Coinage of Aesernia

No specific text has been published for the coinage of Aesernia. The most extensive treatment can be found in 's book titled Les monnaies antiques de l'Italie, published in Paris in 1903. Contrary to what the title suggests, the book deals only with part of ancient Italy, practically central Italy and Campania. The coins pertinent to Aesernia are numbered from 175 to 189. Thus in the catalogs one can find a Sambon type reference followed by the number. A less thorough, but still sufficiently valid, analysis can be found in Historia Nummorum Italy, published in Britain in 2001 by a group of numismatists coordinated by Keith N. Rutter. == Historical context ==

Like all other cities in central southern Italy, it was under Samnite rule since the 5th century BC. The first certain news about the city came in the year 295 B.C., during the Samnite wars, when it had already fallen into the hands of the Romans. The city's location immediately proved to be strategically very important for Rome's expansionist aims, forming the gateway to Samnium. After the first victories, the Romans positioned their colonies at strategic points along the borders with the Samnite territories; one of these colonies was established precisely at Aesernia in 264 BC. The city is mentioned again in 209 BC as one of eighteen colonies that remained loyal to Rome during the most difficult period of the Second Punic War. == Monetary context ==

In the period between the First and Second Punic Wars, new coins with similar characteristics appeared in a group of cities linked to Rome. These are bronze coins presenting two types, similar in style to Roman coins of the same period: the first presents on the obverse the head of Apollo turned to the left and on the reverse a bull with a human face, to the right and with its head to the front, identical to that of the coinage of Neapoli of the same period; the second features on the obverse the head of Minerva with a Corinthian helmet and on the reverse a standing rooster. These coincidences, the simultaneous presence of coins from these cities, in the treasures that have come down to us, alongside those from Neapolis and Rome, stylistic congruities and more, have led scholars to speculate on some form of common circulation and the existence of a common authority to control coinage. == Coins ==

The known coins of Aesernia are all bronze and feature three types: In the list of coins there are 13 bronzes from Aesernia and bronzes from some of the cities already mentioned: Rome, Aquinum, Cales, Neapolis, Nola, Sessa, Teanum Sidicinum. The find is important because some coins from Neapolis are struck on coins from Cales and coins from Aesernia. Minerva This group is cataloged as HN Italy 429 or as Sambon 183. The coins present on the obverse the head of the goddess Minerva turned to the left, wearing a Corinthian helmet, decorated with a serpent. Behind the goddess is depicted a club and in front is the ethnic, in this case AISERNIO. The reverse depicts an eagle grasping a snake with its talons. The type of Minerva's head is similar to that of the Cales stater. The type of the eagle fighting with a snake is also found in the fourth-century BCE coinage of Hipponium. Sambon has no variants of this type; he identifies only differences in the style of letters used for the ethnic. Vulcan This type features on the obverse the head of the god Vulcan wearing a pileus encircled with a crown. Depicted behind are pincers, the symbol of the god, and in front is the legend VOLCANOM with the Latin alphabet. The type with Vulcan's head wearing the laureate pileus is found in a sextant and trient from Populonia (HN Italy 188 and 195). The type with Vulcan is also present in that of Ariminum, but in this case the pileus has no crown. Coins with the image of Hephaestus are, however, present in the production of many Greek mints, including that of Lipara, today's Lipari. Apollo This group is cataloged as HN Italy 431. Sambon identifies several variants cataloged from 175 to 182. The group features the head of Apollo on the obverse, encircled by a laurel wreath. Behind the head is a symbol: pentagram or oval shield. Ahead is the legend AISERNINO. The reverse depicts a bull with a human head. This creature represents the god Achelous or more generally a river deity. In the coins of Aesernia, as indeed in those of Neapolis and other communities, a Nike in flight crowns the bull. Under the bull are sometimes found letters: Τ,Ν, ΙΣ. In the exergue sometimes the ethnic: AISERNINOM with several variants. Coins from Neapolis show the same type, with Apollo on the obverse and the bull on the reverse. The type of the androprosopus bull is widespread in coinage of the area such as those of Cales, Suessa, Teanum Sidicinum, or . All these coins of the Apollo/bull type are influenced by those of Neapolis. The letters ΙΣ, already seen, are also present in the other coins of the area (Compulteria, Cales, Neapolis, etc.) and are seen as indicative of close cooperation in the production of the issues. Some coins from Neapolis, dated ca. 255 B.C., which show the same types, are found to be recognized over Aesernia coins of the Vulcan/Jupiter type. Sambon distinguishes the eight variants based on the letters between the legs of the bull and the spelling of the ethnic. == Findings ==

Thompson et al. report four treasure finds. == Legends and epigraphy ==

The legends are of two types: VOLCANOM and the ethnic written in various ways: AISERNINOM, AISERNIM, AISERNIO, and AISERNINO. For the ethnic, the alphabet used is Latin. Differences from modern spelling can be detected in the shape of the following letters: The letter “L” in VOLCANOM has an archaic shape similar to the shape of the corresponding Etruscan letter, with the horizontal stroke facing up. The letter “A” in AISERNINO has an archaic form with the horizontal stroke slanting downward. The letter “O” sometimes occurs open at the bottom. The letter “S” in some coins is written as shown. == Weights and alloys ==

The only alloy used is bronze, and the value of the coins is not related to their metal content; consequently, variability is relatively high. Rutter et al. report the minimum and maximum weights in grams of the various types: == See also ==