HIERONYMUS SILVER 10 LITRAI – ISSUE WITH WINGED THUNDERBOLT AND AΦ CONTROL – CHOICE VF NGC GRADED GREEK SICILY COIN (Inv. 19378)

$3,250.00

19378. SICILY. SYRACUSE. HIERONYMUS, 215–214 BC.
Silver 10 litrai, 8.53 g, 22 mm.
Obv. Diademed head of Hieronymus left. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ IEPΩNYMOY, winged thunderbolt, AΦ above.
Holloway, The Thirteen-Months Coinage of Hieronymos of Syracuse, 24 (O11/R21); BMC 643. SNG München 1423. HGC 2, 1567.
Ex Edward J. Waddell, inv. 5991, with original tag.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5.

Hieronymos was the grandson of the great Hieron II of Syracuse, a dynast who had weathered the vicissitudes of the First Punic War to become the Roman client king over much of Sicily. Unfortunately, Hieronymos was very politically inexperienced when he succeeded his father in 215 BC at the age of fifteen and was quickly caught up in the schemes of his power–hungry uncle and the dangers of the unfolding Second Punic War. Hieronymos entered into an alliance with Hannibal against the Romans, who were still reeling from the disaster of Cannae (216 BC) and raised an army in preparation for war. However, before he could begin campaigning, he was assassinated in 214 BC, while visiting Leontinoi. His murder has been variously attributed to popular outrage at his despotic behavior towards his people or to the actions of the pro–Roman faction in Syracuse.