SAMARIA. Circa 375-333 BC. Obol (Silver, 9 mm, 0.76 g, 3 h). Facing head of an owl. Rev. Facing head of Bes within square incuse. Baldwin's 34 (2003), 462. Cf. Leu 7 (2020), 1382 (differing reverse). Meshorer & Qedar -. Sofaer -. Extremely rare. A lovely issue with a beautiful design. Die breaks on the reverse, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

The obverse of this beautiful little coin copies the facing owl from a very rare Cypriote stater, where an almost identical owl head appears as a symbol below a standing bull (M. Amandry: Acquisitions récentes de monnaies chypriotes au Cabinet des Médailles, in: Cahiers du Centre d’Études Chypriotes 17 (1992), pp. 20-21 and pl. II, 5-6). The reverse, on the other hand, derives from Cilician obols (SNG Levante 233 and SNG Paris 486)