Sicily 1st Punic wars. AE 18. Tanit/ Pegasus

• Issuing Authority: Carthage (Punic Empire)

• Region: Sicily (Siculo-Punic)

• Mint: Most likely Panormos (modern-day Palermo) or a traveling military mint.

• Date: c. 264–241 BCE (The era of the First Punic War).

• Denomination: Bronze Unit (sometimes referred to as a Chalkous).

Visual Analysis

• Obverse): Head of the goddess Tanit facing left. She is wreathed with stalks of grain (barley), an iconographic choice heavily influenced by the Syracusan depictions of Persephone/Kore.

• Reverse: Pegasus (winged horse) in flight, usually galloping or springing to the right.

• Composition: Bronze with a natural dark green/malachite patina.

Technical Data & References

• Weight: 5.14g (Standard for this series is typically 4.5g – 6.5g).

• Diameter: 18mm.

• Catalog References:

  • SNG Copenhagen: 94–98 (Series of Punic bronzes from Sicily).

  • MAA: 42 (Moneys of Antiquity Africa).

  • CNS: 86 (Corpus Nummorum Siculorum).

Ex T & T auctions, The Jennifer Collection