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Lot 26. Qataban AR Tetradrachm
Very rare Qataban Tetradrachm
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Bidding closed
(Sunday, May 22nd, 19:13:00 CEST)
Current time: Sunday, November 24th, 15:05:23 CET
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eAuction #48, Lot 26. Estimate: CHF 14'000.00
Qataban, southern Arabia. Unkown ruler(s). AR Tetradrachm (22 mm, 16.62 g), c. 350-300 BC. Imitating Athens.
Obv. Helmeted head of Athena right; on neck guard, monogram of y and 'ayin (in South Arabian).
Rev. AΘ[E], Owl standing right, head facing; to left, olive spray and crescent; in right field, Royal Qatabanian monogram.
HGC 10, 707. Huth 344. Van Alfen, Studies, Type QI.C.6.
Very rare. In exceptional condition for this difficult issue, well struck and without the heavy die wear apparent on most specimens. Usual traces of overstriking on reverse, otherwise, lightly toned and nearly extremely fine.
Qataban was a kingdom dominating the famous incense route on the Arabian Peninsula in the second half of the 1st millenium BC. Its capital and political center Timna was located in the Baihan valley in what is now Yemen. The Qatabanians issued their own coinage in the 4th Century, which closely copied the dominant trade coinage of their era: the owls of Athens. A large percentage of these coins show traces of overstriking; it is therefore possible, if not likely, that they were indeed all overstruck on Athens Tetradrachms.
Our specimen is part of a small group that bear the royal Qatabanian monogram on the reverse and one or more letters in South Arabian script on Athena's neck guard, the meaning of which are unknown.
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