Cover.qxd 6/01/2011 1:08 PM Page 1 22 2011 (2012) 2011 Major international Volume 22 numismatic auctions held Australia Association of Journal of the Numismatic in Sydney & Melbourne With three major numismatic auctions each year, consignments are wanted. Be a part of our success. Contact our Sydney offi ce (02) 9223 4578 or our Melbourne offi ce (03) 9600 0244 for a free, confi dential valuation. Journal of the NOBLE www.noble.com.au NUMISMATICS PTY LTD Numismatic Association of Australia ground fl oor 169 macquarie street sydney [email protected] level 7 / 350 collins street melbourne [email protected] The heads and tails of two cities: the coinage of Volterra and Vetulonia Miriam Gillett The cities of Volterra and Vetulonia coinages, questioning how far we might were important Etruscan centres in the interpret the images as civic badges region’s north-west.1 They exploited the or emblems reflecting local values, resources of the Colline Metallifere, or identities and affiliations. Unfortunately, metal-bearing hills, providing copper, the nature of Etruscan coinage limits the iron, a small amount of silver and other scope of such an investigation, and this minerals.2 The city of Populonia, on paper can only suggest ideas that might the coast not far from these two cities, be explored further in the future. produced the largest quantity of coins. Etruscan numismatics remains Unlike most Greek cities, which chose a problematic area of study due one or two icons to represent themselves to substantial difficulties with the on coins, Populonia’s coins display evidence.4 Only a handful of Etruscan a diverse selection of iconography.3 cities adopted coinage. The coinages of After Populonia, Volterra and Vetulonia these communities differ in production produced the most significant number technique, weight and iconography. The of coins, however, they tend to have a disjointed systems of Etruscan coinage limited, static, selection of types for possibly reflect the predominantly their coins, decidedly different from independent nature of the Etruscan cities. Populonia’s example. Etruscan coins Besides the geographical limitations, were produced to fulfil an administrative Etruscan coins were also limited role but the types chosen were selected chronologically (late fifth century BC for a reason: they must have been of to the beginning of the second century significance to the local communities. BC). It is believed that a majority were Traditionally Etruscan numismatic produced in the third century, including research has focused on chronological the coins of Volterra and Vetulonia. As debates, attribution, weights and there are few coins that can be securely metrology. There has been limited focus dated by firm archaeological contexts, on the ‘big picture’ and the issue of there is little consensus between individual civic identities. This paper scholars on chronological issues.5 Both investigates aspects of Volterran and Fiorenzo Catalli and Italo Vecchi have Vetulonian civic identity through their produced several studies on Etruscan JNAA 22, 2011 (2012) 67 Miriam Gillett coins and remain the leaders in the field, foreign administrative ways but, more however, many of their proposed dates significantly, that they were willing differ dramatically, creating significant to alter or add to their existing local disparities in Etruscan coinage dating.6 means of exchange/administration, and With such vague evidence, the function experiment with a foreign practice. of coinage in the Etruscan world also This illustrates a significant degree continues to be debated.7 of receptivity to foreign practices of exchange. Influences, both from Identity and coins people overseas and from other Italic Fergus Millar wrote that coins were communities, helped shape the peoples ‘the most explicit symbols of a city’s of ancient Etruria with significant identity and status’.8 This is not to say reciprocal influences. In Etruscan that Etruscan coinage functioned only coinage we can recognise the fusion of as a status or identity symbol; coinage the new practice of coinage with local had a very real function within the weight systems and iconography that administrative and economic spheres was made pertinent to the Etruscan of the different cities. The projection situation. The numerous weight systems of identities was simply a by-product used by the Etruscan cities could tell of their development.9 Etruscan coins us a great deal: who each city was in provide unique information about the contact with, whose weight systems they different cities, including aspects of adopted or adapted, what affiliations their self-identity. Of course, we may they had in the Mediterranean. If there never understand precisely why a city was more coinage evidence available, chose certain images for its coins, we would be able to better understand nevertheless they depict certain values the weight systems of Volterra and of the different cities, depicting images Vetulonia.12 It is likely though, that that were local concerns and locally many of the cities maintained their understood.10 The surviving numismatic unique localised weight systems in their record, then, can reflect the political and cast bronze, or aes grave coinage.13 social circumstances that produced it. Other cities, such as Populonia, created The varying images of each city’s unique fusions of weight standards and coins might provide glimpses of values when they adopted foreign silver distinctly individual civic identities, weight systems.14 including aspects of public, official, Contemporary thought suggests that familial, elite and communal one’s identity is an actively constructed identities.11 More important however, is phenomenon, within a certain historical the Etruscan adoption of coinage. The context and based on subjective act of adopting coinage indicates that criteria.15 It is a complex process of their societies were not only aware of negotiation and construction in a 68 JNAA 22, 2011 (2012) The coinage of Volterra and Vetulonia permanently fluid state, often resulting reverses all display the legend Velathri in a plurality of identities. From the encompassing one of three things: a third century Populonia, Vetulonia and sign of value, a club or a dolphin. Volterra distinguished their coins with Series one: their city names: Pupluna, Vatl/Vatluna, Janiform head, beardless, wearing Velathri. These legends not only pointed cap/Mark of value and indicated their origins, but identified the Velathri cities as distinctly individual entities, These bronzes are seen in dupondius, independent from those around them. as, semis, triens, quadrans, sextans, However, it is important to remember uncia (HNI 108). that all of the images on the coins were Series two: chosen by those who controlled the Janiform head, beardless, wearing mints – presumably members of the pointed cap/Club; mark of value; elite. They are perhaps more validly Velathri considered expressions of the identities These bronzes are seen in dupondius, or values of these elite moneyers rather as, semis, triens, quadrans, sextans, than the broader population.16 There uncia (HNI 109). have been many suggestions that Series three: Etruscan coins did not circulate outside Janiform head, beardless, wearing their city limits. We cannot be certain pointed cap/Dolphin; mark of value; then if these coins had the power to Velathri spread a particular fixed impression These bronzes are seen in of a city’s identity.17 It is possible dupondius, as, semis (HNI 110). that Etruscan coins were intended to The repetition of the name of project their identities to a domestic the ethnos determines that they are audience, perhaps to the surrounding the civic coins and property of those local Etruscan communities, but not to living in Volterra. Despite this, their the wider ‘other’ such as Romans and wide distribution, discovered as far Greeks. as Livorno, Vetulonia, Roselle and Orbetello, might suggest a wider use Volterra for Volterran issues.19 This distribution The city of Volterra is interesting could be due to the wide trade network given that all the known Volterran coins of Volterran ceramics over a large – at least three series of bronze with a part of Etruria. Volterran ceramics total of over 600 coins – have the same have been discovered throughout obverse type: a two-faced head said to central Italy, from the Cecina Valley to be the Etruscan deity Culśans.18 Though Bologna, Populonia, Chiusi, Perugia, the reverse iconography differs, there Cortona, Arezzo, Siena, Todi and Este.20 are only three recorded variants. The It is likely that the coins followed JNAA 22, 2011 (2012) 69 Miriam Gillett commercial networks. The city of circulate alongside. The club of Series Volterra was at its peak from the fourth Two possibly refers to Hercules, who to the first centuries BC, and it was was perhaps venerated in a Volterran probably from the third to the second sanctuary.23 The dolphins and trident century that its coins were minted. surely attest to Volterra’s maritime Historia Nummorum Italy regards the connections. Catalli places great Volterran standard weight as being half emphasis on the shared and recurring the Roman pound. They are also thought Etruscan symbols of the club and the to be contemporary with the production dolphin on several groups of Etruscan of the Roman libral issues.21 and broader Italian aes grave.24 The The scholarship on Etruscan club is represented on the cast oval coins has firmly established these series of Etruria/Umbria, on the reverse three reverses as the reverse types for of many Populonian coins, and on Volterra and there is no mention of a two smaller Italian aes grave series.25 fourth variation. However, in the Museo Dolphins can be found on coins from Etrusco Guarnacci in Volterra, I have Ariminum, Hatria, Cales, and further located another coin that breaks from south in Luceria and Venusia.26 This these static types. This coin, with the iconography is not limited to the Italian two-faced deity on the obverse, has peninsula.