ARABIA, Eastern. Oman Peninsula. Mleiha (?). Coins without patronym, mid 2nd to 1st century BCE. Drachm (Silver, 16 mm, 4.00 g, 1 h), imitating Alexander 'the Great' (336-323 BCE). Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. Male figure seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle in his right; to left, small figure standing right, presenting wreath; to right, uncertain Aramaic inscription (𐡍𐡕𐡍𐡅?). CCK 124 = Mitchiner, Trade, 1353 = Potts (Suppl.) 213 = Senior 6.1 (this coin). Extremely rare. A wonderful piece, beautifully toned and with a most attractive reverse. A few light scratches on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.


Clearly this piece also imitates the coinage of Alexander 'the Great', but we can say more from the appearance of the endearing small figure on the reverse presenting a wreath to the seated god. This detail is likely derived from a specific prototype in the series in the name of Alexander, namely tetradrachms from Tarsos struck under Philip III in 323-317 BCE (Price 3037 ff.), which show a small figure of Nike in the left field, presenting a wreath to Zeus. It is worth noting that the coin also differs from other issues from Mleiha in that the god holds Zeus' original eagle and not the forepart of a horse.