The serrated silver coinage of Carthage
Autor(en): Visonà, Paolo Objekttyp: Article
Zeitschrift: Schweizerische numismatische Rundschau = Revue suisse de numismatique = Rivista svizzera di numismatica
Band (Jahr): 86 (2007)
PDF erstellt am:
11.10.2021
Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-178709
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PAOLO VISONÀ
SERRATED
SILVER
CARTHAGE*
COINAGE OF
THE
5-7
Plates
1. INTRODUCTION
issues
a
Serrated silver coinscomprise distinctive
Carthaginian
precious
group
of
in
shekels and
shekels,
double-
R.B. Lewis
have
yet
metal, consisting
reduced
after
that
been
latest
of
not
1
as
«
Even
G.K. Jenkins and
studied.
them
the
fully
identified
Frequently Cited Works1
J.
av.
400
Les
Toulouse
Eine hannibalische’
de
monnaies
2000)
l’Afrique Antique.
Alexandropoulos
Alexandropoulos,
- J.-
- J.-
C.
C.–
R.
ap.
40
1-
1988
Tanit
18, 1988, pp.
Chiron
Baldus
H. Baldus,
14
‘
v.
R.
aus
2003
146
Chr. verbrannter Geldbörseninhalt
Baldus
H. Baldus, Ein
195-199
33, 2003, pp.
Karthagische
Karthago,
R.
Chiron
2004
Hannibal
ad portas.
Macht
Münzen,
Baldus
H. Baldus,
in
und
vom Badischen Landesmuseum
Reichtum Karthagos, herausgegeben
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe 2004)
- A.
- A.
eds.),
Ser.
Africa, in: M.
M.
H.
M.
Crawford
- Burnett
- Burnett,
- Burnett
/
the Roman World
Late Republic. BAR
Int.
The Coinage of
326
M.
Italy and the Mediterranean
G.K.
the
in
175-185
1987),
Oxford
pp.
1985
Coinage and Money
Roman Republic.
under the
Berkeley/
H.
Crawford
Crawford,
Los
Economy
Angeles 1985)
R.
B.
Lewis, Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins,
Jenkins
Jenkins/Lewis
/
RNS Spec.
Publ. No. 2
1963)
London
vol.
Copenhagen
Numismatiquede l’ancienne Afrique,
L.
Müller,
Müller
II
1861)
P.
1998
Perspective, AJN
1-27
1998,
pp.
Coinage in
10,
Visonà
Visonà, Carthaginian
*
essay
V.
is
Professor
and friendship.
This
dedicated
Theodore
Buttrey,
gratitude
essay.
this
I
to
with much
for
decades
of mentoring
1
Several
collegues have
wish
for to
Bateson,
Baldus,
Donal
friends and
provided
data and feedback
Ashton, Hans
Abdy,
thank, particular, Richard
Richard
Roland
Günther
in
F.
V.
Buttrey, Giles Carter,
H. Crawford,
Dembski, Wolfgang
Theodore
Michael
Dominique Gerin, Helle
Langer, Lorenza-
- Fischer-Bossert,
- W. Horsnæs, Silvia
Mani Hurter, Henry
S.
Cecilia
Manfredi,
Meir,
Alain Weil, and Bernhard
Torben Melander, Paloma
Kim, Rudolf
Ilia
G. van
C.
Weisser. am
Schmitz, Peter
Otero,
also
serrated double-
Alfen,
Kupper for making
Carthage’s
Philip
I
casts
Frey-
and
weights
of the
Suzanne
shekels
indebted to
taking
Musée
2004,
and
de
the
collection
to the
- in
- in
S.
31-
Schweizerische
Rundschau 86, 2007,
- 62
- 31
Numismatische
PAOLO VISONÀ
2
issue
»
struck at Carthage
city
146
thus
bc,
before the
they
the
upending
fall of
in
classification,3
have been largely
ignored
by numismatists and
Müller’s
L.
was
c.
200-
based
on the
Jenkins and Lewis’s
1916 on one
146
contents
historians.
a
dating
Cani Islands
of
bc)
near
Bizerta
Tunisia),
hoard
found
of the
including
in
shekels
to 146
down
Carthaginian serrated double-
bc IGCH
linked
Lewis’
and Roman Republican denarii
see
2301;
Jenkins
Lewis showed
last
Carthaginian
gold
these coins are closely
issues
marks on
control
infra).
and
They
and
the
that
types,
style
also
by
fabric,
to
Jenkins/
some
of
- Group
- out
certain
XVIII).
pointed
that
coinages were made
consideration,
into
serrated
Carthaginian
the silver coins correspond those the gold, and
of
both
taken
of the
to
that
be
with good metal.4
comments still
data about the
need
Their
since very few
to
fineness
particularly
silver
coins are known
subsequent studies,
at present.5
a specimen
Burnett mentioned the
M. Crawford
who published
both
the
similar
purity
of these
H.
In
said
and A.
M.
O1R54
be
to from
Cani
hoard)
to of
«last
issue Carthage» 6
an
the
coins the
silver
of
Museum’s
Moreover, after examination 23
of
«Despite
reverses, each
noted that
the numerous
British
of control
collection,Burnett
which occur
letters on the
in
denomination
variety
symbols
and
was
so
we
a single obverse
scale
can
short
s)
sure
be fairly
that
period.
struck from only
die, that
and minted for only
the
was
a very
small
- a
- »
he
coinage
on
referring
was
silver
Although Burnett did not identify the denomination( in
«
pieces
tempting
to, he concluded that … the good
- the
- in the
to
would provide
serrated silver,
condition of
British
146
makes
Museum
they were
an obvious occasion
Cani Island hoard,
that
think
from the
made
of
the
well.»
the early
bc,
it
War,
just
before
for
Punic
and
this
or during
as
the gold
Third
7 Burnett’s dating
of the
suggested
previously
bc
2nd
is
considerably
century
which
later than one
in
Society New
American Numismatic
Colorado Springs), Cambridge
York), the American Numismatic Association
University’s Fitz
Museum
K.),
the
Società
C.), for
william
U.
Washington, D.
Numismatica
andthe Smithsonian
Italiana Milan),
Institution
sale
use
catalogues.
Jenkins
K.
first
repositories coin
G.
described
shekels
allowing me
to
their
of
as
shekels
SNG
serrated silver coins
reduced double-
and
Syrtica-
Mauretania
the Carthaginian
in
fasc. 42,
Graecorum Copenhagen,
Africa:
Nummorum
North
Copenhagen
a
S.
- E. G.
- nos. 403-407,
notes on
May, 1935.
generously me
provided
copy
1969),
and he
seen
coins
the Punic
with
of
collections
Robinson’s
Tunisian and Algerian
handwritten
in
and
Lewis, p.
p. 142.
Lewis, pp. Lewis, p.
April
in
2345
53.
Jenkins/
Müller,
Jenkins/ Jenkins/
53-
54.
136, nos. 13-14, cite a specific gravity value 10.47
of
for
two serrated
shekels
Catalogue nos. 71,
serrated silver coins
Museum’s
Carthaginian
4.
double-
the British
collection infra,
93). The
in
was
metal
the
of
by
first recognized
purity of the
132-133, 142,
pp.
n.
Müller,
67
175-
176.
1985,
p. 175
138-139,
50;
pp.
Fig.
pp.
Crawford
Burnett,
12, 182.
p.
and his footnote
Burnett,
32
SERRATED SILVER
OF CARTHAGE
COINAGE
THE
P.
9
Baldus,8
«
accepted by Visonà.
to
J.
was
La minceur
R.
by
According
surprenante,
sa
Alexandropoulos,
H.
admettre
des
however,
que
l’essentiel,
émissions
reste
moment
faut donc
et
d’or
il
se
la richesse
au
de Carthage
de
chute…
traduisait pour
lesquelles
pour
de vue
symboles
monétaire,
par les frappes
laisse
d’argent
effectivement
le
du
des
point
émissions
accessoires
des
utilisés
supposer
nombre
issues
silver
abondantes»
date
last
Alexandropoulos would
the
Carthaginian
10
c. 160-
Most recently,
149
to
bc.
controlled
these
of
coins were
together
re-discussed
though, after three
found
in
has
R. Baldus
style
the coins
excavations at Carthage,
thoroughly
H.
their
and chronology.11
themselves
considerations and an
view,
analysis
- his
- historical
of
In
150
bc.
serrated silver
pay a
war indemnity
bullion to
coinage to
support dating the beginning
c.
of the
silver
use
Since
to
the Carthaginians had
their
to
in
201-151
believes
have a
currency
Rome between
precious metal
which
silver coinage
Baldus
they
that
did not
bc,
years. Issues
- heavy
- 409-
of
bronze coins similar SNGCop
fifty
struck
for
to
413,
were
massive
12 compensated
basic lack
the
a
quantity,
Moreover,
for
of
in
while allowing the possibility that the
during this time.
shekels
double-
the
Museum’s collection
British
in
obverse
variety of
than one
die, and that the
may
indicate
a
an extended
edge,
period
denomination
a
shekels
reduced
similar
with
bearing
plain
shekels
SNGCop 408), and reduced
to
horse standing r.
the reverse similar
on
to
them.13
analysis shows
Baldus’
that
insightful
undergo significant
assessment
changes
weight, fabric, and
in
full
is
eve
shekels
essential
both
and
double-shekels)
the
and
the Carthaginian economy
of
on
of,
has seemed necessary
study
Therefore,
to conduct
which
it
a
specimens
and
the
been
aim to
die
of
a
have
based
on
hypotheses
which
combined
sale
catalogues,
test
that
the
this coinage.
the historical importance of
key
used
abbreviations
describe eachreverse variety is
below
provided
the
A
- to
- to
Catalogue.
before the
8
Kaval¬
Naravas
seine
in:
Zeugnisse
numidischer
Reiter. Numismatische
Deutscher
H.R.
und
Heer,
Baldus,
1981 Vorträge
Numismatikertag München
lerie im karthagischen
1983), 15.
Munich
Visonà
p.
9
1998, 22.
p.
10
was
unaware
124
p. 388.
apparently
and
Alexandropoulos
23.
- p.
- of
Alexandropoulos,
essay.
1987
Burnett’s
11 12 13
2003.
Baldus
See
1998, 20.
Visonà
2003,
p.
198-
- 199
- p.
199,
and
pp.
n.
Baldus
33
PAOLO VISONÀ
FINDS
2.
was
Italy,
before
a
shekel
at
Except for double-
ancient
variety GA, which
unearthed Boiano
with
R/
1983,14
finds
of
Bovianum,
Carthaginian serrated
Africa. Unprovenanced
Campobasso),
near
in central
silver have been
specimens
almost exclusively
from
shekel
acquired
include fragmented double-
reported
North
a
15
T. Shaw
18th
by
early
the
century, now
Ashmolean
Museum’s
collection,
Constantine Algeria).
the
de
in
in
Musée
16
doubleshekel
least 3
A
shekels
and at
double-
the
in
a
variety A2 and
shekel
Horse stepping r. and
reduced
with
with
R/
R/
Robinsonin
Algiers.17
The
onlyprovenanced
S.
byE. G.
were
recorded
controlletterB
a
variety
Algiers.
Marie19
al-
Sûr Ghuzlân
from
example
Sour-El-
Algeria is double-shekel
A2
with
from
R/
18
SE
Some
shekels
double-
Ghozlane, ancient
Auzia), c.
by E.
illustrated
90
of
km.
were
Sainte-
old
G.-G.
21
Tunisia
Pellegrin;
de
and
Lapeyre and
from
20
sale
catalogues.
A.
examples are listed
other
in
14
as
67,
site
is
erroneously referred
1998, p. 22,
Vetus cf.
where
am
the
ancient
to
Bovianum
Visonà
n.
my
grateful Michael Crawford for calling attention to
to
IGCH 1986).
I
per
See
litteras
also
2.2.2000).
G.
Bovianum ed suo
territorio.
Benedittis,
error
De
il
7- 22-
Salerno 1977),
9, 23
reference
without
to
appunti di topografia storica
pp.
Primi
this
find).
15 16
T.
Barbary
and
several
and plate facing
Levant
the
Shaw, Travels, or observations
parts
relating to
of
2nd
5
1757;
been
483, no.
483, 5.
same
London
may have
ed.), p.
p.
The
coin which
C.
M.
was
S.
by E. G.
Robinson
broken antiquity)
fully
published
in
/
SNG
eds.),
Vol. Ashmolean Museum
Part
Kraay
–
V
Oxford
II, Italy
Lucania
Thurium)
Sicily Carthage
1969),
2184.
London
no.
Bruttium
Although
S.
E. G. Robinson
Punic coins that he
describe
his notes any serrated
Constantine Museum
shekels
did
not
double-
May 20, 1935,
three
in
saw
among
- the
- the
on
in in
specimens
were
display
on
1983
M.
museum’s trays
the
one with
variety
A3)
in
R/
A
by
was
au
shekel
variety
A2
with
listed
Supplement
vidi). double-
Arguel,
R/
des
catalogue MuséeArchéologique deConstantine,
Recueil
Notices Mémoires
in:
du
Société
20 1879-
1880),
Robinson sketched
et
de
archéologique,historique géographiqueduDépartement Constantine
et
dela
p. 146,
2310.
coins
not
by
no.
17
22,
AR
his
in
notes
May
1935,
Carthage.
may be
for
under «
both
he
»
sic),
dentelee
same
describe the edge
p.
shekel, which
profile of the
53 with a edge). For a similar
plain
but
did
the
specimen,
Anonymous,
coin mentioned
Jenkins/Lewis,
see
Catalogue
2.
no.
18 19
Revue
à
41
387-
388,
no.
1.
africaine
1897), pp.
Bulletin,
in:
Mission
apparently
ofCarthaginian
a
64-
E.
Carthage Paris
65,
no.
8 drawing
of
de
1884),
pp.
Sainte-Marie,
shekel
types
is
double-
thetwo
of
marks). This specimen
among
environs
issues
without control
mentioned
»
coins which on
«
rencontre, fréquemment
the
in
are
Recherche
- Carthage). However, no serratedsilvercoins
- listedamong
Carthaginian
the
des
dans
177-
pp.
de
described by E.
Numismatique,
- Antiquités
- le
Nord
179.
in:
Babelon,
Conseils
archéologues et aux voyageurs Paris
1890),
avant
l’Afrique.
