Scipio Africanus ?

IBERIAN, Punic/Roman.: Male head left. Rev.: Horse’s head right. Mint :Carthagena nova, AE, c. 237-209 BC. Æ (15mm, 1.89g, 12h).. R/ ACIP 610; SNG BM Spain 129. Rare. Green patina, In order to force Hannibal to retreat from Italy, Scipio Africanus attacked Carthaginian Spain and took Carthago Nova in 209 B.C. References most often identify this type as Punic, struck before 209 B.C., being struck but they also note that the head is `Roman style.` Some authorities believe, as we do, that this type was struck after 209, under Roman rule. during the Roman occupation of Carthago Nova .Carthaginian coins sometimes depicted Barcid generals. This coin probablyy depicts the Roman general Scipio Africanus.
It would be interesting to see other coins of this type and thir interpretation.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Now I need one, thanks!

 

Great coin! Here is one of the larger ("AE Unit") denominations. I think "may depict Scipio" is probably a better summary of the evidence than "probably depicts". (Unless there's some new hoard evidence I don't know about.) It does have rather Roman styling to it, reminiscent of some portraits of Octavian over a century and a half later.



Here's a tiny (1.77g) quarter shekel dated to the same period (237-209 BC) which is often taken to portray Hannibal, or at least a member of the Barcid family:

 

Nice Scipio @PMONNEY !

Personally, I am of the Camp that Scipio's bust is on the coin. Not from a numismatic viewpoint, but based on various histories I have read. Remember, Hannibal personally HATED Rome. His family were defeated in the First Punic War (264-241), had to endure indemnities and tribute to pay Rome for loss in the War. Then were involved in a nasty, bloody Mercenary War (240-238 BCE) immediately after the First Punic War because they could not pay their troops DUE to those indemnities. Therefore, Hannibal prosecuted the Second Punic War (218-201) on Rome to make THEM pay. He wanted to fight IN Italy, so that he could garner support and sympathy from Rome's Allies and Foes in their homeland, including Celts and Italians. He had a huge PR Campaign in Italy, trying to gain Rome's Italian Allies support and win them over to his side. (I collect coins from Capua and some from Bruttium for this reason.)

Publius Cornelius Scipio (before he was Africanus, and while in Spain), coins from Carthago Nova... He was young, had been built up by the Senatorial Class (even from a young age) almost as a demi-god to politically oppose Hannibal's propaganda campaign in Italy against Rome... This whipper-snapper "figgered" it all out - how to counter the psychological effect that Hannibal had on the Romans AND Italians for so many years!

In my personal view, this is a propaganda coin with his likeness to oppose the Barcid Coins minted prior to his taking Carthago Nova from the Barcids / Carthaginians. These coins would make the FIRST living Roman featured on a coin minted under Roman Authority. I do not believe there are any SILVER coins, as that would had been a BIG No-NO. However, minting his likeness on Bronze, circulating in the local area would had been "overlooked". Brilliant on his part...


Carthago Nova Scipio 209-206 BCE AE 14 Horse Head scarce


Carthago Nova SCIPIO Africanus Roman Occupation 209-206 BCE Sear Vol2 6575 scarce

 

But the issue DOES include silver! Here's a shekel:


If these do portray Scipio, I think it's more likely that the mint in Carthago Nova had a recent tradition to portray the local person in power on the coins (as illustrated by the quarter shekel above). When the city changed hands in 209 BC, the mint simply continued this tradition, making new dies based on Scipio's appearance as they understood it. (Note that this is possible even if the coin "officially" portrays a deity.) If anything, the scarcity of the issue could be explained by Scipio objecting to having his likeness on the coins.

But who knows? I hope some hoard evidence will date the issue better in future. If it's not found in some hoards known to have been buried in 210 and earlier, the betting that this is Scipio goes way up... as does the value of our coins. (Not that we care about crass factors like that! )

 

That is awesome!

 

idk...

 

You mean: I don't nnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......................

 

Scipio Africanus, really?

Considering that this man was one of the most important generals in Ancient Rome, like a superstar, that was elect to the consulship two times after his glory on the 2nd Punic War, why not? His deeds are remembered to these days, when the Italian anthem is sung in any civic occasion: "l'Italia s'è desta, dell'elmo di Scipio s'è cinta la testa" (Inno di Mameli). But, although the bust portrayed in the coin is apparently of the style of a Roman citizen, it looks nothing like our hero, who, as you can see, was apparently bald...

But of course, it’s not impossible, although we numismatists tend to see what we would really like to see. It would not have been a crime if his portrait had been used in a provincial coinage as a form of Roman propaganda, without entering into the merit of self-promotion, which would put him in the delicate role that Caesar had passed some 160 years later with risks to Republican ideals. It looks like more to me with this not much less famous guy:


But, anyway, I loved all these coins!

 

I'll accept the possibility that it depicts Scipio Africanus....and I love the posts!!!

The closest I have is a military mint denarius of one of his descendents--- Q Caecillus Metellus Pius Scipio.

 

Fascinating, just what I was hoping to hear and see !

 

Excellent analysis,thank you.Let's hope that future discoveries will clarify the situation.

 

Disappointing, did he perhaps wear a whig like Emperor Otho ? (Lol)

 

Yes, a wig can make him much more like the portraits of these Punic coins!
Maybe we’ll never know the real answer to this question...

 

He's unlikely to have been quite so bald when he went to Spain at age 25.

 

Perhaps not completely bald, but maybe very bald. It was not uncommon (and also today) bald men to shave the remaining hair. And I know a lot of young people on this condition... It would also be very strange to lose this "big hair", considering that he is totally bald at the end of his life, at 51 ...
But, who knows...
Numismatists tend to attribute personalities to coins that may not be real. For example: Vercigentorix / Gaul / Captive, Cleopatra / Arsinoe among several others. Our imagination creates wings. Unfortunately, much of Numismatics is still based on "it could be ..."

 

..I believe he was the 1st to say "non est herba crescere in occupatus platea"

 

Standard male-pattern baldness, no? I should know.

 

And now, your emperor is proud to give you the legionaires of Scipio Africanus!

Remember that line from Gladiator spoken by the master of ceremonies with the wig.

 

1st time for the"big wigs"?