SAMARIA. Series with place names and related types. Circa 375-332 BCE. Mʿh = Obol (Silver, 9 mm, 0.71 g, 12 h). Janiform bearded male head. Rev. Two owls standing facing each other; to left, 𐡔𐡓𐡌𐡍 (ŠMRN in Aramaic). CSC -, cf. 274 (anepigraphic). Hendin -. Jeselsohn I -, cf. 362 (anepigraphic). Leu Judaica -. Meshorer & Qedar -, cf. 210 (anepigraphic). Shoshana -. Sofaer -. Wyssmann -. Unpublished and unique, and of great numismatic importance. Beautifully toned and struck on a broad flan. Small flan fault on the obverse, otherwise, extremely fine.


This issue, CSC 274-275 = Meshorer & Qedar 210–211, had previously been known only from anepigraphic examples. The present specimen, however, bears the legend 𐡔𐡓𐡌𐡍 (ŠMRN in Aramaic) on the reverse, thus giving the name of the province of Samaria. This issue, together with the two anepigraphic parallel specimens, can therefore be reassigned from the ‘Anepigraphic types with Achaemenid and regional influences’ to the ‘Series with place names and related types’.