#N827# Anonymous Sicilian Greek coin from Messana (The Mamertinoi), 211-208 BC

#N827# Anonymous Sicilian Greek coin from Messana (The Mamertinoi), 211-208 BCWelcome to cc coins Up for auction is an Anonymous Sicilian Greek coin from Messana (The Mamertinoi), 211 208 BC Diameter: 25mm ID# 827N MINT: Messana OBVERSE; NONE Laureate head of Ares left. REVERSE; MAMEPTINN Warrior, holding spear and shield, advancing right. REFERENCE: HGC 2, 853 The Mamertines (Latin: Mamertini, "sons of Mars", Greek: ) were mercenaries of Italian origin who had been hired from their home in Campania by Agathocles (361289 BC),

After Belisarius ousted the Vandals he went on to push the various barbarian tribes out of Italy and for the most part succeeded on this challenging task

- Two busts facing

greedy and otherwise lackluster ruler who was heavily influenced by his equally unremarkable wife Theodora

- Aesculapius standing left

He is well known for spending large amounts on the construction and repair of churches and monasteries

monogram below

Faustina within

Up for auction is a French copper denier tournois coin of Gaston d'Orleans from 1649 AD

TR P XXXIIII IMP X COS III P P

- Marcus Aurelius standing left

He was also successful in repelling wave after wave of barbarian invaders as well as finally defeating Postumus after a prolonged period which saw the two in battlefields on three different occasions

REFERENCE: RecGen 389