Sicilian (?) AE Roman Rule? Barcids?

[sculptor17]

This coin came in a lot of Sicilian bronzes, and I have looked everywhere online and through catalogues without finding anything like it.  15 x 17 mm, 3.08 g

(Apologies for the photos...I've tried several times. the coin is sharper than it appears here, don't know why I've had such difficulty with this one in particular. The palm branch behind the head for example is very distinct in hand)

Possible overstruck, but seems to be a strangely crested helmeted male head right with palm branch behind, helmet seeming of a Spanish style, with some design possibly like Mercury wings...reverse shows what seems at first glance to be a soldier standing facing, holding spear, shield on ground to right. But what I initially took to be a spear seems detached from the grasp of the extended hand, and may be a thunderbolt from an undertype. There are other odd things going on to the left of the head and above the arm that make it unclear what is going on.

The legend looks like .... or A I T ..., but the A is touching the prior letter, making the reading unclear...in fact it could be   I A all touching.

So....I'm currently stumped on this one. Anybody else have ideas?

Thanks!

[Altamura]

This coin is from Iaitos on Sicily:
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7054140
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7054141
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6729788

Regards

Altamura

[Altamura]

An overview on the coinage of Iaitos, also called Ietas, is given in an article (in Italian) by Alberto Campana:
https://www.panorama-numismatico.com/wp-content/uploads/PN126-sicilia-ietas.pdf
You find your coin on page 278.

On the right side of the reverse it looks as if there is a countermark (anchor?). Is that possible?

Regards

Altamura

[sculptor17]

Thanks so much Altamura for solving the mystery! I don't know why this did not come up in my search parameters.

What you noticed as a possible anchor c/m entirely escaped my notice until you mentioned it. The oval form is so shallow as to nearly blend with the rest of the coin surface. but...once pointed out, it does seem plausible, although another possibility is the coin was struck over a coin that had already been countermarked as such. There is no apparent flattening on the other side at that point... the front part of the warrior's head, but if it is a c/m, the strike is pretty light.
On my specimen there is roughness almost bear-like on the chin, and seeming design on the helmet, not present in the other specimens except a couple have some aspect of the design in the helmet, perhaps as a die break.

Best regards,

sculptor17