My Cartago Nova Scipio Africanus Coin

Saw another member post up a pic of their recent purchase of a Cartagonova coin of Scipio Africanus so I figured I would post some of mine.







Carthago Nova ,
209 - 205 B.C.
Ancient Spain, Æ Unit.
Roman Occupation after 209
BC. Obv: Bare-head left
Scipio Africanus
Rev: Horse standing right;
palm tree behind.
CNH Class XI, 282;
SNG BM Spain 127-128; ACIP 609.
Villaronga pg. 72, 69;
Burgos 425.

Scipio Africanus, the first
truly great Roman statesman and
general, led an assault on the
Carthaginian stronghold of
Carthago Nova in Spain in
209 BC, capturing the city by
means of brilliant siegecraft
and a providential tidal ebb.
Shortly after the Romans took
control of the city, coins in
both bronze and silver were
issued showing an enigmatic
youthful male head on the
obverse. Comparison with known
portrait busts of Scipio
indicate the coin images are a
somewhat idealized portrait of
the city's conqueror, which
makes Scipio the first Roman to
have his image placed on a coin.