Æ16 Carthage

Carthage's earliest bronze coinage emerged not from domestic monetary tradition but from military necessity — specifically, the need to pay mercenary troops operating in Sicily during the prolonged conflicts with Syracuse. Before this, Carthage had relied almost entirely on silver issues struck in Sicily itself. The shift to bronze for smaller transactions reflects the logistical demands of sustained campaign infrastructure rather than any developed civic monetary culture back in North Africa.

SNG Copenhagen 97 places this piece among the earliest issues of the Carthaginian bronze series.