CAMPANIA. Cales. Circa 268-260 BC. Didrachm or Nomos (Silver, 23 mm, 7.35 g, 6 h). Head of Athena-Minerva to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled serpent on the bowl, triple-pendant earring and necklace; behind her neck, small wing; below, H. Rev. CALENO Nike-Victory driving fast biga to left, holding kentron in her right hand and reins in her left. Basel 31 (this coin). HN Italy 434. Jameson 66. Sambon 897. Perfectly centered, beautifully toned and of delightful early Hellenistic style. Nearly extremely fine.


Cales (or Calenum) was founded in 334 BC as the first Latin colony in Campania. Its only coinage consists of an emission of didrachms (or nomoi) on the Campanian standard, issued in the early years after the Battle of Beneventum in 275 BC, in which a Roman army under Manius Curius Dentatus defeated the Epeirote expeditionary force of Pyrrhos. The introduction of a common Campanian weight standard and stylistic similarities between the didrachms of Cales, Neapolis, Nukeria, Suessa and Teanum has led to the suggestion that these cities formed a monetary union under Roman leadership in the wake of the battle, with Neapolis forming as a central mint for all issues. The magnificent head of Athena on the obverse of the present coin is clearly reminiscent of the staters of Alexander of Macedon, from which it also borrows the small coiled serpent on the bowl of the helmet, but to the Latin colonists of Calenum, she would undoubtedly appear as Minerva rather than her Greek equivalent.