Ancient Greece - 300-200 BCE Etruria, Populonia AR 20-Asses NGC VF

ETRURIA, Populonia. 3rd century BC. AR 20 Asses (23mm, 8.09 g). NGC Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5. Obverse facing head of Gorgon. Reverse: Blank. EC Series 58, 1–14 (O1); HN Italy 152. VF, toned, typical crude strike.

From the WRG Collection, purchased from William Porter, April 1985.

Photo of detail of the fortress of Populonia. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The citizens of Populonia realized the majority of their wealth from mining the polymetallic ore deposits in the area around Campiglia Marittima, which included copper, lead, zinc, iron, silver, and tin. Therefore they had the required raw materials at their fingertips to forge bronze and steel. Plus the silver deposits gave them easy access to material needed for coinage. The purity of their silver coinage reflects the mineral combination, as it is generally impure and has a high lead content. Thus many surviving pieces have a dull look. However, the present offering from AUCM is a spectacular exception, with its much higher silver content, and is quite lustrous.