SAMARIA. Series with personal names and miscellaneous letters. Sanballat (?), governor of Samaria, circa 430-407 BCE. Mʿh = Obol (Silver, 9 mm, 0.44 g, 1 h). Bearded male head right (the Achaemenid Great King?), with eastern-style coiffure, hair gathered at the back, and wearing serrated crown or headdress. Rev. Lion seated to left, raising right forepaw; above to right, 𐡎𐡁 (SB in Aramaic); all within dotted square border within incuse square. CSC 75. Hendin 6039. Jeselsohn 81-83. Meshorer & Qedar 52. Shoshana I 20061. Sofaer 70. Wyssmann p. 261, MQ 52. Rare. Very well centered and attractively toned. Somewhat rough, otherwise, good very fine.



Like the other coins issued perhaps by Sanballat and his family, the present piece is deeply rooted in Achaemenid iconography. The obverse depicts a bearded head right, wearing a serrated crown or headdress, possibly representing the Great King, the suzerain of the governors of Samaria.