Unpublished Serrate Shekel

CNG 100, Lot: 36. Estimate $3000. Sold for $9000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CARTHAGE, Third Punic War. Circa 149-146 BC. Serrate AV Shekel (17mm, 7.59 g, 12h). Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain ears, single-pendant earring, and necklace / Horse stepping to right; pellet below. Unpublished, but cf. Jenkins & Lewis Group XVIII, 503 and MAA 97d, for 2/5 shekels of this issue. Good VF, a few minor marks. Apparently unique denomination for issue.

From the collection of Dr. Lawrence A. Adams, purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, January 2003.

By the time of the Third Punic War, Carthage had limited precious metal resources at its disposal. H.R. Baldus (“Ein 146 v. Chr. verbrannter Geldbörseninhalt aus Karthago,” Chiron 33 [2003], pp. 195-201) has argued that this serrate gold issue was struck from the melted jewelry contributed by the women of Carthage during the summer of 149 BC after the Roman siege of the city had begun, an event noted by Diordoros (32.9).

Previously, only 2/5 shekels were known for this issue. Jenkins & Lewis thought these fractions equated to 4/5 shekels (p. 54), but later Jenkins (cf. SNG Copenhagen 401–2) and Baldus (in Chiron 33 -- see following lot) determined that they were, in fact, 2/5 shekels. The present coin is the first full shekel known for this issue.