Featured Hey Wait! ...Before You Destroy Carthage...

Congrats AN, a wonderful coin.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Noob - fabulous writeup and super coin. It appears that your coin has a particularly high relief. I've always thought the Carthaginian coins are really special. I've only got one which I've shared before, but who can resist...

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).

 

@Carthago I never get tired of seeing that one!!!

 

Made a little tray of some favs!

 

Great set!!

 

Nice coin! I love the stately depiction of Tanit on these issues, and I love the color of electrum. I also love that these types aren't wildly rare - I looked at one at the last Baltimore show, but it was too rough for my tastes. There are enough of these coins around that you don't have to settle for any with problems. Yours is fabulous!

 

Your right. They are not wildly rare, Carthage did produce something like 8.3 million of them to pay up front 1000 talents of gold to Rome and then another 2000 over the next decade at the close of the first Punic War. For them not being wildly rare they tend to be expensive, the difference between mine (a little wear) and one with the same strike and no wear can be thousands of dollars. I did have to make some concessions when acquiring this, first its not the high gold 9 gram whoppers who start at $5K and this example has a small scratch (in some lights) above the horse, but hey I swore I would get the best one I could get for my station. Maybe someday I will upgrade it - but I dont think so...I would have to mow a lot of lawns.

 

Dude, you nailed it. Since this has a TINY bit of wear and tear, you have a REAL coin...one that was used, one that the Roman Senate held in their grubby paws as they raised their noses to the Carthaginians! This one has some REAL history to it! Nice job. Full Stop at this one, no need to go further my Friend!

 

Yeah...if it were mine, I certainly wouldn't see a need to upgrade it either! Scratch - what scratch? I had to go back and look at the coin, and I don't see any scratches worth mentioning.

 

This was the sellers photo which certainly exacerbates the "blemish"

 

Eh, nothing a little photoshop can't fix, lol.

 

Concessions? It's a soft metal, so a little wear on the highlights is nada. It is a very pretty example.

I have not found the correct Carthaginian coin at the correct price for me yet. My reach exceeds my grasp most times...... But reach I must.

Good grab.

 

What evidence do we have that a 1000 talent payment was made in coin rather than bullion?

 

The sheer volume of Carthage Staters?

 

just look at it at a slightlyl different angle no photoshop needed.

 

Nooooo.... I would use the off-the-shelf tube of Liquid Metal... just rub some in and fill the cracks... A little yellow paint... No prob!

 

Not sure, but I think they have found several of these in the vending slots of the Senate House's Vespasian Pay Toilets! (sorry, Doug, I could not resist...)

 

Non Omnia Punica delenda est.

 

Here's my modest (in comparison to the wonders we've seen above) sicilo-punic bronze coin


Sicilo-Punic, AE16 264-241 BC
Head of Tanit left
Horse right and palm tree
1.75 gr, 16 mm
Ref : SNG Cop. 111

Q

 

I know you have seen this on before... but, these are a bit harder to find than all my AE Carthaginians...


Zeugitana, Carthage
AR 2/3 Shekel
18.4mm, 4.4g
Obv: Tanit l, wreath, earring
Rev: Horse standing r, head l
Ref: Sear Greek Vol 2 6491; SNG COP 143 var R