a r a b i a

Several small kingdoms that existed in what is now Syria, Jordan and the southern Arabian penninsula, bordering the Indian Ocean and Red Sea (modern Yemen). 


r e f e r e n c e s


Minaeans (?)

[Minaean]7K JPG
Anonymous
AR Obol
circa 200 BC
SGCv2 (?), Arnold-Biucchi 27 (?)
11 mm.
0.82 gm.
Die position=10h
reverse
Obverse: Beardless male head right (Alexander the Great/Herakles/Zeus-Ammon ?).
Reverse: Zeus enthroned left holding horse (?) and sceptre (?). Monogram under arm (?)

[Minaean]5K JPG
Anonymous
AR Obol
circa 200 BC
SGCv2 (?), Arnold-Biucchi 27 (?)
11 mm.
0.93 gm.
Die position=10h (?)
reverse
Obverse: Beardless male head right (Alexander the Great/Herakles/Zeus-Ammon ?). Very worn die.
Reverse: Zeus enthroned left holding eagle (?) and sceptre (?). Monogram under arm (?)


Northern Arabia Felix

[Arabia Felix]15K JPG
Anonymous
AE Drachm (?)
circa 200 BC (?)
SGCv2 6131v. (?)
19 mm.
4.10 gm.
Die position=?h
obverse
Obverse: Crude (an understatement...), stylized head of Athena, right (?).
Reverse: Weird 'bug-eyed' owl, facing. Trace of olive sprig to left. Greek legend ([theta] [epsilon]), to right.


Nabataean Kingdom

[Aretas IV]15K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Huldu
AE 19
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 5/4 BC)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC 5700v., Meshorer 60v.
19 x 20 mm.
4.11 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Diademed bust, right. Nabataean letters in field.
Reverse: Woman (Huldu (?)) standing left wearing long dress; right hand raised. Nabataean legend.

[Aretas IV]8K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Huldu
AE 13
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 4/3 BC)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC -, Meshorer 70v.
13 mm.
1.92 gm.
Die position=1h
reverse
Obverse: Busts of king right.
Reverse: Two cornucopiae; between them, Monogram #4.

[Aretas IV]12K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AE 15
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 16 AD)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC -, Meshorer 97
15 mm.
1.99 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Aretas IV standing wearing sword and holding spear; palm branch in left field.
Reverse: Shuqailat standing with right arm raised; wreath in left field. Nabataean legend in three lines.
Note: Die clash? Struck with the reverse inscription across the bottom of the obverse.

[Aretas IV]12K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AE 15
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 16 AD)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC -, Meshorer 97
15 mm.
1.84 gm.
Die position=11h
reverse
Obverse: Aretas IV standing wearing sword and holding spear; palm branch in left field.
Reverse: Shuqailat standing with right arm raised; wreath in left field.

[Aretas IV]13K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AE 15
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 16 AD)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC -, Meshorer 97
15 mm.
2.28 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Aretas IV standing wearing sword and holding spear; palm branch in left field.
Reverse: Shuqailat standing with right arm raised; wreath in left field.

[Aretas IV]11K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AR Drachm
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 20/21 AD)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC 5695v., Meshorer 99 type
15 mm.
3.68 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Busts of Aretas right; Aramaic legend.
Reverse: Busts of king and queen right. Aramaic legend.

[Aretas IV]11K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AE 19
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 39/40 AD)
Mitchiner ACW 254-255, SGIC 5699, Meshorer 112 type
18 x 16 mm.
2.97 gm.
Die position=10h
reverse
Obverse: Busts of king and queen right.
Reverse: Two cornucopiae. Aramaic legend.

[Aretas IV]11K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AE 19
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 39/40 AD)
Mitchiner ACW 254-255, SGIC 5699, Meshorer 113 type
18 mm.
4.35 gm.
Die position=11h
reverse
Obverse: Busts of king and queen right.
Reverse: Two cornucopiae. Aramaic legend.

[Aretas IV]13K JPG
Aretas IV with Queen Shuqailat
AE 19
9 BC - 40 AD (struck circa 39/40 AD)
Mitchiner ACW 254-255, SGIC 5699, Meshorer 114 (?) type
17 x 18 mm.
4.13 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Busts of king and queen right.
Reverse: Two cornucopiae. Aramaic legend.

[Rabel II]12K JPG
Rabel II with Queen Gamilat
AE 15
70 - 106 AD (struck circa 102 AD (?))
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC - , Meshorer - (similar to 163), KS-K II - (similar to 87)
15 mm.
3.45 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Bust of king right.
Reverse: Two cornucopiae. Aramaic legend.
Note: The legend on the reverse of this odd coin corresponds to other late issues of Rabel, with the 'beth' running underneath the 'aleph,' including another unpublished bronze variety (like this one) with a single bust on the obverse. [Coin No. 87 in Nabataean Coinage II by K. Schmitt-Korte in the 1990 Numismatic Chronicle has the reverse legend within a wreath and not between two cornucopiae.] This could be a transitional issue from the period between Gamilat's death in 102 AD and Rabel's new wife, Hagru.


Sabaeans and Himyarites

[Sabaeans]11K JPG
Anonymous/Imitative of the coinage of Athens
AR Drachm (?)
circa 120 BC (?)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC 6119v.
17 mm.
5.10 gm.
Die position=6h
reverse
Obverse: Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet; Sabaean letter ('n') on cheek.
Reverse: Owl standing right, facing; 'A' and otherlegend (?) in field.

[Himyarite]14K JPG
Anonymous/Imitative of Augustus
AR 1/4 Unit
circa 30 BC - 50 AD
Mitchiner ACW 365, SGIC 5709
15 mm.
1.30 gm.
Die position=6h
reverse
Obverse: Diademed male head right, derived from that of Augustus; in wreath.
Reverse: Owl standing on amphora. Monograms in field. All within border of amphorae.

['Amdan Bayyin]9K JPG
Unknown
AR Quinarius (?)
circa 50 AD (?)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC 5715v.
14 mm.
1.55 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Beardless male head right, hair hanging in ringlets; no visible border.
Reverse: Small male head similar to obverse, Himyarite legend around (?); monogram in field to right (?).
Note: The legend on the reverse looks very stylized.

['Amdan Bayyin]9K JPG
'Amdan Bayyin
AR Quinarius (?)
circa 50 - 150 AD
SNG ANS 1595ff / BMC Arabia pg.71, SGIC 5718
13 mm.
1.41 gm.
Die position=5h
reverse
Obverse: Beardless male head right, hair hanging in ringlets; monogram behind.
Reverse: Small male head similar to obverse, Himyarite legend around; monogram in field to right.

['Amdan Bayyin]11K JPG
'Amdan Bayyin
AR Quinarius (?)
circa 50 - 150 AD
SNG ANS 1595ff / BMC Arabia pg.71, SGIC 5718
14 mm.
1.35 gm.
Die position=1h
reverse
Obverse: Beardless male head right, hair hanging in ringlets; monogram behind.
Reverse: Small male head similar to obverse, Himyarite legend around; monogram in field to right.


Katabanians (?)

[Katabanian]8K JPG
Anonymous/Imitative of Augustus (?)
AR Quinarius (?)
circa 50 AD (?)
Mitchiner ACW -, SGIC -, similar to de Morgan pg. 264, fig. 322
12 x 13 mm.
1.75 gm.
Die position=12h
reverse
Obverse: Bare-headed bust right (perhaps with the features of Augustus).
Reverse: Small male head similar to later Himyarite types, Himyarite legend around; monogram in field to left.


b a c k  t o  a n c i e n t  c o i n s