PHILISTIA. Central Mint. Philistian-styled, circa 420-350 BCE. Half Drachm or 1/8 Sheqel (Silver, 14 mm, 2.59 g, 3 h). Male head (the Persian Great King?) to right, wearing jagged crown. Rev. Owl standing facing, wings spread, within stylized rectangular olive wreath; all within incuse square. Gitler & Tal -. Hendin -. Jeselsohn I -. Leu 21 (2026), 246 (same dies). Leu Judaica -. Shoshana -. Sofaer -. Of the highest rarity, the second known example and otherwise unpublished, the only other specimen having been offered by us in Leu 21 (2026), 246 (hammered for 24,000 CHF). Attractive earthen deposits on darkly toned metal. The reverse struck slightly off center and with a test cut, otherwise, very fine.


This remarkable coin introduces an entirely new type into the Philistine coinage. The obverse shows a male head with prominent nose and ear, wearing a crenellated headdress, most likely a modified rendering of the Persian Great King, as seen, for example, on Gitler & Tal XXIII.10. The reverse bears the celebrated Athenian owl in frontal view, familiar not only from the magnificent Attic dekadrachms, but also from a series of Philistine issues (Gitler & Tal III.1Ta and III.3Da).

Enclosing the owl is an unusual rectangular border terminating in ornaments resembling snake heads, probably derived from the double olive spray depicted on Gitler & Tal XIV.28Db. Of particular interest, its weight of 2.59 g identifies the coin as a hemidrachm, equivalent to 1/8 sheqel, a very rare denomination within the Philistine coin series.