PUNIC SPAIN. Carthaginian Occupation, Time of Hannibal. Ca. 237-209 BC. AR shekel (21mm, 5.90 gm, 11h). NGC Choice XF 4/5 - 3/5, die shift. Carthago Nova. Punic Wars Issue. Bare male head (Hannibal?) left / Horse standing right, palm tree behind. CNH 74. SNG BM Spain 104. The distinctive obverse head has been variously described in the literature as a depiction of Melqart, a Semitic version of Heracles, or Hannibal in the guise of the god, or possibly his brother Mago. Modern scholarship, which tends to be suspicious of early claims to see portraits in images of gods, interprets the head as that of Melqart. However, the distinct physiognomy of the nose and other facial features, as well as the sideburns, suggest an attempt at true portraiture.

HID99912102018