Bronze Rare Of Juba I “zeus Ammon / Elephant” — Certificate Of Authenticity

COIN AVAILABLE — THE DIFFERENT PAYMENT METHODS ARE INDICATED AT THE END OF THE DESCRIPTION.

Analysis & expertise
This coin of Juba I, king of Numidia (circa 60–46 BC), belongs to the most emblematic group of his bronzes, because it combines, in an immediately recognizable iconographic dialogue, the horned head of Zeus-Ammon on the obverse and the walking elephant on the reverse, surmounted by a Neo-Punic legend—an ensemble solidly attested by the major reference repertories cited (SNG Copenhagen, Müller, Alexandropoulos).

Close examination with a ×10 loupe and raking light: the careful review of the photographs, carried out by successively surveying the edge, rim, fields, reliefs, and wear areas, highlights a bronze flan with relief partially softened by circulation and by an old surface alteration, with a granular texture and visible corrosion pitting in the fields, while the perimeter shows a clear flan loss at the lower part (missing fragment), whose shape and integration with the reliefs suggest an ancient flan accident rather than modern intervention; its presence does not compromise identification, since the determining elements—Ammon horn, profile, elephant, and epigraphic strokes—remain perceptible in the image.

Obverse
The composition matches the type described in the catalogues: head of Zeus-Ammon right, identifiable by the ram’s horn (Ammonian attribute) and by the strongly characterized profile.

In the photograph, the facial relief appears smoothed yet still readable in its main forms, while the border allows, in segments, a circular organization of the field consistent with Numidian bronze strikes of this module, the lower loss affecting mainly the perimeter rather than the reading of the principal type.

Reverse
The reverse shows an elephant walking right, whose silhouette remains immediately identifiable (head, back, legs, tail), with a discernible ground line, and above all the presence of a Neo-Punic legend above—an arrangement explicitly given by the references.

The documentation cites for this type a Neo-Punic legend corresponding to the generally accepted pattern for these bronzes of Juba I, and its presence is consistent with the strokes visible above the elephant in the photograph, even if wear and alteration limit letter-by-letter reading on the photographed specimen.

Characteristics
Authority: Kingdom of Numidia, Juba I (circa 60–46 BC).

Denomination / metal: Bronze (Æ), type commonly described as AE28.

Obverse: horned head of Zeus-Ammon right.

Reverse: elephant walking right, Neo-Punic legend above.

References: SNG Copenhagen 529; Müller 56; Alexandropoulos 35.

Rare.

Historical context
Struck in the decades when Numidia stood at the heart of political reconfigurations in the western Mediterranean, this coin deploys a visual rhetoric of sovereignty: Zeus-Ammon places power within a North African and Greco-Libyan sacred sphere, while the elephant, an animal of prestige and might, expresses territorial and military authority, and the Neo-Punic legend maintains a local language of state, readable as a mark of cultural and administrative continuity within a world already strongly Romanized.

Cultural value
For a collector, this bronze offers a particularly sought-after conjunction, because it brings together on the same flan an immediately meaningful religious iconography (Zeus-Ammon), an emblem of power (elephant), and a Neo-Punic epigraphy that anchors the piece in the history of scripts in ancient Africa—making it a vivid milestone, both for a cabinet focused on North Africa and for a collection devoted to the fringes of the Roman world and the client kingdoms of the late Republican period.

Traceability & guarantees
In accordance with our practice, each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in line with the standards of the art and heritage market; the study is conducted with close observation under a ×10 loupe and raking light; provenance is European, sourced from an established numismatic dealer; and the acquisition stems from a specialized international transaction carried out within a recognized numismatic network and validated by reference experts, according to the highest standards of the art and heritage market.

NB
Any presentation elements possibly visible in the photographs are intended solely for staging and are not included in the sale.

Payment terms
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If in France: shipment via Colissimo with signature and insurance (price €20).

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Sales restriction — United States
We do not sell to the United States due to the complexity of import requirements applicable to cultural goods, specific customs controls, and the associated insurance constraints; this policy aims to ensure fully controlled management of the legal and logistical obligations linked to the international circulation of heritage objects.