Got Nabatean?

So I pulled the trigger on this little coinoid for a number of reasons. First of all, it was on sale CHEAP from a reputable ancients dealer. Secondly, I looked at all of these types online that I could find (and it wasn't that many - maybe they're scarce or maybe there's little interest among collectors) and I found many more expensive coins that didn't look nearly as nice as this one, even though they had full cornucopias on the reverse. In fact I didn't find any that graded better than Fine in my uneducated opinion.

What I like about this coin is that the lovely green patina accents the detail of the jugate busts - I think it has a lot of eye-appeal. And this is now my oldest coin (which probably won't last long, however). From what I saw in my research, I think this is definitely the kind of coin where you would need several examples to represent the type.

If you've got any of these, please post them, especially if you're found an example where the devices on both sides are complete. I'd like to see it!

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Alas not soooooo old. :smile

 

First I want to point out, what a lovely coin that is. When I hear you got a deal that makes the coin better. I have been in the market for this type, for sometime. I have been looking for the type in silver, but all are either very expensive or in poor condition.:rollling: As of present I have nothing of this empire.

You bust style is very well executed-I would happy to have your example. :hail:
I wish I could add more to your post, but alas I can only hit the "like" button. Well done JA, Kudos.

 

Nabatean Neighbors

Like I said I don't have any Nabatean coins but I do have some coins of their neighbors....:hail:

The kingdom of Characene was located near the mouth of the Tigris River at the head of the Persian Gulf, in what is now Modern Kuwait, southern Iraq and Bahrain. In antiquity the Kingdom of Characene was a subjected, semi-autonomous sub kingdom of Parthia. The capitol of The Kingdom of Characene was Charax-Spasinou a major sea trading port between the Mesopotamia and the lands of the far east and India. Characene was the name given to this land by the Ptolemies and Pliny as a geopolitical description of that region. The kingdom was founded in about BC 126 and lasted until the collapse of Parthian civilization in 224 AD.The Kingdom of Characene would not survive as an autonomous state as it had during the collapse of the The Kingdom of the Seleucids.
Attambelos I (c. BC 47-24)
AR 27.6mm Tetradrachm (12.41g)
c.BC 44-40
Obverse: Diademed bust of Attambelos
Reverse: Hercules on stool, holding famous club. BASIL? ATTAMB? O THP (The Seleucid date is lost to time, it would have been located in exergue.)

 

Very, very nice Ancientnoob! A great little history lesson and an absolutely fabulous coin in all respects!

 

The Homeric Kingdom (Himyarites) were located on the the Southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, around the modern country of Yemen. The were ultimatly conquered by the the Kingdom of Axum and would eventually be enveloped under the blanket of Islam and all but disappear from history.


The Himyarite Tribal Confederacy
(Homeric Kingdom) Southern Arabia (Modern Yeman, Oman)
s. 50-100 AD
Anonymous Issue (Scyphate "cup-shaped")
AR Half-Drachm 14.8 mm x 1.32g
Obv. Male Head right monogram behind.
Rev. Small Male Head right. Himyar Script. Trident monogram
ref. Mitcher 373

 

Another great coin, Ancientnoob! Bring 'em on. So many fascinating little kingdoms in that neighborhood, with equally fascinating coinage.

 

No pics handy, but i have a couple of hundred. Yours is in nice condition on the obverse. Malichus is a scarcer ruler than Aretas as well.

AN, these are common in copper, but silver is much scarcer. They had to have found a large hoard five years ago when i got mine. These are actually a poster child to buy what the market offers, to buy into hoards as they come onto market.

 

Why am I not surprised?

You have a couple of hundred of everything, lol.

 

Lol, no but i do of these. I love these, for those not familiar they ruled Petra, one of the most amaing cities in the world.

 

It would appear that the Malichus II issues are the most common - correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't find anything on the market right now that I was satisfied with as far as the reverse goes. I'd like an example with a reverse that matches the detail of the obverse of the coin I posted, so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

I did look at a few silver dinars and I can confirm Ancientnoob's comments: the couple I saw were far too worn to entertain my interest.

 

I have always seen Aretas IV as the most common, at least they were in the past. Some auction had a decent silver nabatean recently, if i find it again i will post details. It may have been from one of the three auctions that ended this week though.

You want scarce? The reference for these is scarce. Its called Nabatean Coins by Meshorer, but published by hebrew university in 1975. The spine though reads Qedem, 3, 1975 in case anyone happens to see one. You have to open it up to know its the Nabatean Coins book.

 

Yes, I see that you're right - after a cursory search, there are many more examples to choose from with Aretas.

 

I NEED to see your coins. You should at least photograph one of each type. There is much to learn from them.

 

I have to post this image of the ancient treasury at Petra, simply because it's so beautiful. I don't know whether the Nabatean coins were minted here or not, but it is fascinating to consider that this building may have once been their home, or at least a way-station.

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After some preliminary research into the Nabatean version of the Aramaic alphabet, I’ve deciphered how to read the names on this coin.

The king’s name is at the top of the reverse, spelled by the letters Mim, Lāmadh, Hē, and Waw, read from the right to the left. As in several Semitic language forms of spelling, many vowels are omitted, leaving a shorthand version of the words, and making it impossible to accurately transliterate the words. One current accepted transliteration of this king’s name is Malhu, but it would perhaps be more accurate to use MLHU.

One difficulty I had in deciphering the name arose from the fact that there are two distinct varieties of the spelling: one with the letter Mim open at the bottom, another with the letter closed. The open Mim can look deceptively like variations of the letters Hē, Hēth, and Tau.

I have to conclude that the open Mim is in fact a variation of the letter Mim (and not another letter) because in all the coins I examined, the remaining three letters of the king’s name occur without variation. Furthermore, the queen’s name occurs without variation in the letters as well, and the only occurrence of this queen’s name is on the MLHU II series.

Here is a closed Mim variety…

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My coin features the open Mim…

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The queen’s name is split between the fields between and under the crossed cornucopiae. It is also read from right to left, and from the top to the bottom. It is written with the letters Shin, Qoph, Yudh, Lāmadh, and Tau. One possible transliteration of the queen’s name might be Shekilat, but it would again be more accurate to simply use ŠKYLT.

I find it curious that the queen’s name is split, but what little I’ve studied of Nabatean suggests that the suffix LT may indicate a title of royalty, so perhaps the legend reads ŠKY, LT, or “Sheki, the queen.” This however, is pure conjecture on my part and may not stand up to further investigation.

If I’ve made any errors in my assessment, please speak up!

Edit: apparently I'm mistaken about the non-existence of ŠKYLT on other Nabatean coins - the wife of Aretas IV was also ŠKYLT, and the name is split on those coins as well.

 

After further research, I'm not sure my coin is properly attributed - it may be an issue of Aretas IV. Here is my reasoning...

First of all, I have not made an error in distinguishing between the open and closed Mim versions of MLHU issues. One can find many examples among the Malichus II Jugate/Cornucopiae coins wherein the Mim is open, but the legend clearly spells MLHU. Here is one example...

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However, Aretas IV also issued coins of this design a generation earlier, featuring a jugate portrait on the obverse, crossed cornucopiae on the reverse with names of both the king and queen. To complicate matters, his queen was also named Shekilat, and to even further complicate matters, the first letter of Aretas' name in Nabatean is spelled with Hēth - which is one of the letters easily confused with the open Mim.

There may be design elements or a provenance to my coin that clearly attribute it to Malichus II, but I'm not aware of those yet. I simply trusted the dealer's attribution. The problem with that is that I found a handful of improperly attributed pieces on vcoins, even among the most reputable dealers, and that called into question the attribution of my coin.

Now the spelling of Aretas in Nabatean is Hēth, Rēsh, Tau, Tau, or HRTT in the Roman. Here's a fine example of this issue under his reign...

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It is possible that my coin has the legend HRTT (Aretas). In fact, it seems to fit the picture better than MLHU, but it's difficult to say since part of the legend is missing.

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I've contacted the dealer to see what diagnostics he used to attribute the coin - it's entirely likely that I'm missing something, but if one goes by the king's name itself, it would appear that HRTT fits better than MLHU.

 

This is why having the reference book is handy. Sorry, had to poke a stick at Doug.

Stylistically, I agree with the original attribution. The portrait style is more Malichus than Aretas IV. In my eyes, Aretas tended to have better style of coinage. This is not decisive, just an observation.

 

That's the part that I have no experience with, Chris. I don't what the indicators in the design might be, to be able to distinguish one from the other exclusive of the legends. But you were right about the rarity of Meshorer - I can't find a copy anywhere.

 

I can pull out my copy tonight and try to match your coin up. My main point about books though is all of the background, reasons why certain issues are assigned certain rulers, etc. are also in there. That is what I like in addition to just pretty pictures of coins.

I understand this reference is scarce though. I will do what I can tonight with your coin, and try to find the best reference fit for it. I also have SNG ANS, BMC, and some others that have some nabatean, but the Meshorer book is the best I have found for these.