The Building Of Carthage

Interesting, informative. Thanks for sharing.

Fabulous coin, regardless of quality. The history of Carthage is one shrouded in Myth and that's cool. Thanks for sharing. You have developed quite an exquisite taste and coins and really seem to dive right into the history.

Very nice, Medieval! I know there are several of us on this forum who love coins of Carthage.

I have only a few so far, but this one makes up for any deficit of quantity by its surplus of size :D



ZEUGITANA, Carthage
early 2nd century BCE
AE 15-shekels, 45 mm, 95 gm
Obv: wreathed head of Tanit left
Rev: horse standing right, left foreleg up; solar disk with uraei above
Ref: Alexandropoulos J (2000) Les monnaies de l'Afrique Antique, 103; Müller L (1861) Numismatique de L'Ancienne Afrique, 131; Luynes 3782; Jenkins GK and Lewis RB (1963) Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins. Royal Numismatic Society, London, pl.28 12
Graded Fine by NGC Ancients (strike 5/5, surfaces 2/5); not encapsulated (reason: size); certification number 3598288-002.
Extremely rare.

Thanks for the history lesson! As a side note I love the first painting, it has a very mystical feeling to it.

That's some really awesome imagery. Considering the size I don't think it's in bad condition at all; the features are clear. I'd love to add one of these to my collection someday now that I know they exist :)

Thanks for the coin kudos, everyone.

Nice one, Noob! Pegasus and a palm tree... fabulous.

I like the "Dido overseeing the building of Carthage" reverse so much that I picked up another. There are a few more emperors/empresses who issued this reverse. Maybe I can find one of each. :)



PHOENICIA, Tyre. Valerian I (CE 253-260)
Æ28.5 mm, 12.2 gm
Obv: IMP CP LIC VALERIANVS AVG; radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: COL TVRO METRO; the building of Carthage: Dido standing left, holding cubit ruler and scepter, surveying construction; mason above gate, worker with pick-axe digging before gate, murex shell to lower right
Ref: Rouvier 2501; BMC 470; cf Price & Trell 748

Emperor Valerian I had the misfortune to be captured by Shapur I. Depending on who you read, he was then:

• publicly humiliated by being used as Shapur's footstool, then flayed alive, stuffed, and mounted; or
• allowed to live out his days in the comfort befitting his position, dying of old age at a much later date.

Since it's Halloween, let's go with version #1 today :D

And hey Noob, your signature line says to check out your ebay offerings but it is not a hyperlink. What is your ebay seller name?

What an awful story! It brings back such terrible memories of 4 years of high school Latin!

All kidding aside, I've always had a fascination with those ancient Greek, Roman, etc. stories. They reveal so much about how Godless societies with very little advanced science tried to explain what they didn't understand.

BTW - I think I still have my copy of The Aeneid packed away in the basement.