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Mercenary Coin From At the end of the 5th century BC, and long before the devastating wars with Rome known as the Punic Wars, the Carthaginians launched a series of invasions of Sicily which resulted in much of the western half of the island coming under their control. An extensive coinage was struck by the Carthaginians in Sicily to finance their military operations and maintenance of garrisons fighting for control of the island. During the next century they issued silver tetradrachms (average wt about 17 grams) for the payment of mercenaries in the wars against the Greek city states on Sicily. These coins are referred to today as Siculo-Punic coinage. Designs for the Siculo-Punic coinage derive their origin from the homeland issues of Carthage. According to legend, the Phoenician colonists who founded Carthage were told to establish the new colony where they discovered a horse's head in the ground. Hence the depiction of a horse or horse's head beside a palm tree became standard features on the reverse of these spectacular coins. The Siculo-Punic tetradrachm depicted below was struck circa 320 BC during a period in which Carthage was locked in a desperate struggle with the Greek colony of Syracuse for supremacy over the island. It depicts the wreathed head of Persephone on the obverse wearing a triple-pendant earring and necklace, four dolphins swimming around. The Punic inscription beneath the horse translates to mean "People of the Camp", a reference to the mercenaries fighting for Carthage. The simple but beautiful artistry of these coins make them particular favorites for collectors of ancient greek coinage.
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