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Trihemistater
| Issuer | Carthage |
|---|---|
| Year | 270 BC - 264 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Gold Trihemistater (18) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing left, the wreathed and jewelled head of Tanit, the principal Punic deity, rendered in fine Hellenistic style with elaborately curled hair swept back and adorned with a grain wreath and a small wing above the ear. The goddess wears a pendant earring and a beaded necklace visible at the lower truncation. The portrait is executed with exceptional sculptural relief and fluid naturalism characteristic of Carthaginian gold coinage of the First Punic War period. The field is plain and unlettered. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Carthage struck gold coinage in Sicily primarily to pay mercenary armies — Iberian, Celtic, Libyan, and Campanian troops who demanded hard currency and would accept nothing less. This issue falls within the First Punic War's immediate prelude, a moment when Carthaginian military expenditure in western Sicily was accelerating sharply ahead of open conflict with Rome, which erupted in 264 BC.
The trihemistater denomination — three half-staters — is an awkward fraction that points directly to pay-scale logistics rather than commercial circulation.