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⅖ Stater
| Issuer | Carthage |
|---|---|
| Year | 160 BC - 149 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Shekel |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing left, the wreathed head of Tanit, the principal deity of Carthage, is depicted in high relief with fine Hellenistic craftsmanship. Her hair is elaborately styled and bound with a wreath of grain ears, symbolizing her association with fertility and abundance. She wears a prominent pendant earring and a beaded necklace, rendered with careful detail. The portrait displays the characteristic idealized features of late Punic coinage, with a graceful profile and sensitively modeled facial contours. The field surrounding the effigy is plain, with a beaded border visible at the coin's periphery. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (160 BC - 149 BC) |
| Additional information |
Struck in the final decade before Rome razed Carthage to the ground in 146 BC, these fractional gold pieces were produced under conditions of extreme political pressure. The period 160–149 BC encompasses the lead-up to the Third Punic War, during which Carthage was systematically stripped of its military capacity under the terms imposed after the Second Punic War — prohibited from waging war without Roman consent, yet ultimately destroyed anyway on Cato's persistent urging.
Gold coinage of this period from Carthage is scarce in absolute terms; the city's wealth was largely seized or destroyed during the Roman sack.