Coinage of Carthage

Hey all, I've had a recent budding interest in the coinage of Carthage. I spent the night putting together this little visual with the 5 coins that I have from that empire (I have one more shekel on the way, but not in hand yet). Anyways, I thought I'd share the fruits of my labor with you all...



Please share any other Carthage coins you have, be it a 15-shekel, an AR 1/4 shekel, and everything in between. Thanks!

 

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Nice coins and graphic! Nothing to add here, I’m afraid.

 

At a glance I thought it was a @Deacon Ray graphic (that's a big compliment ).

Well of course I'm going to shove that coin into this thread. As Zumbly once said, you know how those big bronze egos are .



ZEUGITANA, Carthage
early 2nd century BCE
AE 15-shekel, 45 mm, 95 gm
Obv: wreathed head of Tanit left
Rev: horse standing right, left foreleg up; Flying Spaghetti Monster solar disk with uraei above
Ref: Alexandropoulos J (2000) Les monnaies de l'Afrique Antique, 103; Müller L (1861) Numismatique de L'Ancienne Afrique, 131; Luynes 3782; Jenkins GK and Lewis RB (1963) Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins, Royal Numismatic Society, London, pl. 28 12

A tiny Punic bronze:

IBERIA, Punic Iberia
c. 237-209 BCE; Æ 12.4 mm, 1.4 gm
Obv: head of Tanit left
Rev: helmet to left
Ref: (I haven't verified these) SNG BM Spain 67; CNH pg. 69, 46; Burgos 524

...and this coin which still makes me swoon:


SICILY, Entella. Punic issues
c. 300-289 BCE; AR tetradrachm, 24 mm, 16.8 gm, 12h)
Obv: head of Melquart-Herakles right, wearing lion skin
Rev: head of horse left; astragalos (cut over poppy) to left, palm tree to right, Punic MHSBM (approximate meaning is "quaestors" or financial controllers) below
Ref: Jenkins, Punic 366 (O115/R298), series 5b
Ex Gorny & Mosch 138 (7 March 2005), lot 33

 

Jumping ahead half a millennium:

Constantine I ("the Great"), as Caesar, (A.D. 307-337)
Carthage mint, A.D. 306
RIC 51c
Obv: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES
Rev: SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART - Carthago, in long robe, standing, facing left, holding fruit in both hands
Γ in exergue; H in left field
27 mm, 11.0 g.

 

MAN-O-MAN! If I were still Design Director at the Federal Agency printing office I retired from 2 years ago—I'd hire you on the spot—or make you a serious offer at least ! Heartfelt and inspiring work, Justin—your visual talent is a gift from our Creator! Bless you, my friend! Beautiful info-graphic!

 

Thank you, TIF! You've been a continuous inspiration to me—from my first day on the Forum—your great advice and breathtaking coins have helped guide a path for me that I've never regretted following.

 

Great stuff @Justin Lee! Thanks for sharing the coins and you masterful display makes me keep scrolling back up to look at it again
Oh, if only the H bomb only had known how to follow up after he pulled off the greatest upset until Tyson vs Douglas. What would the world be like? I must think it would be near unrecognizable to us. Yeah yeah, ryro. And what if 6 were 9?
Ok ok. Enough pondering the coulda beens.
Here's some of mine from Sicily!

ZEUGITANA Carthage
Late fourth–early third century BC. Æ 19.3 (6.69 gm). Palm tree / horse head right. SNG Copenhagen 102. Attractive light green patina.

Punic Domain, Carthage Sicily(?),
Bronze, c. 350-320 BC; AE (g 4,40; mm 17; h 12); Palm-tree, linear border, Rv. Head of horse r., linear border. MAA 20; SNG Copenhagen 102.
Dark patina.


Carthaginian Domain, Sicily
c. 4th-3rd cent. BC. ’ (17mm, 2.7g, 3h). Wreathed head of Tanit l. R/ Horse standing r. before palm tree. SNG Copenhagen 1117-9 (Zeugitania).

 

Excellent coins and display @Justin Lee.
I have had my eye on getting an example from Carthage for some time.. I will have to move it up my want list now..

 

Beautiful presentation and great coins @Justin Lee !

I enjoy collecting Carthage due to their huge impact on the Roman Republic. I probly have over 50 of their coins... Here are a few randoms:


Carthage - Zeugitana AV 1-10th Stater-Shekel 350-320 BCE 0.94g 7.5mm Palm- Horse Head SNG COP 132



Carthage Zeugitana 310-270 BCE EL Dekadrachm-Stater 18.5mm 7.27g Tanit Horse 3 pellets in ex MAA 12 SNG COP 136



Carthage Zeugitania AR ½ Shekel 17mm 3.8g 2nd Punic War 218-202 BC Sicily mint 216-211 BC Tanit l Horse r sun as double uraeus SNG COP 359



Carthage - Sicily AR Litra 4th C BCE 9.5mm 0.65g Palm Tree Horse Head SNG Cop 74 EE Clain-Safanelli RARE



Bruttium Carthage occup 2nd Punic War AR Half-Shekel 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLAR-O HN Italy 2016 SNG Cop 361-3



Carthage - Zeugitana AR Shekel-Didrachm 360-264 BCE Tanit Horse r head l palm SNG COP 141



Carthage 300-264 BCE AR 2-3 Shekel Tanit-Horse Sear6491 SNG COP143var-tile



Carthage mint 2nd Punic War 203-201 BCE BI 1½ Shekels 24mm 9.4 g Wrthd Hd Tanit - Horse stndng R hd L, raised foreleg Pellet SNG COP 394



Carthage 201-175 BC Æ 15 Shekels 45 mm 7.5 mm thick. 102g WreathTanit Horse uraeus above. MAA 104 SNG Cop 400 RARE



Carthage Sardinia AE19 First Punic war 264-241 BCE 5.4g Tanit left - Horse head right symbol SNG Cop 225

 

Nice coins and great display @Justin Lee - I've got to practice my photoshop skills so I also can make cool displays.

 

Since you are asking for different denominations, styles, etc., here are a few AE's:

(They did not ALWAYS have a Horse reverse...)

Carthage 216-215 BCE Sardinia mint AE 3.3g Tanit L - BULL stndg R CNP 377a



Carthage AE 31mm Trishekel 220-215 BCE 2nd Punic War Tanit Horse Palm Pumic th SNG COP 342



Carthage Zeugitania 400-350 BCE AE 15mm 3.39g Head of Tanit left Horse galloping r SNG Cop 97



Carthage Zeugitania Æ17 6.1g 350-320 BCE Palm Tree Horse Head SNG Cop 102



Carthage Siculo AE 15 Palm Tree Pegasus



Bruttium Carthage occupation Hannibal Italy 215-205 BC 2nd Punic War AE 19 Tanit Horse Hd RARE



Carthage Iberia 218-208 BC AE 13 1/4 Calco Barcid Military Mint 2nd Punic War Tanit Helmet



Carthage AE Trishekel Tanit Horse 220-215 BCE 2nd Punic War 30mm 19.7g Lot 36



Carthage AE Trishekel Tanit Horse 220-215 BCE 2nd Punic War 30mm 17.6g Lot 35

 

Additionally, I have 5 coins from their Libyan / Mercenary War. They were minted by the Mercenary Army opposing Carthage (Yeah, their OWN army). These are generally harder to get:


Carthage Zeugitania Libyan Revolt AR Shekel 24mm 7.34g 241-238 BCE Wreathed Tanit Horse stndg control mark and Punic M SNG Cop 236



Oversrike - Carthage LIBYAN UPRISING Mercenary War 241-238 BCE AR DiShekel Herakles Head in Lion's Head- Lion walking R SNG Cop 240f



Carthage Zeugitania after 241 DIshekel AE 27 10.8g Libyan Revolt Tanit - Horse r palm MAA 45 SNG Cop 253 scarce



Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT Rebels 241-238 BCE 9.63g 24mm Shekel Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears Crescent SNG Cop 247



Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT 241-238 BCE Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears SNG Cop 252

 

Unlike my screen name suggests, I only have 2 Carthaginian examples left over from my collecting life prior to my current Roman Republican diet:

SICILY, Entella. Punic issues. Circa 320/15-300 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.21 g, 12h). Head of Persephone left, wearing barley-ear wreath, triple-pendant earring, and necklace; four dolphins around / Horse’s head left; palm tree to right, Punic ‘MMHNT below. Jenkins, Punic 156 (O48/R141); Boston MFA 491 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 84 (same obv. die); SNG Lockett 1050 (same obv. die)



CARTHAGE. Circa 310-290 BC. EL Stater (7.4g, 12h). Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain ears, triple-pendant earring, and necklace with ten pendants; pellet before neck / Horse standing right; three pellets in triangle below exergue line. Jenkins & Lewis Group V, 282; Weber 8492

 

Is this the technical term the Carthaginians used for this design feature?

 

I found these 2 coins of Carthage in my old folders. The first was struck under Roman Emperor Galerius, Cohen 191. The second is tiny and seems related to the Punic wars.

 

A very worn quarter Shekel; once it must have been a nice head of Tanit, but I guess history left its imprints:
Zeugitania, Carthago, 220 - 205 BC
13 mm, 1.74 g;
Ref.: SNG Copenhagen 339; Jenkins & Lewis pl. 28, 2. Could also be SNG Copenhagen 335; Jenkins & Lewis pl. 28, 4. Not sure.

Obv.: Wreathed head of Tanit (Persephone) l. wearing single pendant earring
Rev.: Horse standing r.

 

Nice

 

@Alegandron's Carthaginean collection is of course the bee's knees, but that's a pretty nice bunch of coins you've put together, Justin! (And wow, I had no idea you were such a graphic artist!)

I seem to have a hard time landing Carthagineans that I'm happy with, still searching for the right Punic War issue for example. But here are three I like:

My newest one is a shekel dating to 300-265 BCE:

(I see this made my 2018 Top 10 under $100 list that I never posted. Probably too late to bother now...)

I also have this quarter shekel (1.77g) from Hannibal's time, issued in Spain c. 237-209 BCE (some think it's actually a Hannibal portrait):


And finally this "AE unit" also from Punic Iberia at the tail end of their occupation there (c. 220-209 BCE), although some think it was issued after the victories of Scipio Africanus and the Roman-style portrait depicts him:

 

My contribution to the Carthegenian theme. Ok, so it isn't Micipsa, Byzantines are my favorite coinages from Carthage.

 

I have owned some fun non-Byzantine coinage, sold them to satisfy my Byz jones.