Heritage World Coin Auctions
CICF Signature Sale 3040 Online Sess. 13-14 April 2015
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Ancients
ARABIA. Qataban, Imitating Athens. Ca. 4th-3rd centuries BC. AR tetradrachm (16.62 gm). Helmeted head of Athena right, eye in profile / Owl standing right; crescent behind. HGC 10, 706. Munro-Hay 1.0.4. Huth 326. P. van Alfen, "The 'owls' from the 1989 Syria hoard," AJN 14 (2002), 92-97. Boldly struck. Minor metal delamination in reverse field, otherwise Good Extremely Fine.The Kingdom of Qataban arose in southern Arabia in the sixth century BC as a vassal state of Saba (Biblical Sheba). By the mid-300s BC, Qataban had become independent and was striking its own coinage, largely modeled on the popular Athenian "owl" tetradrachms and drachms. The weight standard of @ 16.3 grams was somewhat lighter than the Attic standard and appears to be related to the Philistian standard used in Judaea. These imitiative "owl" coins were previously attributed as Sabaean, but the new classification put forth by Oliver Hoover in "Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant" (HGC 10) should be considered current according to the latest research.
Estimate: 700-1000 USD
ARABIA. Qataban, Imitating Athens. Ca. 4th-3rd centuries BC. AR tetradrachm (16.62 gm). Helmeted head of Athena right, eye in profile / Owl standing right; crescent behind. HGC 10, 706. Munro-Hay 1.0.4. Huth 326. P. van Alfen, "The 'owls' from the 1989 Syria hoard," AJN 14 (2002), 92-97. Boldly struck. Minor metal delamination in reverse field, otherwise Good Extremely Fine.The Kingdom of Qataban arose in southern Arabia in the sixth century BC as a vassal state of Saba (Biblical Sheba). By the mid-300s BC, Qataban had become independent and was striking its own coinage, largely modeled on the popular Athenian "owl" tetradrachms and drachms. The weight standard of @ 16.3 grams was somewhat lighter than the Attic standard and appears to be related to the Philistian standard used in Judaea. These imitiative "owl" coins were previously attributed as Sabaean, but the new classification put forth by Oliver Hoover in "Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant" (HGC 10) should be considered current according to the latest research.
Estimate: 700-1000 USD