Carthage Pile On Thread...

I really like your coins, @Sulla80 ... nice AE's and Masinissa!

@Ryro ... fun AE's! Likem!

 

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Here's some medium sized ones:


Carthaginian Occupation of Southern Italy
Lokroi Epizephyrioi, Bruttium (under Hannibal)
AE Unit, Circa 215-205 BC, 2nd Punic War
Obverse: Head of Tanit-Demeter left, wearing wreath of grain ears.
Reverse: Head of horse right; Punic ‘ayin or aleph to right.
References: Robinson, Second Punic War, p. 53, 4a; HN Italy 2022; SNG Cop 370
Size: 25mm, 13.05g
Notes: A very South Italian style of Tanit-Demeter bust and horse head compared to other mints.
Obverse Die Match/cf: CNG E-Auction 456 (11/13/2019), Lot #22


Zeugitania, Carthage, 290-260 BC
First Punic War
AE Shekel, Carthage (or Sardinia?) Mint
Obverse: Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain and earrings, pellet or control mark below.
Reverse: Horse head right; palm tree to right, pellet below.
References: MAA 57n, SNG Cop 174-176
Size: 19mm, 4g


Hispania-Carthage, 228-221 BC
AE unit, Second Sicilian War,
SW Spanish mint (Cartago Nova)
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Horse’s head right; in right field, Punic letter ‘Beth’ or ‘Bet’.
References: MHC, L. Villaronga, Las monedas hispano-cartaginesas, Barcelona 1973, Class VIII, 111B; AB 511
Size: 25mm, 9.96g
Ex: Ibercoin, Auction 25, #126 (1/30/19)
Notes: A very rare variety with this Punic letter before the horse.


Hispania-Carthage, 237-209 BC
AE Unit, Barcid Military Mint, Prior and during 2nd Punic War,
Uncertain Iberian mint (Gades/Gadir? Cartago Nova?)
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Head of horse right.
References: ACIP 584, SNG BM Spain 68-73
Size: 21mm, 9.82g
Notes: Degenerate or crude style.

Inventor of the horse mask...
​

Zeugitania, Carthage
AE Unit, Second Punic War (218-201 BC)
Struck 216-215 BC, Sardinia mint
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left; Punic zayin below chin.
Reverse: Bull standing right; star above, Punic ‘ayin and taw to right.
References: SNG Cop 387-388
Size: 22mm, 4.4g
Notes: Scarce.


Zeugitania, Carthage, 300-264 BC
AE Shekel, First Punic War
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Horse’s head right; O to right.
References: SNG COP 151, Müller 286, MAA 57x
Size: 19mm, 4.2g


Carthaginian Sardinia
AE Unit, 264-241 BC
Before Sardinian Revolt from Carthage
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit.
Reverse: Horse standing right, palm tree in background center, caduceus before.
References: SNG COP 222, Müller 174, MAA 25 var (caduceus)
Size: 17.5mm, 2.47g


Zeugitania, Carthage, 215-201 BC
AE Shekel, Second Punic War
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Horse standing right, head turned left. Punic B below horse’s belly, Punic Ṣ before.
References: SNG COP 309, Müller 211, MAA 88f
Size: 21mm, 6.63g

 

Got this one on eBay for nothing. Not perfect, but I am not sure why it attracted so little interest:

Zeugitania, Carthage Æ 16
(c. 400-350 B.C.)
Sicilian Mint
Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain ears, triple-pendant earring, and
necklace / Horse standing right before palm tree.
SNG Copenhagen 109
(2.20 grams / 16 x 14 mm)

This came in a lot and I figured it was another crummy LRB from Serdica or such. To my surprise, it was minted in "Karthage" which made it cooler. The problems with the surfaces remain, however:

Maximianus Æ Post-Reform Radiate
(c. 294-303 A.D.)
Carthage Mint
IMP C MAXIMIAN[VS P F AVG] radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right VOT X[•?]X FK (Felix Karthage) in three lines within wreath
RIC VI Carthage 37b
(2.91 grams / 20 x 17 mm)

I have several of the Zeugitania horse head types - this is my favorite one because of the colors and the magnificent style:

 

CARTHAGE EMPIRE AR


Carthage Zeugitania AR Half-Shekel (approx Drachm / Denarius) 17mm 3.8g 2nd Punic War 218-202 BC Sicily mint 216-211 BC Tanit l Horse r sun as double uraeus SNG COP 359



Carthage - Sicily AR Litra (approx Obol / Sestertius) 4th C BCE 9.5mm 0.65g Palm Tree Horse Head SNG Cop 74 EE Clain-Safanelli RARE



Bruttium Carthage occup 2nd Punic War AR Half-Shekel (approx Drachm / Denarius) 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLAR-O HN Italy 2016 SNG Cop 361-3



Bruttium Carthage occup 2nd Punic War AR Half-Shekel (approx Drachm / Denarius) 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLARdisc HN Italy 2016



Carthage - Zeugitana AR Shekel- (approx DiDrachm / Heavy Denarius) 360-264 BCE Tanit Horse r head l palm SNG COP 141



Carthage 300-264 BCE AR 2/3 Shekel (approx 3 Denarii or 3 Drachm)Tanit-Horse Sear6491 SNG COP143var-tile

 

And some medium to small ones:

Mine similar to your new one, @Clavdivs...

Zeugitania, Carthage, 400-350 BC
AE Unit, Second Sicilian War
Possibly from Sicily mint
Obverse: Head of Tanit, wreathed with corn, wearing necklace and triple-drop ear-ring.
Reverse: Horse standing right, palm-tree in background; three pellets before horse, one pellet before hind legs.
References: SNG COP 109, Müller 163, MAA 18f
Size: 16.5mm, 2.4g

I was the underbidder on @Orielensis' coin, but another came up within a few weeks or so. Finding out the undertype was fun!

Zeugitania, Carthage, AE Unit
Struck ~350 BC just before the 3rd Carthaginian invasion of Sicily 345-340 BC
Overstruck on coin from 400-350 BC, West Sicilian mint
Obverse: Youthful male head (Trittolemo?) to left between two grain ears.
Reverse: Horse galloping right.
References: SNG COP 120, MAA 19 (overstruck on MAA 18)
Size: 18 mm, 3.46g
Notes: Interesting overstrike; the head of Tanit is visible on the reverse, and the horse standing before palm tree on the obverse.
(Top two images are of coin, MAA 19, compared to a coin it was overstruck on at bottom, MAA 18.)
The male image lacks signs of a deity and may be one of the leaders of the Punic forces.


Zeugitania, Carthage, 400-350 BC
AE Unit, Carthage or Sicilian Mint
Obverse: Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain and earrings.
Reverse: Horse galloping right.
References: MAA 15, SNG Cop 96
Size: 16mm, 4.32g
Notes: Very unique rendering of horse on reverse, with long neck design.


Zeugitania, Carthage
AE Half Shekel, Second Punic War (218-201 BC)
Struck 215-201 BC
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Horse standing right, head left; Punic letter ‘Beth’ or ‘Bet’ below.
References: SNG Cop 273, MAA 95a, Müller 206
Size: 16mm, 2.46g


Zeugitania, Carthage, Circa 300 BC
AE ½ Shekel, Uncertain Sicilian Mint
Obverse: Date palm with fruits.
Reverse: Horse standing right, head turned to look back.
References: MMA 22, SNG Cop 126
Size: 16.3mm, 2.91g


Zeugitania, Carthage, 2nd Punic War
AR ¼ Shekel, Hannibal’s time in Italy
Punic military mint in Campania (Capua) Carthaginian occupation, Circa 216-211 BC
Obverse: Head of Tanit-Demeter left, wreathed with grain, wearing necklace and pendant earring.
Reverse: Free horse standing right on ground line, linear border.
References: MMA 78, SNG Cop 335
Size: 14mm, 1.67g
Ex: Savoca Coin Auction, 3rd Silver, Lot #90 (9-15-2019)


Punic Iberia
Carthaginian Occupation, 237-209 BC
AE 1/5 Unit, Carthago Nova mint
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit right.
Reverse: Head of horse left.
References: ACIP 590, SNG BM Spain –, Voila 279
Size: 13.66mm, 1.59g
Rare.


Punic Occupation of Sicily
Akragas, Sicily
AR Quarter Shekel
Circa 213-211 BC, 2nd Punic War
Obverse: Wreathed head of Triptolemos right.
Reverse: Free horse prancing right, Punic letters “HT” below.
References: SNG ANS 1233; SNG Cop 380; HGC 2, 173
Size: 14mm, 1.86g
Ex: Artemide Aste Auction 50E (2/29/2020), Lot #86


Hispania-Carthage, 218-208 BC
AE ¼ Calco, Traveling Barcid Military Mint, Time of Hannibal and Second Punic War
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Crested Thracian helmet left, with cheek guards.
References: AB-521; ACIP 582; SNG BM Spain 67; Villaronga 1973, 114; CNH p. 69, 46
Size: 12mm, 1.43g
Notes: Fine style; rare. Mobile military mint traveling with the mercenary army defending southern Spain against the Roman offensive in the last years of the Second Punic War.


Hispania-Carthage, 212-208 BC
AE ¼ Calco, Traveling Barcid Military Mint,
Time of Hannibal and Second Punic War
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Reverse: Crested Thracian helmet left, with cheek guards.
References: AB-523; ACIP 582; SNG BM Spain 67; Villaronga 1973, 114; CNH p. 69, 46
Size: 13mm, 1.94g
Notes: Degenerate or crude style; rare. Mobile military mint traveling with the mercenary army defending southern Spain against the Roman offensive in the last years of the Second Punic War.

 

Some of mine.

North Africa, Carthage Æ15. Circa 400-350 BC. Wreathed head of Tanit left / Horse standing right; palm tree in background; to right, three pellets in triangle. MAA 18l; Jenkins & Lewis 13; SNG Copenhagen 118. 2.94g, 15mm, 10h.


CARTHAGE. Circa 350-320 BC. Æ Unit (18mm, 4.88 g, 12h). Carthage mint. Palm tree, with two clusters of dates / Head of horse right. CNP 255; MAA 20; SNG Copenhagen 103-4.


Bruttium, Carthaginian Occupation AR Half-Shekel. Punic mint in Bruttium, circa 215-205 BC. Struck during the Second Punic War. Wreathed head of Tanit left / Horse standing right; solar disk above. Jenkins & Lewis pl. 28, 3; Visona -; cf. Robinson, Second, pg. 45, 4; Crawford, CMRR, pg. 67; SNG Copenhagen 361-2; HN Italy 2016. 3.39g, 19mm, 5h.
Scratched but nobody is perfect.


CARTHAGE, Libyan Revolt. Circa 241-238 BC. Æ Shekel (23.5mm, 6.10 g, 9h). Mint on Sardinia. Wreathed head of Tanit left / Three grain ears; inverted crescent and pellet above, Punic gimel and mem flanking central ear. CNP 693i; cf. MAA 70; SNG Copenhagen 247–8.



Carthage. Mint in Sicily, Panormos(?) 405-380 BC.
Litra AR
17mm., 0,59g.
Wreathed head of Tanit left / Head of horse right.
Jenkins, Punic pl. 24 SNG Copenhagen - SNG ANS -

Rough but much better in hand

Also, I like to collect Roman coins with a reverse reference to Carthage:


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Gallienus. AD 253-268. Æ (28mm, 14.99 g, 6h). Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / Construction of Carthage: Dido standing left, holding ruler and scepter; to left, mason atop arched city gate; below, man digging with pick and murex shell. Cf. Rouvier 2534; cf. BMC 470.


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Salonina. Augusta, AD 254-268. Æ (27mm, 12.92 g, 12h). Draped bust right, wearing stephane / Sacrifice to Melqarth-Hercules: Dido standing right, both arms uplifted toward distyle temple to upper right, seen in perspective and containing upright club; to lower right, murex shell and lighted altar. Rouvier 2567; BMC –; AUB –.

 

Thank you, Brian! Coming from a quintessential Carthaginian collector such as yourself, it makes me even that much more proud of the collection I've been ammasing.

 

“MASSINISSA, King of Numidia, may be compared to the feather that tipped the scale. When two great nations were struggling for the mastery of the world, he threw himself on one side and it won.”
http://www.ijebu.org/conquerors/massinissa/

I love the story of him being the feather on the scales that decided the future of civilizations for millennia! Your coin is very nice, @Sulla80!

Some are poorly struck or on poor flans:

Kings of Numidia,
Massinissa (203-148 BC) or Micipsa (148-118 BC), AE Unit
Obverse: Laureate and bearded head left.
Reverse: Horse galloping left; pellet below.
References: MAA 18a, SNG Cop 505-508
Size: 27mm, 14.5g
Notes: Flan flaws and obverse weakly struck.

Here's my better one:

Kings of Numidia,
Massinissa (203-148 BC) or Micipsa (148-118 BC), AE Unit
Obverse: Laureate and bearded head left.
Reverse: Horse galloping left; possible pellet above(?).
References: MAA 18a, SNG Cop 505-508
Size: 26.5mm, 13.0g

 

CARTHAGE EMPIRE AE's


Carthage Zeugitana 4th-3rd C BCE Male Head Horse



Carthage Siculo-Punic AE 17 Late 4th-Early 3rd C BCE Tanit Horse Prancing SNG COP 95



Bruttium AE 17 Semuncia 214-211 2nd Punic Nike Zeus Biga Carthage occupation



Bruttium Carthage occupation Hannibal Italy 215-205 BC 2nd Punic War AE 19 Tanit Horse Hd RARE



Carthage Late 4th C BC Tanit Horse Palm Ex: Hendin



Carthage Siculo 330-300 BCE AE 15 Palm Tree Pegasus SNG Cop 108

 

Some very beautiful and very historic coins! Great pick up @Clavdivs . I don't have any , but you did give me yhe "bug".
I think @Alegandron must have been a Carthaginian general in another life. They're beautiful.

 

LOL, well thank you. However, my passion is the Roman Republic, prior to the Gracchii Brothers. Because of that, I enjoy those Entities that Rome came into conflict as it was building a Republic Empire. Carthage was perhaps their biggest adversary, as they both were contending for World dominance.

I have a bunch more from Carthage.

 

Galerius, as Caesar, 293-305 AD. Carthage, circa 299-303 AD. Æ Follis (27mm., 10.86gm, 6h). Obv: MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES, Laureate head right. Rev: SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART Carthago standing facing, head l., holding fruits in both hands; in exergue, Δ. RIC 32b.

 

CARTHAGE EMPIRE: Bookends of POWER

FIRST PUNIC WAR - Height of Power going into the War with Rome

Carthage Zeugitania First Punic War 264-241 BCE Double Shekel 26 mm 13.9 g Wreathed Tanit Horse stndng r star above SNG Cop 185 R


THIRD PUNIC WAR - 146 BCE, Made extinct when Rome Killed a City of approx 350,000 people. The remaining 50,000 people were sold into slavery.


Carthage Third Punic War Serrate Double Shekel 149-146 BCE 12.8g 26mm Wreathed Tanit-Horse pellet raised leg SNG COP 404 R

No coins were minted in Carthage until Julius Caesar over 100 years later.

 

I have to give them props though... They were consistent over ~350 years with their coinage design elements: Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse, oh toss in a palm tree & a horse, Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse, Tanit & horse...

 

VANDALS.
Municipal coinage of Carthage.
Circa 480-533
Æ 42 Nummi (27mm 12.7g ). Class 1. Carthago standing facing, crowned with corn wreath and holding three grain ears in each raised hand; N X LII, above; all within laurel wreath with large central jewel. MEC 34-38; BMC Vandals 3.

 

How interesting -- the only one of these theories I've read about before relates to the aqueduct. Here's my example of the Dea Caelestis coin, on which she is facing right rather than forward as on yours:

Septimius Severus, AR Denarius 203-204 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, SEVERVS PIVS AVG / Dea Caelestis in headdress riding side-saddle on lion right, facing right and holding thunderbolt & scepter; below, water gushing from rocks left; INDVLGENTIA AVGG; in exergue: IN CARTH [probable reference to water project in Carthage]. RIC IV-1 266, RSC III 222, Sear RCV II 6285*. 18x20 mm., 3.9 g.



*There don't seem to be separate catalog numbers for Dea Caelestis facing right vs. facing forward -- only for coins in which she holds a drum and scepter rather than a thunderbolt and scepter.

 

the other theories don't hold water!

 

It is probably appropriate to add to the Carthage pile this Roman Republican coin from the Carthaginian city of Utica. Carthage was to the East of Lake Tunis, and Utica about 50km northwest of the site of ancient Carthage.

"Utica was an ancient Phoenician and Carthaginian city located near the outflow of the Medjerda River into the Mediterranean, between Carthage in the south and Hippo Diarrhytus (present-day Bizerte) in the north. It is traditionally considered to be the first colony to have been founded by the Phoenicians in North Africa. After Carthage's loss to Rome in the Punic Wars, Utica was an important Roman colony for seven centuries."
-Wikipedia​

Caesar defeated the Pompeians in the battle of Thapsus. M. Porcius Cato, "The Younger", fled to Utica in North Arfrica. Cato famously committed suicide rather than accept Caesars offer of clemency:

"For if," said he, "I were willing to be saved by grace of Caesar, I ought to go to him in person and see him alone; but I am unwilling to be under obligations to the tyrant for his illegal acts. And he acts illegally in saving, as if their master, those over whom he has no right at all to be the lord.”
- Plutarch, The Life of Cato the Younger, 66.1​

Cato's story of determined fight against the populist Julius Caesar to protect republican principles and institutions of Rome, inspired American revolutionaries fighting against the tyranny of King George III. A play by Joseph Addison, “Cato, A Tragedy”, written in 1713, was very popular in the 18th century and provided inspiration to American patriots like Nathan Hale, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country", and Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death!" – both lines variants of lines from the play. George Washington had "Cato" performed at Valley Forge in 1778 to rally the troops.

Roman Republic 47-46 BC AR Denarius
M. Porcius Cato Uticensis, African mint (Utica)
Obv: draped female bust right (possibly roma), with hair tied, M CATO PRO PR before, border of dots
Rev: Victory seated right, holding patera in right hand and palm branch in left hand; border of dots, VICTRIX in exergue
Ref: Crawford 462/1c; RSC Porcia 9; BMC Africa 15

 

Wow, great thread everyone! Here are a few things that haven't made an appearance earlier:

1/4 shekel, struck under Hannibal in Spain:


AE unit, Carthago Nova (Spain), issued around the transition of power from Carthage to Rome. Some speculate it depicts Scipio Africanus:


Justinian pentanummium, issued just after the reconquest from the Vandals:


Justin II 1/2 siliqua:


Constans II follis:


The Byzantines lost Carthage to the Arabs in 698.

Plus here are some of my other faves.

Carthage mint, c. 300-265 BCE:

(I doubt these better-style types are Sardinian but would like to know the arguments for that story.)

Sardinia, c. 300-265 BCE:


2nd Punic War, Carthage mint:


Vandals (probably Hilderic, 523-33):

 

You did make me laugh AND I am curious to ask if this is only funny or if there is more recent evidence to back up the aqueduct.