Looking Back On Punic Carthage

I have been chasing the Carthage for almost 15 years and have caught many a' horse. In the wake of the Carthage monster, recently acquired by TIF, I found that I have been slipping, and the prized stallions of time long ago, are becoming scarcer and scarcer. So I have TIF to thank for reminding me of what is important. Immediately I looked for a monster coin of my own, and realized that it is something that only comes around once in a blue moon. A complete and utter failure to acquire a piece such as this for my Punic type collection.

I have always known my place and accepted that I could never own Carthaginian silver. Silver is rare, rarer than gold by far. Silver coins are rarely found and when it is, it is minty and priced in the many thousands of dollars.

For the better part of my collecting career I have sought the rare and exceptional pieces of Carthage, I am not one for condition, I am one for type. Many of the Carthage coins are not works of art but rather a medium of exchange. They struck many a' coin many with the Tanit/Horse in various combinations, but was not limited to just that.

The reason for why the horse is positioned has and most likely will remain a mystery. I believe this horse reminds you to always look over your shoulder, and to not forget where you came from.

With a price I could afford and 8 people watching it , a coin I hunted for longer than all others was not slipping through my fingers.


An ancient Carthaginian silver shekel coin. Struck circa 264 - 241 B.C. at the Zeugitana mint.
The obverse with the head of Tanit facing left.
The reverse with horse standing right, head turned left, palm tree behind.
Diameter: 21 mm.
Weight: 6.90 g.
Provenance:
Ex. Collection of Professor J.E.Seaver. Professor Seaver taught ancient history at the University of Kansas and was a keen opera lover, hosting his own radio show on the subject for nearly 60 years. He was a passionate collector of ancient coins and often used them to aid his teaching.