Lot 28 - North Africa. Zeugitania, Carthage, but from a Sicilian ...

North Africa. Zeugitania, ...
North Africa. Zeugitania, ...
North Africa. Zeugitania, Carthage, but from a Sicilian mint. Dekadrachm or 5 Shekels, c. 260 BC. (Silver, 37.88g., 39mm). Head of Tanit ... Read more - An impressive and very rare coin of outstanding quality, toned and very well struck. Good extremely fine.
Starting price:
50.000,00 CHF

Bids

Lot status:
Auction closed

Description

North Africa. Zeugitania, Carthage, but from a Sicilian mint.
Dekadrachm or 5 Shekels, c. 260 BC. (Silver, 37.88g., 39mm). Head of Tanit to left, wearing wreath of grain ears and pendant earring / B’RṢT Pegasos springing to right. Basel 567 (this coin). Jenkins, Punic Sicily, IV, 434 (O1’/R4).
While ostensibly very similar in style to the gold and electrum staters struck in Carthage, as well as to the silver shekel, the way the flan was made (flattened down from a cast ‘bullet’-shape; note the two lugs at the edge) and the fact that the die axis is irregular, makes it likely that this coin was minted in Sicily. This would have been done to help pay Carthage’s army and navy, heavily based in Sicily, during the First Punic War (264-241). In addition, there is no evidence that any of these impressive pieces has ever been found anywhere but on Sicily (the 1958 Palermo Hoard, IGCH 2208, contained 50-80 of them). This is one of the finest known examples.

Grading/Status: An impressive and very rare coin of outstanding quality, toned and very well struck. Good extremely fine.

Notes
Provenance:
Numismatica Genevensis SA V, 2 December 2008, 156.
Collection of A. Moretti, Numismatica Ars Classica 13, 8 October 1998, 567.
Only registered and authorized users are allowed to place bids.

Please use the registration form to send us your participation request, or, if you are already registered and authorized, use the login box on the top.

For any information please contact auction@ngsa.ch

Masterpieces of Greek coinage

Categories

Auction: Masterpieces of Greek coinage

Coins - all auctions

Timetable

Pre-bidding - End
14 12 2015 10:00 CET
14 12 2015 09:00 Africa/Abidjan

Room auction - Start
14 12 2015 15:00 CET
14 12 2015 14:00 Africa/Abidjan