ARABIA, Eastern. Oman Peninsula. Mleiha or ad-Dur (?). Later coinage in the name of Abi'el, 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24 mm, 15.58 g, 12 h), imitating Alexander 'the Great' (336-323 BCE). Stylized head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress and with pellet on cheek.
Rev. 𐡀𐡁𐡀𐡋 ('b’l' in Aramaic) Male figure seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and a horse on his right arm; to left, palm stem; to left, below right arm, anchor-like symbol (of Mleiha?) placed sidewise. CCK 130 = van Alfen 309a (
this coin, O10/R17). Potts -, cf. Suppl. class XLVII (debased metal). Apparently unique in good silver. Extremely fine.
From the collection of Ambassador Martin Huth, ex The New York Sale IX, 13 January 2005, 121.
Potts did not know of any issues from this series struck in good silver. A further important development in this and subsequent coins is that, instead of a horse protome, the seated figure holds an entire animal (probably a horse).
