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CM05277

Zeugitana, Carthage, Silver Half-Shekel

North Africa, Zeugitana, Carthage, Second Punic War Issue (c. 213-210 B.C.), Silver Half-Shekel. Struck at Carthage or at an uncertain mint on Sicily. Laureate male head (Melqart? / Hannibal?) facing left, rev. elephant walking right, Punic A(leph) in exergue, 3.22g., 12h (A. Burnett, "The Enna Hoard and the Silver Coinage of the Syracusan Democracy", SNR 62 (1983), 120 (these dies)). Some silver chloride deposits towards edge between 10 and 2 o'clock, and a small area on cheek, very light metal-flaw on obverse, otherwise unusually well-struck for this enigmatic issue on a broad flan of good metal, light iridescent toning, extremely fine.

This issue, along with the accompanying Shekels, has traditionally been attributed to a Spanish mint. However, more recent Sicilian hoard evidence suggests that they were struck either in Carthage or possibly at a Sicilian mint at the time of the Second Punic War.


It has been suggested that the head on the obverse of the coin might be that of Hannibal, in the guise of Melqart, or of another Punic ruler. In the absence of firm evidence, this theory can of course only be conjectural. The features of the head, with the raised brow, the distinct bridge of the nose, the prominent chin, and the sideburns, does perhaps suggest a realism that one would expect from portraiture. The reverse of the coin depicts one of the Carthaginian War elephants that would have been used by Hannibal to cross the Alps in his campaign against Rome.

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