Rare Second Punic War Issue

234, Lot: 149. Estimate $1000. Sold for $850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SPAIN, Carthago Nova. Roman Occupation. After 209 BC. Æ Unit (24mm, 11.12 g, 12h). Bare-head (of Scipio Africanus?) left / Horse standing right; palm tree behind. CNH Class XI, 282; SNG BM Spain 127-128. Near VF, dark green patina. Rare.

Villaronga’s Class XI, dated 218-206 BC covers that period of the Second Punic War when the Romans, under the leadership of Scipio Africanus, took the war to Carthage’s possessions in Spain in order to cause Hannibal to withdraw from Italy. Though still a young man, Scipio displayed extraordinary skills in leadership and by 209 BC brought the provincial Carthaginian city of Qart Hadasht in Spain under his control. Differing substantially from the earlier regional issues which may depict the Barcid generals, this youthful Roman-like head may be that of Scipio himself. The rarity of this issue, both in silver and bronze, attests to its short period of striking, and may reflect the Romans’ distaste of the depiction of a living individual on their coins, even those that would circulate outside of Rome itself.