PHILISTIA. Central Mint. Philistian-styled, circa 420-350 BCE. Rbʾ Šql = Drachm (Silver, 15 mm, 3.60 g, 1 h). Janiform head composed of a bearded male head to left and a female head to right. Rev. Forepart of a lion to right, raising left forepaw; to upper left, 𐡔 (Š in Aramaic); all within dotted square border within incuse square. Gitler & Tal XIX.1Da (this coin). Hendin -. Jeselsohn 312 (same dies). Shoshana -. Sofaer -. Of the highest rarity, and by far the finest of apparently just two known examples. Minor weakness on the obverse and with two test cuts on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.



Gitler and Tal, in their commentary on the coin, refer to a Lycian parallel (Babelon, Achéménides, pl. XI, 19), but the lion protome is also attested in Caria and Cyprus.