SAMARIA. Anepigraphic types with Achaemenid and regional influences. Circa 400-332 BCE. Mʿh = Obol (Silver, 9 mm, 0.74 g, 11 h). Forepart of a facing lion within dotted square border. Rev. Sphinx seated left, its head facing and rendered as that of Bes, wearing a plumed headdress; all within dotted square border within incuse square. CSC 235 corr. (forepart not head of a lion). Hendin -. Jeselsohn 305-306 corr. (forepart not head of a lion). Meshorer & Qedar 170. NH -. Shoshana -. Sofaer 209. Wyssmann -. Rare and beautifully preserved, with a wonderful obverse. The usual die break on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.



As Meshorer and Qedar correctly recognized, the obverse depicts not merely a lion’s head, but a frontal lion protome, as the animal’s forepaws are clearly visible. The choice of this motif was probably dictated, at least in part, by compositional considerations: it allowed the engraver to place the ears in the upper corners and the paws in the lower ones, thereby accentuating the diagonals of the dotted square border. The resulting design is both geometrically balanced and visually appealing, giving the impression of a lion peering through a window.