Dear all, today I presente a
rare and valuable coin from my
collection.
It is also an historical important coin.
Description of the coin:
Under the Carthaginians. Quarter-shekel after 221 BC,
AR 1.82 g.
Observe: Laureate
head of
Melqart l., with the features of Hannibal; club over far shoulder.
Reveverse.
Elephant walking r.
References:
Robinson Punic 6d (this
reverse die).
Villaronga 49 (this
obverse die) and 53-2 (this
reverse die). Monedas Hispánicas 10.
"In 241 BC, the Carthaginians, under Hamilcar
Barca, were defeated in a naval battle off Lilybaeum, effectively ending the First Punic War. The
peace terms
Barca negotiated with
Rome allowed him to withdraw
his troops to
Africa on the agreement that
Carthage abandon all claims to Sardinia and
Sicily, refrain from sailing her warships in
Italian waters, and pay an indemnity of 3,200 talents. In response, the Carthaginian oligarchy redirected its expansionist policies toward
Africa and Spain, and reappointed Hamilcar as commander of Carthaginian forces. In 237 BC, after putting down the revolts of Spendius and Matho in northern
Africa, he was sent to Spain with
his young son, Hannibal. Based at
Gades, he conquered southern and eastern Spain, advanced the frontier to Cape Nao, and built a fortress at Acra Leuce (Alicante). The Carthaginians spent the next twenty years solidifying their rule in
Iberia, during which time, in 228 BC, Hamilcar fell while battling the defenders of Helice (Elche). The leadership then passed to Hasdrubal the
Fair, who was married to Hamilcar's second daughter. Unlike
his father-in-law, Hasdrubal preferred to consolidate the areas that
had been conquered rather than continue an expansionist policy. This led him to conclude a treaty with
Rome that established the boundary of the two powers at the Ebro River (Livy
XXI, 14). Hasdrubal proved far more diplomatic than Hamilcar, pursuing negotiated settlements with native populations, rather than subjugating them. Unfortunately, he was assassinated in 221 BC, whereupon power shifted to
his brother-in-law, Hannibal. Hannibal, more in line with
his father, returned to a policy of conquest, which led to war with
Rome. In an attempt to check the rising power of
Carthage in Spain,
Rome made an
alliance with
Saguntum, a city on Rome's
side of the Ebro River. Within the city there were factions supporting a pro-Carthaginian policy, while another favored
Rome, and tensions between the two led to a massacre of the Carthaginian supporters in 218 BC. Outraged, Hannibal and the Carthaginians laid siege to the city, which fell after a few months time. Effectively breaking the treaty forged by Hasdrubal the
Fair, this
act precipitated the Second Punic War. While most popular histories concentrate on the actions of Hannibal in
Italy, there were continuous
Roman campaigns against the Carthaginians in
Iberia, most famously those led by
Scipio Africanus. By 209 BC, the
Romans had captured the Carthaginian capital and most of
Iberia east of
Lusitania. While the war continued on, the Carthaginians
had lost all of their access to mints in
Iberia by this time.
In the wake of her defeat in the First Punic War, the coinage of
Carthage had been greatly changed, with its extensive gold and
electrum series mostly replaced by debased silver and bronze. In contrast, the Carthaginians in
Iberia enjoyed access to the rich gold and silver mines on the peninsula, which allowed the Barcids to develop a coinage that served their
military and political needs. The
obverse and
reverse types chosen for this coinage were purely Carthaginian in character, often featuring
Tanit on the
obverse and a
horse, often with
palm tree or
uraeus, on the
reverse. In addition to these traditional
types, some new, albeit Punic,
types were introduced: an
elephant, sometimes with mahout, and a ship's prow were placed on the
reverse, while the god Melkart, laureate, sometimes bearded, and with club, was added to the
obverse. Perhaps the most controversial new
types, though, were those that featured a beardless male
portrait, sometimes wearing a royal diadem. The initial tendency of numismatists was to view these
portraits as being those of the Barcids, but the modern consensus is that the bareheaded
portrait is almost certainly a rendition of a young Melkart. A comparison of three different varieties of Melkart in
SNG BM Spain (nos. 97, 98, and 103) is demonstrative of their nearly identical features. The diademed
portrait, though, is
still an enigma, for, unlike depictions of Melkart, these have a distinct aspect of realism to their features, and the diadem itself is difficult to reconcile with the traditional depictions of Carthaginian deities. Although there are numerous series of Punic coinage in Spain, their specific chronology is uncertain, typically being placed in the period circa 237-209 BC. Likewise, the place of their minting is also unknown, although some, if not most, must be from the capital at
Carthago Nova" (Text reference:
CNG)
[MODIFIED BY ADMIN. PHOTO LINK REMOVED. PHOTO UPLOADED.]
