PHILISTIA. Central Mint. Athenian-styled, circa 420-350 BCE. Rbʾ Šql = Drachm (Silver, 17 mm, 3.88 g, 11 h). Janiform head composed of a bearded male head to left and a female head to right. Rev. Owl standing facing, wings closed, between olive sprays; all within circular incuse. BMC Palestine pl. XIX, 7. Gitler & Tal XIV.28Db (same dies). Hendin -. Jeselsohn 260 (same dies). Shoshana -. Sofaer -. Svoronos pl. 110, 25-31. Very rare. Cleaned and somewhat rough, otherwise, very fine.



Iconographically, this type strongly recalls issues from Gaza (cf. lot 24 above), whose reverses are likewise based on Athenian hemidrachms. In style and composition, however, the present reverse stands much closer to the Athenian prototypes. Svoronos himself therefore included it in his corpus, illustrating it as 'Imitation orientale' on pl. 110, 25-31.