North Africa, Carthage AR Shekel. Time of Hannibal. Carthago Nova, circa 218-206 BC. Bare male head (Hannibal?) to left / Horse to right, palm tree behind. CNH 74; ACIP 614. 5.96g, 21mm, 12h.
Good Very Fine. Very Rare.
Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Live Auction 4, 29 November 2018, lot 74.
This coin is conventionally believed to carry the portrait of Hannibal on the obverse.
Hasdrubal ably succeeded his father-in-law in expanding the family's territory in Spain and power over the local tribes, but was assassinated in 221 BC. He was succeeded by Hamilcar's oldest son, Hannibal Barca, who was now of sufficient age to command the Carthaginian military forces, and who wasted little time in aggressively expanding Carthaginian influence over the surrounding regions. Barely two years later, Hannibal's army would besiege Saguntum and massacre the population.
The wholesale slaughter of this Roman ally's population, and the arrogance with which the Roman ambassadors sent to Carthage to seek redress were met, led directly to the Second Punic War: the great statesman Quintus Fabius, speaking to the Carthaginian senate, gathered a fold of his toga to his chest and held it out, saying 'Here, we bring you peace and war. Take which you will.' The Carthaginians replied 'Whichever you please - we do not care.' Fabius let the fold drop and proclaimed 'We give you war.'