Coinage and Indigenous Populations in Central Sicily

Abstract

The study of the coins found in the indigenous settlements of Caltanissetta province and the analysis of the related contexts of provenance, have highlighted that in these centers, still in the 4th century BC, the coin was considered a worthless piece of metal and that other bronze objects were used as medium of exchange. It is remarkable the discovery in this territory of three “mixed” hoards, including not only coins, but also of bronze scraps and small fragmentary objects. These elements seem to show a late achievement, among those communities, of an economy based on the exclusive use of coins, that was a peculiar expression of the Greek culture