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Social War

Circ. B.C. 90-88.

The coins issued by the Italian allies, Marsi, Peligni, Picentini, Vestini, Samnites, Frentani, Malrucini, and Lucani, during their last struggle for independence against Rome, can only be briefly mentioned in the present work. They consist chiefly of silver coins of the weight of the contem- porary Roman denarius, and they are thought to have been issued from the mints of Corfinium and Aesernia. The heads on the obverses are usually impersonations of Italia as a helmeted goddess, substituted for the head of Roma, and accompanied by her name in Latin or in Oscan characters, ITALIA or Oscan word. The inscr., some in Oscan, some in Latin characters, often record the names of the chief leaders of the Revolt: Q. Silo, C. Papius Mutilus, with his title Oscan word (= Im- perator), Numerius Lucius (?), and others. There is also in the Paris Collection a unique gold stater of Attic weight, Obv. Head of young Dionysos, Rev. Cista mystica and thyrsos, bearing an Oscan legend Oscan name. (= Minatius Jegius, Minatii f. ?), but the authenticity of


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this coin is not above suspicion. For detailed descriptions of these pieces see Sambon, op. cit., 125; Friedlaender, Oskische Münzen, p. 68 ff.; and Dressel, Berlin Cat., III. i. p. 57 ff.