Freeman & Sear - Gemini I, Session 1



      ancient classic artifacts coins numismatic roman greek 



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                        Lot: 256

                        (click on image to enlarge)
                        NORTHEAST ARABIA: . 3rd century BC. AR tetradrachm 
                        (15.20 gm).

                        NORTHEASTERN ARABIA. Third century BC. Silver 
                        tetradrachm (15.20 gm). Head of young Heracles right in 
                        lion skin headdress / Aramaic inscription, deity 
                        (Shams?) enthroned left, holding eagle on extended right 
                        hand and scepter in left. Cf. Potts Class IV (drachms of 
                        identical style, but with figure of Nike in left field). 
                        Extremely rare and certainly the finest known of the 
                        type. Toned. Extremely fine 

                        This tetradrachm is closely related by style to the 
                        drachms of Potts Class IV, which appear to carry the 
                        same inscription on the right, but which show a figure 
                        of Nike on the left instead of an inscription. Potts 
                        noted that the inscription of his Class IV drachms 
                        resembles the legend on the well-known tetradrachms of 
                        Abi'el (Potts Class II). He hesitated to attribute the 
                        Class IV drachms to Abi'el because of differences in 
                        detail: the tetradrachms of Class II show the reverse 
                        figure holding a horse protome instead of an eagle, and 
                        the symbol in the left field is a palm tree, not a Nike. 
                        The piece offered here bears a clear but partial 
                        inscription on the right, apparently ABL'... rather than 
                        Abi'el. The inscription continues on the left, perhaps 
                        including the letter under the throne (RGLN? or BRGLN?), 
                        and does not seem to advertise the same patronymic that 
                        has been read on the Class II Abi'el tetradrachms. The 
                        present coin and the Class IV drachms reflect their 
                        Alexander prototypes more faithfully than the Class II 
                        tetradrachms of Abi'el, suggesting an earlier date of 
                        issue. The style places them in the third century BC. 
                        Estimated Value: $ 7,500 




...Sold for $5,900 USD [ approx 4484 EUR, 3127 GBP ] plus 15% buyers fee. 

Gemini I Auction Closed Jan 11-12, 2005. 

Re-used by permission of Freeman & Sear (www.freemanandsear.com) 
                      and Harlan J Berk (www.harlanjberk.com).