weight 17,36gr. ; silver Ø 25mm.

obv. Forepart of galloping bridled horse left,
being crowned by Nike flying left; barley grain before,
QRT-H-DST (″Carthage″in Punic) below interposen by two incense-burners
rev. Palm tree with two date cluster;
QRT-H-DST (″Carthage″) in Punic across lower field field

In the final decade of the fifth century BC, the Carthaginians launched a series of invasions of Sicily, conquering much of the western half of the island and bringing devastation to many formerly flourishing Greek communities. The Punic presence lasted for a century and a half, until Rome′s victory in the First Punic War obliged the Carthaginians to withdraw. During their time of occupation, the Carthaginians struck an extensive coinage in Sicily for the purpose of financing their military operations and the maintenance of garrisons. The obverse and reverse types of the series are mostly influenced by Sicilian prototypes, particularly those of Syracuse, except for the later series with the head of Herakles on the obverse, which was obviously influenced by the well-recognized coinage of Alexander the Great. While a few of the series are struck at cities with established mints, such as Motya and Panormos, these are often viewed as minor or campaign mints that operated for a short duration. The location of the primary Punic mint (or mints) on Sicily, responsible for the large issues studied by G.K. Jenkins (′Carthage′ series I-V), has been the subject of great debate. Most recently, Ian Lee surveyed the existing literature and took a fresh look at the full spectrum of evidence, persuasively concluding that this mint was located at Entella, the main base of Carthaginian forces in Sicily. (″Entella: The Silver Coinage of the Campanian Mercenaries and the First Carthaginian Mint 410-409 BC″ in NC 160 [2000], pp. 1-66).

Entella was an very ancient city in the interior of Sicily, situated on the left bank of the river Hypsas (modern Belice), and nearly midway between the two seas, being about 40 km from the mouth of the Hypsas, and much about the same distance from the north coast of the island, at the Gulf of Castellamare. Round 407 BC the city of Entella became the most important military base of the Carthagian forces. They were supported by Campanian mercenaries, who had been in the service of the Carthaginians during the war. In 404 BC they put all the male citizens to the sword, to make sure that they would remain masters of the place, successfully. They retained possession of Entella for many years.

Also Carthago and the Sicilian Punic settlement of Lilybaion been suggested in the past as possible mint for this coin type, but Entella seems to be the most likely mint. Only a few examples are known of this coin type. Extremely rare.

Sear- (cf. 6426) ; Salinas 67 ; Cutroni Tusa 9 ; SNG.Copenhagen- (cf.70) ;
McClean- (cf.3033) ; Jameson- (cf. 907) ; Jenkins, SNR II, 53, 1974, nr.37 ;
Manfredi 9 ; CNP 643 ; HGC 2, 264 (R3) RRR
good vf

weight 6,74gr. ; billon Ø 24mm.

obv. Head of Herakles-Melqart left, wearing lion′s skin headdress
rev. Lion walking right, letter M ″mem″ above

The Mercenary War, also known as the Truceless War, was a mutiny by troops employed by Carthage at the end of the First Punic War (264 to 241 BC), backed by an uprising of African settlements revolting against Carthaginian control. It lasted from 241 to late 238 or early 237 BC and ended with Carthage suppressing both the mutiny and the revolt.

The war began in 241 BC as a dispute over the payment of wages owed to 20.000 foreign soldiers who had fought for Carthage on Sicily during the First Punic War. When a compromise seemed to have been reached the army erupted into full-scale mutiny under the leadership of Spendius and Matho. 70.000 Africans from Carthage′s oppressed dependant territories flocked to join them, bringing supplies and finance. War-weary Carthage fared poorly in the initial engagements of the war, especially under the generalship of Hanno. Hamilcar Barca, a veteran of the campaigns in Sicily (and father of Hannibal Barca), was given joint command of the army in 240 BC; and supreme command in 239 BC. He campaigned successfully, initially demonstrating leniency in an attempt to woo the rebels over. To prevent this, in 240 BC Spendius and Autaritus tortured 700 Carthaginian prisoners to death (including Gisco), and henceforth the war was pursued with great brutality. By early 237 BC, after numerous setbacks, the rebels were defeated and their cities brought back under Carthaginian rule.

SNG.Copenhagen 241 ; Cayon 0393 ; Müller I, p.131, no.351 ; CNP.433a ;
SNG.Ashmolean 241 ; SNG.Leipzig 1490 ; Pozzi collection 3289 ; 
Sear 6543 ; Robinson, pl. III, 22 ; Alexandropoulos page 374, no.52-54 ;
cf. Carradice and La Niece, "The Libyan War and Coinage", NumChron 1988, pp. 32-52
Light traces of oxidation. Interesting and rare historical coin.
f+

weight 7,70gr. ; gold-electrum Ø 18mm.

obv. Head of Tanit left, wreathed with corn, wearing necklace and triple-drop earring
rev. Horse standing right on baseline. One dots on the line.

As the production of electrum coinage in Asia Minor died out in the 320s, it is most curious that the tradition was then taken up at the other end of the Mediterranean by Carthage, a Phoenician settlement on the shore of North Africa, just southwest of Sicily. The earliest precious metal coins of Carthage, dating to about 350 BC, were made of pure gold, but by about 320 BC they were substituted with staters of electrum. These were issued in very large quantities, along with multiple and fractional denominations that were produced only occasionally and in relatively small quantities. The standard design for the Carthaginian stater was the head of the goddess Tanit and a standing horse. They mainly appear to have been issued from circa 320 to 270 BC After that prolific era, Carthage also struck electrum coinage during its three wars with Rome: the First Punic War (264 to 241 BC), the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC), and the Third Punic War (149 to 146 BC). As a footnote, we should also describe the electrum issues of nearby Syracuse, the most powerful city on the island of Sicily. Impressive though they were, these coins were produced only during the reign of King Agathocles (317 to 289 B.C.). Indeed, it has been suggested that this unusual coinage was struck to repurpose electrum staters that Agathocles had collected from Carthage as booty or as a war indemnity.

Alexandropoulos page 365, no.13 ; SNG.Copenhagen 139var. ;
Jenkins-Lewis, group VI, page 101, nos. 318-320
vf

weight 4,10gr. ; silver 18mm.

obv. Male head (Triptolemos ?) right, wearing wreath  
of corn-ears and leaves within dotted border
rev. Prancing horse right, Punis letter H ″het″ below, within wreath

Originally attributed to Hiempsal II of Numidia, this issue was firmly reattributed to the Carthaginians in Sicily (cf. R.R. Holloway, “Monete provenienti dagli scavi di Moragantina e già attribuite a Hiempsal II” in AIIN 7–8 [1961], pp. 35–7), and most likely to the mint of Akragas (cf. Burnett, Enna, pp. 12–3), when Akragas was occupied by the Carthaginians. Although Burnett suggested that this issue was struck no later than 211 BC, Walker′s analysis of three Sicilian hoards conclusively dates this coinage to circa 213–210 BC, during the Second Punic War. At the outbreak of the war in 218, Akragas was a loyal ally of Rome, but was captured by the Carthaginians in 214. Despite attempts by Rome to retake the city, the Punic garrison held out for nearly four years, until a dispute between the Carthaginians and their Numidian mercenaries led to the betrayal of Akragas to the forces of M. Valerius Laevinus. Unlike the ubiquitous Siculo-Punic coins struck at Entella, the die study of the issues a Akragas shows that the present issue was of a very short duration. Although they were struck from well-executed dies, the hoard coins show that they were not struck with great care, which is not unusual for coins issued in the midst of war. As such, well-centred, high grade pieces like the present specimen are exceptional. Rare.

SNG.Copenhagen 373 ; Head 37 ; Baldus 53 ; Müller III, 45 ; 
Burnett, SNR 62, 1983, 12, 132f ; CNP.116 ; SNG.ANS.3, no.1233 ;
HGC.2, 172 (R2)
vf/xf à xf-