Uncertain Apulian mint (Luceria ?), Cast As, ca. 275-225 BC; AE (g 318; mm 65; h 12); Head of young Hercules r. ...

Uncertain Apulian mint (Luceria ?), Cast As, ca. 275-225 BC; AE (g 318; mm 65; h 12); Head of young Hercules r., wearing lion's skin, Rv. Head of bridled horse l. HNItaly 351; Haeberlin pp. 181-182,1-3, pl. 70,1-3; ICC 272.
Of the highest rarity, only 3 examples cited by Haeberlin. Untouched green patina, extremely fine.

The only find provenance for this issue is Apulia and it is almost certainly an anonymous issue of Luceria (BTCGI IX, pp. 261-9), a settlement of the Daunii of considerable strategic importance about 19 km N-NW of Foggia. According to legend, like Arpi and Canosa it dates to Diomedes, who carried the Palladium from Troy to the site (Strabo 6.264; Pliny 2.102). During the Second Samnite War (326-304) it was an ally of Rome, to whom it gave aid following the disaster of the Caudine Forks in 321. It became a Latin colony in 314 (Livy 9.26.1-5). From then on Luceria was a steadfast supporter of Rome and during the Second Punic War (218-201) became the winter quarters of the Roman army (Livy 22.9). The standard monetary unit at Luceria, (as at Teate and Venusia) was the nummus (Crawford, CMRR, pp. 14-15).