JUDAEA, Achaemenid Province (Yehud) (?). Circa 375-332 BCE. Drachm (Silver, 13 mm, 3.64 g, 11 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves and palmette. Rev. [A]ΘE Owl standing right, head facing; to left, olive sprig; to right, lily; all within shallow incuse square. Gitler & Tal XII.13Da (same dies, attributed to an uncertain Philistian mint). Meshorer 34. Svoronos pl. 109, 36. Of the highest rarity and great importance, apparently the third known example. Somewhat porous and struck slightly off center, otherwise, very fine.


There has been some dispute over how to attribute this very interesting issue: Mildenberg and Gitler & Tal described it as a Philistian coin, but others, most notably Spaer and Meshorer, have assigned it to the Yehud coinage instead. Given the emergence of a very distinct lily, the symbol of Jerusalem, on the reverse, the latter view is certainly very appealing, as it would be the earliest coinage of the Holy City.