Zeugitana, 1-1/2 Shekel, ca. 203-201 BC
Carthage - Billon - AU(55-58)
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Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain ears and single-pendant earring.
Horse standing right, head turned left, foreleg raised.
Beautiful coin worth 1 and 1/2 Shekel, minted by the city of Carthage at the very end of the Second Punic War. In an excellent state of preservation, the coin still has slight traces of old silver plating. It is rare to find these low-valued coins in such good condition. CNP 103; MAA 81 and SNG Copenhagen (Africa) 390. Faune d'Argent Collection.
9.89 gr
An “AU(55-58)” quality
As in numismatics, it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
About Uncirculated(55-58)
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has been in circulation but sufficiently little that its original beauty is preserved almost in its entirety. The wear is barely visible and any other defect can only be identified with a magnifying glass or a particularly keen eye. The number (55-58) indicates that between three quarters and almost all of the original luster remains.