Lot 8
Carthage, Siculo-Punic (c. 213-210 BC) AR Shekel, Second Punic War issue, uncertain Carthaginian mint in Sicily, 7.06g.
Auction: 23 November 2026, 10:30 GMT
Description
Laureate male head left (Hannibal?). Rev. Elephant walking right, Punic ‘A’ below. (Burnett, Enna Hoard, 114 (this coin); SNG Copenhagen 382). Extremely Fine. Strongly struck on a large flan and exhibiting an attractive tone. Rare.
It has been suggested that the head on the obverse of the coin might be that of Hannibal, in the guise of Melqart, or of another Punic ruler. In the absence of firm evidence, this theory can only be conjectural, and the head is usually identified as that of Melqart. The features of the head, with the raised brow, the distinct bridge of the nose, the prominent chin, and the sideburns, does perhaps suggest a realism that one would expect from portraiture. The reverse of the coin depicts one of the Carthaginian War elephants that would have been used by Hannibal to cross the Alps in his campaign against Rome.
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