Owner Comments:
ZEUGITANA. Carthage. Ca. 350-320 BC. AV stater (19mm, 9.15 gm, 1h). NGC Choice XF 4/5 - 4/5. Bust of Tanit left, hair wreathed in barley ears, wearing triple-pendant earring, and necklace with seven pendants; dotted border / Horse standing right on exergual line; three pellets to lower right, dotted border. SNG Copenhagen 129. Jenkins & Lewis 81. MAA 4.
"Elegant in its simplicity of design, the obverse of these early staters depicts Tanit, the highest and most important Carthaginian goddess, and whose Greek equivalent was Persephone. Tanit was the consort of Baal Hammon, the city's chief god. The reverse, depicting the majestic standing horse emphasizes that animal's importance to the city in battle. The overall political message of this type is that the great city of Carthage is protected by both the mightiest of the gods and goddesses and defended by the significant strength of its cavalry." I agree.
Carthage, a Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa, became a maritime powerhouse in the fifth century BC and challenged the Greek cities of Sicily and Southern Italy for control of the western Mediterranean. By the early third century BC, most of central North Africa, Spain and much of Sicily had fallen under Carthaginian control and mints were established at diverse places to produce coins used to pay the largely mercenary army. The stage was now set for the collision with Rome, newly dominant in Italy. Starting in 265 BC, Carthage and Rome fought three titanic wars that produced more death and destruction than any other conflict before the 20th century. The first gold staters struck by Carthage between 350 and 320 BC were of a nearly pure alloy and weighed more than the ubiquitous gold staters of Philip II and Alexander the Great. As time went on, this coinage was debased with silver and reduced in weight, hence the much more numerous Carthage staters produced after circa 320 BC are now termed 'electrum'. This early stater, in pure gold, shows a delicacy of style that indicates the dies were created by a Greek engraver of consummate skill.
I have wanted one of these for four years, I am glad nobody clicked again after me. NGC has graded 97 of these so far, and this coin was part of a submission to NGC of almost three dozen of these ranging in grade from CH XF to MS, with several of fine style, and none with details grades. There may be a lot of these coming to market in the next year.