Hello all, I've found it to be a difficult few months for coins. Competition seems to be really fierce and I've usually found it wiser to stay out. Or so I tell myself. Here is the latest acquisition to share, a "Greek" tetradrachm. It weighs 17.15g (Attic Standard) and is 25mm wide. Likely struck between 320-300 BCE. This coin was struck in Sicily by the Carthaginians, indicating that it predates the first Punic War. It was also the last of the Siculo-Punic tetradrachms, as the Carthaginian defeat in the First Punic War resulted in them ceding Sicily to the Romans. The Punic inscription below the horse head is believed to translate as "People of the Camp", which is now believed to refer to ancient Entella. This tetradrachm was likely intended to pay mercenaries who were accustomed to being paid with Greek coinage, as attested to the usage of the Attic weight standard. The finest dies of this series were probably engraved by Greeks employed or captured by the Carthaginians. The obverse bears the image of Herakles/Melqart wearing a lion skin headdress, likely inspired by the coinage of Alexander the Great. The reverse has a horse's head and a palm tree, clearly identifying it as a Carthaginian issue. The palm tree is known as "Phonix" in Greek, which is a reference to the term Phoenician. This tetradrachm thus exhibits a fascinating combination of Greek and Punic symbols. Please share any related coins you may have.
A beautiful coin with intriguing history-- what's not to love? Herakles looks quite pleased and the horse is well rendered . SICILY, Entella. Punic issues c. 300-289 BCE; AR tetradrachm, 24 mm, 16.8 gm, 12h) Obv: head of Melquart-Herakles right, wearing lion skin Rev: head of horse left; astragalos (cut over poppy) to left, palm tree to right, Punic MHSBM (approximate meaning is "quaestors" or financial controllers) below Ref: Jenkins, Punic 366 (O115/R298), series 5b Ex Gorny & Mosch 138 (7 March 2005), lot 33
Very nice. I love these coins. Here is mine, but not nearly as nice as either of yours. TIF, yours is fantastic! “People of the camp”
I forgot I did an in-hand video of my Entella tet. Looks like a quivering octopus is holding the coin .
Excellent detail on that Tet, @RichardT ... especially the horse head, just gorgeous! Huge congrats finding it! Well done. I regret that I have not captured this Tet yet, and it is definitely on my radar, as I enjoy collecting Carthage Empire coins. Here are a couple AR's, one before the Punic War Series and the other during the 2nd Punic War prior to losing Sicily to the Romans: Roughly during the Height of the Carthage Empire Carthage in Sicily, Uncertain Sicilian mint 4th C BCE AR Litra 9.5mm., 0.65g. Obv: Palm tree. Rev. Head of horse r. SNG Copenhagen (Africa) 74. Jenkins, Punic, Part 2, p. 31 and pl. 6, C. Rare From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection Second Punic War just prior to losing Sicily to Roma Carthage Zeugitania AR ½ Shekel 17mm 3.8g 2nd Punic War 218-202 BCE Sicily mint 216-211 BCE Obv: Tanit l Rev: Horse r sun as double uraeus SNG COP 359
But, it is GREAT on screen. That is a super coin! I really like that reverse...great detail. Tanit has a different look to her.
But here is the sad part. I bought this coin at auction and there was a COP 359 like yours offered immediately after. Bidding was fairly lengthy but I was determined to get it. At that point the battery in my mouse died and I could bid no further. Lesson learned. I have noticed Tanit seems to have different looks among my Carthaginian collection.
WOW! That is a MAJOR bummer!!! I had a similar situation with a Pre-211 BCE Denarius Reform - Half-Quadrigatus - harder to find! Fighting through the bids, then my Internet went out in a storm! Was winning, then LOST! Ugh, they are a little harder to find coins!
Here are a couple more SICULO-PUNIC AE's Carthage Siculo-Punic AE 17 Late 4th-Early 3rd C BCE Tanit Horse Prancing SNG COP 95 Carthage Siculo 330-300 BCE AE 15 Palm Tree Pegasus SNG Cop 108
CARTHAGE OCCUPATION of AKRAGAS - 2nd Punic War Sicily Akragas Punic occup 213-210 BC AR Half Shekel 19 mm 2.9g Male head r Triptolemos wreath grain -Horse leaping r Punic Ḥ SNG COP 378
RichardT, Nice score on the Tet . The horse on the reverse is especially well done. The Carthaginians & Greeks on Sicily were warring long before Rome became a super power. They reached a temporary truce with Carthage controlling the Western part of the island & the Greeks controlling the Eastern side. My coin uses a caduceus as a control mark. The coin TIF posted has a fascinating control mark of a knuckle bone. I believe these were good luck charms & used in fortune telling. Click image for an enlarged view.
Well done, and gorgeous example! This is why I enjoy the ROMA-CARTHAGE-GREEK conflict. Such a fascinating / rich history and Human struggle.
@RichardT That is a sublimely elegant coin. The die engraver was clearly a master artist. To me it seems superior to Tiff's wonderful example which has a nicer round flan. That horse head really is amazing. Congratulations on your acquisition!
There are some superb examples in this thread. I've been tempted to acquire a Punic tetradrachm for type, but the high price for a good example has thus far tempered my efforts.
Entella "The Camp" Ar Tetradrachm 300-289 B.C. Obv Beardless head of Herakles right. Rv Horse head left. Jenkins 343 This Coin illustrated 17.03 grms 23 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Such lively horses! I broke down and bought a Tridrachm from CNG a few years ago.. CARTHAGE, Second Punic War. Circa 203-201 BC. BI Tridrachm (25mm, 7.88 g, 11h). Obv: Wreathed head of Tanit left. Rev: Horse standing right, head left; pellet above raised foreleg. Ref: MAA 81b; SNG Copenhagen 395.
Thanks all for your kind words and for sharing your coins. I was a little hesitant about bidding for this coin because of the odd shaped flan and slightly off struck obverse, but you have to make compromises. I really like TIF's video. Great way to show the obverse high relief. Certainly TIF's example has a better obverse. Stunning. Overall I think I like Terence's example the best though. Well struck obverse and reverse, and the horse's eye is well defined. Sublime!
I don't have an example of the Heracles obverse but here's my related coin. Carthage was embracing their Syracuse connection with this issue, depicting Tanit as Persephone/Arethusa: Head of Tanit-Persephone l., wearing barley wreath, bar and triple pendant earring and dotted necklace; below chin, cockle shell and around, four dolphins. Rev. Horse's head l.; behind, palm tree with date clusters. Below neck truncation, 'mmhnt' in Punic characters. References SNG Fitzwilliam 1488 (these dies) SNG Copenhagen 85 (these dies) Privately purchased from Ratto in 1945 Gorny & Mosch sale 228, 2015, 44