Æ Shekel with star

Struck during Carthage's period of consolidated control over western Sicily and Sardinia, these bronzes served the logistical demands of mercenary armies rather than any civic coinage tradition — Carthage itself had no domestic bronze currency until the fourth century, and the push into military-issue small bronzes was driven entirely by the need to pay troops in fractional denominations. The star reverse type appears across multiple Sicilian Punic mints, making precise attribution between Carthage proper and its Sicilian dependencies a recurring problem in the series.