These are all great coins. And, yes, they're all before Trajan's time, but the fact more relevant to my point is that they're all pre-Empire. In other words, they weren't issued as "Roman Provincial" coins under an Emperor prior to Trajan.
I have a coin like that of your 1st coin shown. It's in pretty rough shape, and my attempts at photographing it are poor. So it is merely a demonstrative of the type rather than an exemplary of the type. It did; however, provide for an interesting challenge in my attempts to attribute it. Iberia - GADIR (Gades) Circa 150-100 BC. - AE Quarter unit - Melqart O: Head of Melqart left, wearing lion skin headdress; club behind R: Dolphin coiled around trident left; Phoenician P’LT above, HGDR below. ACIP 681; SNG BM Spain 293–304; Alfaro Asins 2171; Villaronga 681 Coins started to be struck in the ancient Phoenician settlement of Gadir in the 3rd century BC, after the Barcid started to inhabit the area. Phoenician legends continued to be used which suggests that the coinage was used for civil purposes rather than military or internationally. The Phoenicians were seafaring people, therefore the dolphin is not surprising on the reverse.
I posted the coin pictured below a long time ago but it seems appropriate to post it again for this thread. I bought the coin at auction & after receiving it discovered it had been misattributed by NGC . The coin turned out to be better than advertised & is listed as Rare by McAlee . I typed over the photo what the correct attribution is. Some day I'll return it to NGC for correction . The Tet pictured below I sold at a Heritage auction long ago. I bought it from Tom Cedarland when he was active. The coin has an unusually fine portrait of Melkart. Tyre - Phoenicia, Trajan, AD 98-117, AR Tetradarchm: 14.91 gm, 29 mm.
According to RPC the issue of the coin I posted, Trajan COS V ( ca. 109 AD, struck in Seleucis and Piera Antioch (?), RPC 3533) had a silver content of 53,7%. Two coins of the series were analyzed, both came up with exactly the same number.
Here is mine: Trajan, struck 110/111 (TRP XV). 24 mm. ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ЄΞ IЄ ΥΠΑΤ Є [TRP XV COS V] Books all have the reverse described as "Melqart", but the lion's skin around the neck makes it easy to assimilate with Hercules. The original post of @DonnaML had "Laureate bust of Melqart (as Herakles) right, lion’s skin tied at neck" which is just right.
The RPC entry just says "Melqart," but I thought it made sense to add the "as Herakles" to my own description.
Carthage-LIBYAN UPRISING - Mercenaries issue Mercenary War 241-238 BCE 7.36g AR DiShekel Melqart / Herakles Head in Lion's Head- Lion walking; Punic M above; LIBYA below R SNG Cop 240f Overstrike Coins were struck in the name of Libya and "M", which has been taken as either "machanat" - the Camp (of the mercenaries), or perhaps Matho, their leader
The most interesting coin picturing Melkart that went thru my hands is pictured below, Prieur 1543. I bought the coin from a CNG auction & had it slabbed by NGC. Later I put it in a Heritage auction & it sold for $2,640.00 . The coin later appeared at a Roma auction after it was removed from the slab. It sold for even more at the Roma auction !
I’m a little late to the party, but here is my Melqart coin, it’s a Siculo Punic tetradracm 325-300 BC.
Hi all, Trying to find out more and establish authenticity but so far I believe: Melqart riding Hippocamp over Dolphin. 380-350BC Double Sheckel of Tyre possibly Baallshallim II 25.91g Interested to know your thoughts, positive or negative. All the best,
Dishekels of the type from Tyre weigh c. 13.3 grams and there is not a larger denomination. That coin is "too good to be true." It is a modern reproduction.
@armitageshanks, ...Ah, yes, Tyrian shekels as early as this, with the neo-/quasi-Pharoahnic device on the reverse (...um, who can help with this?), have been stuck in my head since seeing pictures of them as a kid. Good Stuff, Maynard.
...With a cordially vicarious, 'Oh, (mild expletive --been there, done that),' thank you for the reality check.
Iberia, Gades. Circa 150-100 BC. Æ Quarter Unit (16mm, 2.09g, 3h). Obv: Head of Melqart left, wearing lion skin headdress with club over shoulder. Rev: Dolphin transfixed by trident left; P'LT in Punic script above, HGDR below. Ref: ACIP 681; FAB 1356; SNG BM 293-304.