Horse head portrait OTD

[gallienus1]

I went a bit overboard at the auction today and paid way over my usual budget. The coin is not one I could normally afford, but because of some surface pitting and a ragged flan It came in reach, so I grabbed it.

What drew me to it was the superb horse head portrait on the reverse. Whoever the artist who made the die was, he was a master who created a portrait with all the inner life of one of George Stubbs glorious paintings of horses. I love it!

The catalogue description-

SICULO-PUNIC, mint of the camp, (c.320-310 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.19 g), obv. wreathed head of Persephone to left, wearing triple pendant earring and necklace, four dolphins swimming around, rev. horse's head to left, palm tree behind, Punic legend, "MM" below, border of dots, (S.6434, SNG Sweden 44 [same dies], G. K. Jenkins, "Coins of Punic Sicily. part 3, SNR 56 [1977], series 3b, 218 [same dies, O65/R190], SNG Delepierre 722 [same dies]).

Steve

[ickster]

Nice catch! I too am on the look out for affordable coins with horses on them. The "affordable" part makes them rarer than hens teeth.

[Pscipio]

The style of the horse head is way above average for this series. Congratulations!

Lars

[Arados]

I would love to add a SICULO-PUNIC coin to my collection in the not too distant future, the connection to my area of collecting is quite plain to see.

Congratulations on your new acquisition Steve.

[Sam]

MM in Imperial Aramaic alphabet  ( Pronounced  Mim Mim )

Congratulations Steve , just a marvelous addition !

[gallienus1]

Thank you Sam, Arados, Lars, and ickster for your comments. It is always a pleasure to know collectors with greater experience than you agree  about the fine aesthetics of a recent acquisition.

Thanks especially Sam for letting me know the inscription reads MM in Aramaic and is Pronounced  Mim Mim.  Now I can avoid the embarrassment when I show the coin to non-collector friends of not being able to tell them what the inscription on the reverse says!

Best regards,
Steve

[Sam]

 
Again congratulations from the bottom of my heart on this home run !

The horse is spectacular your coin reminds me of a coin from  my great friend carthago ( Chris)  's collection.

[Sam]

Hello dear friend Steve ,

I just want to make sure you pronounce it right 100 % ;

Mim  ,  the i  is a heavy one here , like the ea in leave in English  . So Meam     ( like you say "mean" in English but say it with m in end meam )

[quadrans]

Hi,

I just recognized this very representative coin..

I love it..

Steve I Congratulate you...

Q.

[David Atherton]

That's a really superb coin. Congrats my friend!

[gallienus1]

Thanks again Sam, and thanks David and quadrans for the comments.  It is always an extra pleasure to share an interest with others that share a love and knowledge of the subject.

Best regards,
Steve