| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32004 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Ancients ETRURIA. Volaterrae. Ca. 230-220 BC. AE aes grave dupondius (74mm, 257.93 gm, 3h). VF. Janiform head of Culsans, wearing pointed petasus / FELA-ΘD-I, dolphin left; II (mark of value) above and below dolphin. Vecchi 142. Thurlow-Vecchi 92. HN Italy 110a. Extremely rare and the first dupondius of Volaterrae we have had the pleasure of offering. Ex Coin Galleries (9 January 1979), private sale with old dealer envelope included. One of the challenges in interpreting Etruscan coinage lies in its scarcity, making it difficult to pinpoint specific dates due to isolated mintage and a lack of comparative evidence. This remarkable bronze issue stands out for containing the original Pre-Roman name and spelling of the mint city Volaterrae (inscribed in the Etruscan script as FELAODI), indicating a dating prior to Rome's subjugation of the city. Volaterrae was a city in the Etruscan dodecapoli (League of the Twelve Cities), located farthest from Rome. The deity depicted on the obverse is Culsans, the two-faced divine protector of thresholds, a name derived from the Etruscan word "culs" meaning door. Culsans shares similarities with the Roman Janus, both being gods of gates and doorways, as well as with the Etruscan deities Selvans, god of sacred boundaries, and Culsu, goddess of the entrance to the underworld. The presence of several still-standing Etruscan city gates in modern Volterra serves as a testament to the city's early alliance with Rome and its strategic defensive position on the hills above the river Arno. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-etruria-volaterrae-ca-230-220-bc-ae-aes-grave-dupondius-74mm-25793-gm-3h-vf/a/3115-32004.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
