Tanit & Rearing Horse — Certificate Of Authenticity

A Siculo-Punic bronze issue, particularly appealing to collectors of the Greek and Carthaginian West, in that it condenses, within a compact and dense module, the iconographic encounter—so characteristic of Sicily under Carthaginian influence—between the great female figure assimilated to Persephone–Tanit and the equestrian emblem, here expressed by a rearing horse, a type precisely recorded as SNG Copenhagen 1021, to which this specimen conforms through the arrangement of motifs and the overall physiognomy of the engravings.

Careful observation under ×10 magnification and raking light: the examination reveals a bronze strike with settled relief, a thick and naturally irregular flan, a warm brown patina punctuated by fine green notes typical of a long conservation history, and an iconographic readability that remains clear, since the essential attributes—laureate head left on the obverse, rearing horse right on the reverse—assert themselves immediately and allow certain identification of the catalogued type.

Area / monetary culture: Sicily, Siculo-Punic coinage (Carthage in Sicily), dating traditionally placed in the 4th century BC for this typological group.

Metal / denomination: bronze (AE).

Diameter / weight: approx. 15 mm; 5.11 g.

Obverse (type): laureate female head left, associated in numismatic literature with the Persephone–Tanit assimilation, the vegetal wreath remaining clearly perceptible and structuring the reading of the portrait.

Reverse (type): rearing horse right, a dynamic composition in which the lift of the forelegs and the tension of the neck constitute the decisive iconographic markers of the type.

Surface condition (descriptive observations): attractive brown-golden patina, with very discreet green speckling; relief softened on the highest points but coherent overall, offering a stable, immediately collectible reading, while the perimeter shows, in places, flan irregularities compatible with ancient hammer production, without harming the general visual balance.

In 4th–3rd century BC Sicily, where rivalries among Greek cities, local dynasts, and Carthaginian power continually reshaped the political landscape, these bronzes took part in daily economy and regional circulation while carrying an intelligible symbolic language: the female figure assimilated to Persephone–Tanit places the coin within a sphere of protection, fertility, and civic sovereignty, while the horse, a recurring motif of Punic and Siculo-Punic coinage, expresses vigor, prestige, and the power of initiative.

For the enthusiast of the ancient Mediterranean, this piece is not merely a circulating bronze, but a fragment of dialogue between civilizations, where the Greek iconography of the great goddess and the Carthaginian political imagination intertwine in a brief, solid, and expressive form; the specimen, by its typical module and vigorous equestrian reverse, naturally integrates into a thematic collection devoted to Carthage, Punic Sicily, religious syncretisms, or the animal emblems of ancient coinage.

The provenance is European, from an established numismatic dealer, and the acquisition was carried out through a specialized international transaction, conducted within a recognized numismatic network and validated according to the highest practices of the art and heritage market; the attribution is based on concordance with SNG Copenhagen 1021, a reference commonly cited in collecting literature and sale archives.
Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity consistent with the standards of the art and heritage market, the description being deliberately anchored solely to observable elements and published reference works, so that the numismatic truth remains fully verifiable.