10 eur silver coin Numismatic Treasures, Spain 2016

The colony of Gadir, the Roman Gades (now Cádiz), was founded by the Phoenicians towards 1100 B.C. In 237 B.C. , Carthaginian troops led by Hamilcar Barca landed there.
The early coins, dating back to the third century B.C., are made of bronze although by the end of that century, coins in silver had started to appear. Most of the Gadir coins feature the same motifs: the head of Melqart, a Phoenician deity associated with the Greek divine hero.
On the obverse, Melqart is covered in a Nemean lion skin and in some cases he is carrying a club or a mallet on his shoulder.
The reverse bears the image of one or two tuna fish. The tuna is the deity's symbol and also bears witness to the colony's fishing and salting activities.