ARABIA, Eastern. Uncertain, circa 180-140 BCE. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 15.88 g, 1 h), imitating Alexander 'the Great' (336-323 BCE). Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev. ΛΛEΞΛΛNΛ[...] Zeus/Shams seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to upper left, cone-shaped object; to lower left, antelope or stag standing left. CCK 144 = Huth, Al Jawf Hoards, 227 (
this coin). Apparently unique and of great interest. Hammered and bent, and with some minor scratches on the reverse
, otherwise, good very fine.
From the collection of Ambassador Martin Huth.
This Arabian tetradrachm imitates Milesian Alexanders and occured in several examples in the Al-Jawf Hoard of 2002. However, this is the only known example with the cone-shaped object in the upper left reverse field, which also appears on some rare later Abi’el issues (Potts class XLIX and van Alfen 175-180). Of particular interest is also the antelope or stag in the left reverse field.