Stater

These electrum staters were almost certainly struck to pay mercenary troops — Libyan, Iberian, and Campanian soldiers whose loyalty depended entirely on reliable coin payment. Carthage had no tradition of civic coinage before the late fifth century; this series emerged directly from military necessity, likely produced at a Sicilian mint during the prolonged conflicts with Syracuse. The specific alloy, a naturally occurring electrum refined to roughly 72% gold, was sourced from North African and possibly Sardinian deposits under Carthaginian control.