Editing Etruscan language (section)

====Coins====
Etruscan-minted coins can be dated between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. Use of the 'Chalcidian' standard, based on the silver unit of 5.8&nbsp;grams, indicates that this custom, like the alphabet, came from Greece. Roman coinage later supplanted Etruscan, but the basic Roman coin, the ''[[sesterce]]'', is believed to have been based on the 2.5-denomination Etruscan coin.<ref>[http://www.snible.org/coins/hn/etruria.html Ancient Coins of Etruria].</ref> Etruscan coins have turned up in caches or individually in tombs and in excavations seemingly at random, and concentrated, of course, in [[Etruria]].

Etruscan coins were in gold, silver, and bronze, the gold and silver usually having been struck on one side only. The coins often bore a denomination, sometimes a minting authority name, and a cameo motif. Gold denominations were in units of silver; silver, in units of bronze. Full or abbreviated names are mainly Pupluna ([[Populonia]]), Vatl or Veltuna ([[Vetulonia]]), Velathri ([[Volaterrae]]), Velzu or Velznani (Volsinii) and Cha for Chamars ([[Camars]]). Insignia are mainly heads of mythological characters or depictions of mythological beasts arranged in a symbolic motif: [[Apollo]], [[Zeus]], [[Culsans]], [[Athena]], [[Hermes]], [[griffin]], [[gorgon]], male [[sphinx]], [[hippocamp]], bull, snake, eagle, or other creatures which had symbolic significance.