Carthage's earliest bronze issues emerged as the city shifted from relying entirely on Sicilian Greek coinage to producing its own — a transition driven by the logistical demands of paying mercenary troops during the extended Sicilian campaigns against Syracuse. These small bronzes circulated primarily in Sicily and North Africa simultaneously, which is why find spots rarely distinguish between the two regions.
The Müller attribution places this among the foundational civic issues, predating the later electrum and gold series struck under more acute military pressure in the third century.
Carthage's earliest bronze issues emerged as the city shifted from relying entirely on Sicilian Greek coinage to producing its own — a transition driven by the logistical demands of paying mercenary troops during the extended Sicilian campaigns against Syracuse. These small bronzes circulated primarily in Sicily and North Africa simultaneously, which is why find spots rarely distinguish between the two regions.
The Müller attribution places this among the foundational civic issues, predating the later electrum and gold series struck under more acute military pressure in the third century.