of the substantial bronze litrae issued at Syracuse during the later Dionysian period, when the city’s bronze coinage assumed increasing importance for local circulation. The obverse shows Athena in Corinthian helmet, a martial and civic type well suited to Syracuse’s status as the dominant military power in Sicily. The reverse hippocamp, a sea-horse combining equine and marine forms, continues the city’s strong maritime visual language and recalls Syracuse’s dependence on naval power, harbor control, and seaborne trade.

The retrograde ΣYPA is a notable feature of the issue, giving the coin a slightly archaizing character despite its fourth-century date. The type is well recorded in the standard references, including Calciati and Morcom’s study of Syracusan bronze. With its dark green patina, clear Athena head, and readable reverse type, this is a solid and attractive representative of the series, further strengthened by its M&M and Leu provenance.