C ] 
fome noted city, either in Sicily or Africa. The 
learned, at leaft that part of them the moft con- 
verlant in the branch of literature I am now upon, 
have frequently, if not generally, attributed fetch 
pieces as that before me to the ifland of Sicily. 
But M. l’Abbe Barthelemy, who differs from all 
other antiquaries in many of his notions, feems to 
reprehend me for adopting fuch a fuppofition ; 
though he has himfelf afcribed feveral Punic coins, 
embellifhed with fimilar characters, to Sicilian towns. 
But it matters not where fuch pieces as this, with 
Punic characters upon them, firft appeared, provided 
they were ftruck in places either dependent upon 
or in alliance with the Carthaginians. And that 
they were ftruck in places either dependent upon 
or in alliance with the Carthaginians, M. l’Abbe will 
not, I prefume, deny j if he Should, the fymbols 
themfelves, in conjunction with the characters pre- 
ferved on thefe coins, would render this point fuf- 
ficiently clear. 
With regard to the coin I am now confidering, 
as I cannot meet with any antient noted city of 
Africa, that had a mint ereCted in it, and a name 
beginning with the letters this piece exhibits ; I can- 
not prevail upon myfelf, at leaft for the prefent, to 
attribute it to any town in that part of the world. 
I fhould rather think it might have belonged to 
Agrigentum, a very celebrated antient city of Sicily, 
where money was coined, when that part of the 
ifland in which it was feated either appertained to 
the Carthaginians, was in alliance with that people, 
or had fome commercial connections with them. 
The moft antient part of Agrigentum was deno- 
minated 
