SICULO-PUNIC. Sicily. Ca. 300-289 BC. AR tetradrachm (26mm, 17.32 gm, 6h). NGC XF S 5/5 - 5/5. Quaestors issue. Head of young Heracles right, wearing lion skin headdress, paws tied before neck / 'MHSBM (Punic), head and neck of horse left; palm tree behind; caduceus in left field. HGC 2, 295. Magnificent glowing coin with breathtaking style and toning. The Punic Wars, fought from 264 BC to 146 BC, were a series of three major conflicts between Rome and Carthage. Carthage, a North African maritime powerhouse, challenged Greek cities for control of the western Mediterranean. By the early third century BC, much of Sicily was under Carthaginian control. As Carthage expanded its control over Sicily, it established mints on the island to produce coins for its largely mercenary army, this expansion influenced the iconography of the coins blending Carthaginian and Sicilian themes together. The wars produced immense death and destruction and included the famous Second Punic War with Hannibal's crossing of the Alps. Rome ultimately emerged victorious, leading to the complete destruction of Carthage and Rome's transformation into a dominant Mediterranean power. HID09801242017 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

To the auctioneer's website