Carthage - Trading Empire

I haven't posted a Thread for a while, so I thought that I would flush out some Carthage Coins from everyone.

Carthage was a Trading Empire from the North of Africa. They used mercenary soldiers (Outsourced Labor), and had a trading empire spanning from Africa Sicily Sardinia to Spain around the Med. They were founded in 814 BCE, were a Monarchy until 308 BCE, and the Romans made them extinct 146 BCE after 3 Punic Wars.

I don't see many posts about Carthage...

Please post your cool Carthage Coins!


Carthage Zeugitana
AR Shekel / Didrachm
300-264 BCE, 7.42g, 21.0mm
Obv: Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain, earrings and necklace; dotted border
Rev: Horse standing right on exergual line with head turned left, palm tree in background, star in right field


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



Bruttium Carthage occupation - HANNIBAL
AR Half-Shekel 216-211 BCE
Obv: Tanit
Rev: Horse SOLAR-O
Ref: HN Italy 2016 SNG Cop 361-3

 

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Ever read Hannibal's Dynasty? I think you would enjoy it. Here are my only Carthaginian coins:


Zeugitana, Carthage, BC 300 - 264
AE, 4.78g, 19mm; 2h
Obv.: Head of Tanit left, wreathed in corn
Rev.: Horsehead right

Here's one that ties my ancient and modern collections together:


Carthaginians in Hispania
AE 1/4 Calco, 1.5g, 13mm; mobile military mint, 218-208 BC.
Obv.: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Rev.: Crested helmet left, with cheek guards

 

Great coins, Brian. Nice portrait on it.

 

Nice coins all. Mine are not so:

CARTHAGE/SICILY-PUNIC
Æ15
OBVERSE: Head of Tanit left
REVERSE: Galloping horse right
Struck at Carthage, 3d-4th Century BC
4.59g, 15.6mm
SNG Cop 1024


CARTHAGE/SICILY-PUNICÆ17
OBVERSE: Head of Tanit left, wreathed with corn
REVERSE: Horse right, palm behind
Struck at Zeugitana, Carthage or Siculo-Punic, 3d-4th Century BC
3.5g, 17mm
Weber 8509v


CARTHAGE/SICILY-PUNIC
AE20
OBVERSE: Date palm tree with fruit
Rev: Horse head
Struck at Zeugitana, Carthage or Siculo-Punic, 3d-4th Century BC
8.2g, 20mm
SNG Cop-103

Then a few under Roman rule:

JULIUS CAESAR
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Diademed head of Venus right.
REVERSE: CAESAR - Aeneas advancing left, carrying Anchises and palladium
Carthage 47 to 46 BC
4.0g, 17mm
CRI 55, Sydenham 1013, RRC 458/1, S 1402


MAXIMIANUS
AE Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: FELIX ADVENT AVGG N N, Africa standing facing, looking left, wearing elephant-skin headdress, holding standard and elephant's tusk, lion with captured bull at feet, H in right field, mintmark PKB
Struck at Carthage. AD 298
9.1g, 28mm
RIC VI 25b


CONSTANTIUS I
AE Follis
OBVERSE: CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, laureate head right (large head type)
REVERSE: SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART, Carthago standing facing, head left, in long robe, holding fruits in both hands. Mintmark Gamma
Struck at Carthage 298-299 AD
7.41g, 28mm
RIC VI 32a

 

Oh I like those later issues!

How about one from the Kingdom of Numidia, where the Carthaginian refugees fled after the fall of Carthage:
Kings of Numidia, Micipsa, c. 148-118 BC
Æ26, 12.9g, 12h; Numidian mint.
Obv.: Laureate head of king left.
Rev.: Horse galloping left, pellet below.

 

I have NOT. Thanks for the pointer!

 

Check it out.

 

Oh, man, I could dump a bunch of Carthage AE's on everyone...but I have a few to share:

@Jwt708 : that is a great Hispania... here is a similar one:


Carthage Zeugitana 4th-3rd C BC AE 15 Male Hd Horse Prancing SNG Cop 120 O-R.jpg

@Bing ANY Carthage coin looks great to me! Yours are super. Never thought to put Roman Carthage up... although, I don't think I have ANY from the Roman Carthage Mint...great idea!

 

Carthage AE Trishekel Obv-Rev 220-215 BCE 30mm 19.7g Lot 36.jpg


Carthage AE Trishekel Obv-Rev 220-215 BCE 30mm 17.6g Lot 35.jpg

 

That is a great Numidian! Cool history around those...

I only have a couple:


Numidia - Micipsi - 148-118 BCE Obv-Rev.JPG


Numidia - Massinissa Obv-Rev.JPG

 

Alegandron had some really nice big AE's. Mine is a dog but from 300-264 BC (before the First Punic War) and only considered a dishekel at 17.17g.

 

Cool posts!!!!

Ironically, considering my old and current avatar, I've stalled at these bronze examples and have been consistently outbid on any silver types...

I was about to throw in an Imperial from Carthage but I can't recall which one(s) they are off-hand. You lucked out Brian LOL

 

Great coins folks. Only one from Carthage here, and very tiny. And a Micipsa as a bonus


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



Numidia, Mikipsa, AE26
Minted c.148-118 BC
Laureate head of Mikipsa left
Horse galloping left, beneath, punic letters
15.23 gr, 26 mm
Ref : Sear #6596

Q

 

VERY VERY nice posts everyone! I know there are not a LOT of Carthage coins out there as the Romans overstruck, destroyed, and melted them down. They HATED and FEARED Carthage.

Gonna do a little change up here: As everyone knows, Rome slapped Carthage down after the 1st Punic War. Consequently, Rome imposed tribute on Carthage, adn forced them to remove their Mercenary Army from Sicily. Carthage did not think their solutions through very well... They had to raise cash for the tribute to Rome, kinda were stalling on paying their Mercenary troops. STUPIDLY, they brought the Mercenaries back to Northa Africa in near proximity to Carthage! They stalled payments, made many unfulfilled promises, and ultimately ticked off their Mercenaries. This reslted in a NASTY War with their Mercenaries, with many untold atrocities happening on both sides... Called the Libyan Revolt or the Mercenary War.

This ULTIMATELY resulted in the Cartahginians becoming very BITTER to the Romans, and the Barcid Family vowing REVENGE... Hence the 2nd Punic War with Hannibal invading Italia...

The Libyan Revolt / Mercenary War 241-238 BCE ranged from Sardinia to Zeugitania in North Africa. It involved Mercenary Celts, Sicilian, Spanish, even some Germanic tribes...

LIBYAN REVOLT... Mercenary Coinage (very hard to get...):


Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT Rebels 241-238 BCE 9-63g 24mm Shekel Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears Crescent SNG Cop 248 O-R.JPG


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

CARTHAGE COIN from the Libyan Revolt / Mercenary War:

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

 

Nice everybody.
@Alegandron my goodies just came in the mail today. Won't get around to taking pictures most likely until this weekend. 6 coins in all counting a real nice Lydian winged thunderbolt from JA''s past auction. The other 5 include a Carthage Pegasus & the Faustina Sr. which is my first dupondus, it's not a great one but I do like it.

 

Looking forward to seeing them! I have a very modest Carthage Pegasus, but they are pretty cool!


Carthage Siculo AE 15 Palm Tree Pegasus O-R.jpg

 

Very cool just about the same only a black patina. Scored a decent Caracalla/pegasus today, already looking forward to delivery of that one. But I'm a believer of combining so waiting til auction ends.
I've but a few from Carthage.

 

Carthage thread, eh? => I like it!!

Great coins as always, gang (lookin' good, CoinTalk!!)

Well, I have couple of sweet examples ... Gandalf, thanks for the opportunity to post 'em (you rock)

CARTHAGE Æ20
Circa 300-264 BC
Diameter: 20 mm
Weight: 4.79 grams
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left
Reverse: Horse’s head right; palm tree before, pellet below
Reference: MAA 57m; SNG Copenhagen 175
Other: 7h … VF, brown patina with some light earthen deposits




VANDALS IN CARTHAGE, Æ 21 NUMMI
523-533 AD
Diameter: 20.26 mm
Weight: 6.28 grams
Reverse: Head of horse left, XXI in exergue
Obverse: Soldier standing facing
Reference: MEC 45

 

Great strike on your AE20 @stevex6 ! And the Vandal coin is a cool addition. I have NONE of those!