Having branched out towards Athenian owl's recently - I felt I could branch out a little bit more, this time towards Carthage. This is a type I've always been very attracted to, but it has been out of my collection focus. This fantastic specimen at CNG 118 today finally lured me in though SICILY, Entella. Punic issues. Circa 320/15-300 BC. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 16.71 g, 3h). Obverse: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin. Reverse: Horse’s head left; astragalos to left, palm tree to right, Punic MḤSBM below. References: Jenkins, Punic 367–9 var. (O115/R– [unlisted rev. die]); HGC 2, 295. Provenance: From the Father & Son Collection. Ex Nomos 19 (17 November 2019), lot 43; Classical Numismatic Group 61 (25 September 2002), lot 388. "The location of the main Carthaginian mint in Sicily identified by Punic inscription as "The Camp" has long been a matter of conjecture and dispute. Recent research, adopted by Oliver Hoover in his Handbook of Coins of Sicily (CNG 2012), suggests the "Camp" mint to have been Entella, a fortress-like city located in central-west Sicily. Founded by the Trojans in the 500s BC, Entella was conquered by a group of Campanian mercenaries in about 410 BC who quickly sold their services to the Carthaginians (alternatively, the Campanians might have been employed by Carthage before they took the city). The city remained a Punic stronghold through most of the fourth century, although the Syracusan tyrant Timoleon briefly drove them out circa 342 BC (a peace treaty dividing Sicily into Greek and Carthaginian spheres of interest in 338 BC returned Entella to Punic control). The Siculo-Punic coinage of Entella seems to have been intended mainly to pay mercenary soldiers who were used to being paid in Greek coin, as the silver tetradrachms adhere closely to the Attic weight standard. Designs were usually based on the ubiquitous issues of Syracuse (obverse), but with reverses displaying their Carthaginian allegiance (the palm tree, phonix in Greek, is likely a canting pun on the term Phoenician). Horses also feature prominently, likely referring to the outstanding cavalry of the Carthaginians and their Campanian allies."
I don't even have a focus & I'd be overjoyed with that one...love the expression & detail of the horse head!
Mike, Congrats on scoring this magnificent coin ! Your coin is a rarely seen full strike gem . There is some weakness on the inscription but the horse head is complete. I like the knucklebone in the reverse field. A number of different symbols were added to the reverse field. I won a Punic Tet seven years ago with a caduceus in the field. Just what these symbols mean escapes me . My coin is pictured below; it's not nearly as fine as your coin, but I didn't pay 12 K for mine either .
Is it just me or does it look like the horse head is depicted as tilted slightly toward the viewer? Either way, beautiful coin!