PHILISTIA (PALESTINE). Uncertain mint. Late 5th-early 4th century BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 22 mm, 16.71 g, 8 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves and palmette; on cheek, countermark: 𐡔 ('sh' in Aramaic) within round incuse; on helmet, countermark: uncertain letter within round incuse. Rev. AΘE Owl standing right, head facing; to left, olive sprig and crescent; all within incuse square. SNG ANS Palestine-South Arabia 4. Very rare. Some test punches and with two test cuts and minor scratches on the reverse, otherwise, good fine.


Meshorer suggested that the 'shin' countermark may have been applied at the Samarian city of Shomron, linking it to SNG ANS 3, where the 𐡔 appears on Athena's cheek not as a countermark, but as part of the actual design. If this is true, our coin is either an official Athenian owl or an eastern imitation thereof that was countermarked by the Shomronians to align it with their locally issued owls.