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Greek Coins :
Siculo-Punic Coins : Siculo-Punic Silver Tetradrachm
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Siculo-Punic Silver Tetradrachm - C.7662
Origin: Minted in Western Sicily
Circa: 320
BC
to 300
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$1,600.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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Obverse: Head of Melqart/Herakles Facing Right,
Wearing Lion Skin Headdress
Reverse: Horse Head Facing Left, Palm Tree to
the Right
The legendary city of Carthage was founded on
the shores of what is today the nation of Tunisia
by Phoenicians colonists from Tyre. From these
humble beginnings, Carthage rose to become the
dominant mercantile and naval power of the
Western Mediterranean, expanding from their
base in North Africa to the coast of southern
Spain, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Corsica, and
Sicily. With a relatively small population of
Phoenician ancestry, Carthage heavily relied
upon mercenaries to fight their war that
inevitably erupted as their influence grew. As
Carthaginian settlements in western Sicily began
to spread eastwards, they encountered the Greek
cities on the island, resulting in intermittent wars
as the Greeks and Carthaginians battled for
control of the strategic island. Initially, Carthage
allied themselves with the burgeoning power of
Rome, who sought to limit the Greek presence in
Southern Italy. Eventually, Rome and Carthage
became bitter rivals, engaging in a series of
battles known as the Punic Wars that culminated
in the complete destruction of Carthage in 146
B.C.
Carthaginian coinage was first minted at the end
of the 5th century B.C., most likely in order to
pay their mercenary forces. As such, it is
believed that the coins were minted in Sicily and
directly distributed to the soldiers. While the
earliest coinage imitates the style of those
minted by the Greek cities of Sicily, namely
Syracuse, as Carthaginian coinage developed
over the centuries it began to exhibit a uniquely
Punic style. Typical features found on
Carthaginian coinage include the head of the
Goddess Tanit, a horse, and a palm tree. In the
mid to late 4th century B.C., Carthaginian
authorities minted a series of Attic-weight
tetradrachms, likely to pay mercenaries. The last
type of this series were based on the coinage of
Alexander the Great, depicting the head of
Herakles on the obverse, whom the
Carthaginians identified with their deity Melqart.
The reverse showed the head of a horse and a
palm tree along with legends reading either
“MMHNT” (meaning “people of the camp”) or
“MHSBM” (meaning “the Quaestors”). The first
legend suggests the coins were not minted in a
specific location, but rather in moving mints that
followed the army. The second legend likely
refers to at least two different military authorities
responsible for the coinage.
- (C.7662)
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