ARABIA, Eastern. Gerrha/Thaj (?). Seleukid portrait series with vertical Shin, circa 205/4-150 BCE. Obol (Silver, 11 mm, 0.89 g, 5 h), imitating Antiochos III (222-187 BCE) and Alexander 'the Great' (336-323 BCE). Diademed head of Antiochos III to right. Rev. AΛEΞANΔ[POY] Zeus/Shams seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to left, 𐩦 ('s²' in South Arabian, vertically). CCK 113 = Potts (Suppl.) 17 (this coin). Extremely rare. Somewhat porous, otherwise, very fine.


The Seleukid style portrait on this issue is that of Antiochos III, whose great eastern Anabasis profoundly altered the political, military, and economic landscape of the Gulf region in the very late 3rd century BC (see lot 2229 below).