Ancient Coinage of Arabia, Himyarites


The Himyarites of southern Arabia

Browse the Himyarites page with thumbnail images.

BMC 1Arabia, Sabaeans and Himyarites. Circa 3rd Century BC. AR Drachm (5.14 gm). Helmeted head of Athena; "N" on cheek / Owl standing right, head facing; olive-spray and inverted crescent above. TextImage
BMC 4
(p. 70)		Himyarites AR half denarius. Mid-late 1st century AD. 1.35 gr; 16.68mm. Struck under Amdan Bayyin. Raidan mint. Male head right, beardless, crowned by an penannular torque; hair in ringlets, no symbols of monograms / Sabatean inscription, small male head right, complex OZY-like monogram down left field, forked sceptre-like symbol in right field, mint name in exergue. BMC Arabia p. 70, 4 and pl. XI, 10; Munro-Hay 3.2ai; SNG ANS -; cf Sear 6121.TextImage
BMC 14Sabaeans and Himyarites AR Drachm, Imitating an Athenian owl, c.350 BC. 15 mm, 5 g. Helmeted head of Athena right, Sabaean letter "n" on cheek. / Owl standing right, head facing, AΘE to right. BMC Arabia 14; Sear 6112; Munro-Hay, Coinage of Arabia Felix Typ I 4i8; Huth 165; SNG ANS 1455; SNG ANS 1456; Babelon Traité 1114.TextImage
BMC 21Arabia Felix, Himyarites. Anonymous. 1st cent BC. AR unit. Diademed male head right, hair in ringlets, spear behind head, crescent-like symbol before / Bucranium with antelopes horns, between horns single plume, curved symbol divided by cross lines in right field, "Yanaf" ("exalted") monogram in right field, dot in crescent above, all within a border comprising of alternating dots and two vertical lines. BMC 21; cf Sear GIC 5710.TextImage
BMC 71 varKatabanians, Himyarites, Arabia. AR Third. 1st century AD. 1.93 gr, 11.44mm. Bearded male head with short, curly hair (imitating Augustus) / Bearded, male head right, hair taken up behind, within slightly concave field. Trident-like monogram in left field. Himyarite legend off flan to right, Arabic legend below. BMC Arabia 71-72 var (symbols); cf de Morgan fig. 322; SNG ANS -.TextImage
BMC 73 varArabia Felix, Himyarites, Yanaf, AR Unit. 1.79g, 12mm. Helmeted head of Athena right, gamma-like symbol on cheek / AΘE, Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig behind; monogram of Yanaf to left, inscription above, Hyr-like Himyaritic script below. BMC 73 var (different symbol on cheek).TextImage
Gitler 8-10DvarPhilistia (Palestine or Arabia Felix), Uncertain mint. Mid 5th century-333 BC. AR Drachm 14mm, 2.38 g, 9h. Imitating Athens. Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye; H on cheek / AΘE, Owl standing right, head facing; olive spray and crescent behind; all within incuse square. Gitler and Tal XI.8-10D var. (letter on cheek).TextImage
Gitler IX-1OArabia Felix, Philistia, Palestine. AR obol, 8mm. Helmeted head of Athena right, Θ on cheek / AΘE, Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind. Gitler and Tal IX.1O.TextImage
Huth 344Arabia Felix, Qataban. AR tetradrachm. Mid-late 4th century BC. 21 mm, 16.63 g. Imitating Athens. Head of Athena with profile eye right, wearing crested Attic helmet, monogram on neck. / AΘE, owl standing right, head facing, crescent and olive branch in left field, royal Qatabanian monogram composed of South Arabian letter hl (resembles a trident) in right field. Huth 344; van Alfen pl. 20, 41.TextImage
Mitchener 366cfArabia Felix, Himyarites AR Half Unit. Anonymous ruler, minted 1st century AD. Diademed male head right / bucranium with antelope's horn and plumes. TextImage
SGI 5710Arabia Felix, The Himyarites AR Denarius. Unknown Ruler, ca 100 BC - 100 AD. Beardless head left, pellet in crescent above / bucranium with antelope horns and plumes. BMC p 65 12-16, SNG ANS 1503/1553. TextImage
SGI 5717Arabia, Himyarites, AR quinarius (?), (1.75g) mid 1st - mid 2nd century AD, Male head right / Small male head right. TextImage
SNG ANS 1513 varArabia Felix, Himyarites, Arabia. Anonymous 1st cent BC. AR Denarius. 2.46g, 17mm. Diademed male head right, symbols either side, crescent above, Sabaean letter O (resembling a Θ) below / Bucranium with antelope's horns, between horns three plumes, symbols to left and right, crescent with dot above, a line of oIIoIIo downwards to left. SNG ANS 1513 var (letter on obv).TextImage
SNG ANS 1554Himyarites of Arabia, Anonymous AR Denarius. 1st century AD. Diademed male head left / bucranium with antelope's horn and plumes. TextImage
TextImage
SNG ANS 1605Himyarites AR half denarius. 1.74 gr; 15.54mm. Struck under Amdan Yehuqbidh (BMC) or Amdan Bayyin (SNG ANS). Raidan mint. Male head right, beardless, crowned by an penannular torque; hair in ringlets, upright crescent and trident-like WIB monogram behind head / Sabatean inscription, small male head right, forked sceptre-like symbol in right field, mint name in exergue. BMC Arabia p. 69, 3: SNG ANS 1605; Sear 6121.TextImage
Sear 6112
BMC Arabia 1		Arabia Felix, imitative silver unit AR15 mm. 4.7 gr. 3rd century BC. Sabareans and Himyarites. Helmeted head of Athena right, earring resembling a Koppa, zigzag-like Sabaean "N" on cheek / AΘE, owl standing right, head facing. No symbols in fields. BMC Arabia 1ff; Sear 6112; SNG ANS 1455-1456; Knapp 19A; Tameanko 1.TextImage
Van Alfen 4Sabaeans, South Arabia. 354-340 BC. AR drachm. (5 g. unit). Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet and circular ear ring, eye in profile. South Arabian letter "N" on cheek. / AΘE, owl standing right, head facing, olive spray and crescent moon in upper left field. No additional symbols. Van Alfen "Studies" 4, 7 and 11; BMC 1ff; Weber 5182.TextImage
Van Alfen 111Sabaeans, South Arabia. AR drachm (5g unit). 354-340 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet and circular ear ring, eye in profile. South Arabian letter "N" on cheek. / AΘE, owl standing right, head facing, olive spray and crescent moon in upper left field, South Arabian letter "r" (resembling a crescent) in lower right field. Van Alfen "Studies" 111-114; Van Alfen 170-173; Huth 35.TextImage
AUGUSTUS
RPC 4997Augustus AR Half Unit of Arabia Felix, the Himyarites. Laureate head of Augustus left, within a wreath / Owl standing right on amphora, between two complex monograms, all within border formed of amphorae. SGI 5708v. TextImage
See also: Monnaies de l'Arabie heureuse (Coins of Arabia Felix) from a private collection, a useful article by Pierre-Yves Boillet, in Rev. Num 2007.