[ancients] Coin of Rabbel II... does my opinion jibe with the opinion of the experts?

I'm too cheap to pay the $24.99 for JA's ancient coin approval service, so I went ahead and did the "boring research" on this piece from my old uncleaned lot. Can the experts in this area (actually, is there more than one here?) tell me if I got it right, please?



RABBEL II, WITH GAMILAT
AE14
Nabataean Kingdom, Petra, 70-106 AD, Meshorer Nabataen 163.
O: Jugate laureate busts of Rabbel II and Gamilath.
R: RB'L/GMLT in Nabataean script in two lines between horns of two crossed cornucopias.

I'm fully prepared to be wrong as I only started learning how to read Nabataen last night and also haven't cleaned the coin beyond... well, I just haven't cleaned it. At 14mm it's also a little smaller than the other examples I've seen online. Thanks!

Z.

 

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Sweet lil' coin, Z ...
=> but no sorry, I wouldn't know a Nabataen Rabbel II from a Wascally Wabbit II!!

 

Yeah, you've got it. The queen's name is between the cornucopiae, GMLT, read from right to left. Rabbel was the only king with a queen named Gamilat, so even though his name is obliterated, we know the coin belongs to him. Here's one from my collection with slightly clearer lettering...



I've got a thread at FORVM on Nabataeans if you're interested...

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=91378.0

 

Excellent! And thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I know I should at least lurk on the Forvm boards, but I'd need for the days to have an extra 3 or 4 hours.

Not sure if I'll ever get very much into Nabataeans, but the occasional stroll through that neck of the woods (or in this case desert) will probably be interesting.

 

It's a fascinating civilization because it was structured so differently from other ancient cultures: a caravan kingdom that combined nomadic pastoralism with eventual sedentarization. The Nabataeans mysteriously faded into history out of the desert and just as mysteriously faded away, subsumed by other cultures. The alphabet eventually evolved into modern Arabic.

 

Rabbel also has a very distinct portrait.

 

Quite right. His face is longer, with a very square-cut jaw. The portraits of his predecessors, Malichus II and Aretas IV have softer features, but they can be distinguished by the presence or lack of facial hair, assuming the coins present those details. Nabataean issues, especially the bronzes, are notoriously badly-made and poorly preserved.

 

Yes, I agree ,they are for the most part poorly made. There are some gems out there though and they can get quite pricey. I have a couple of nice ones that I will post later.

 

I'd very much like to see them!

By the way, a word of warning: be careful when shopping for these Jugate Portrait/Cornucopia types. They were issued by three different kings, and unless a dealer has taken the time to study the difference in the portraits and the Nabataean script, they frequently get misattributed. I've seen very common issues of Aretas IV ascribed to Malichus II with consequently larger premiums. A quick glance through vcoins came up with half-a-dozen misattributed coins.

 

I've also seen some Malichus II issues ascribed to Aretas IV. It is very worthwhile to spend some time getting educated on the differences.

 

i don't know if i'd clean that one zum, that kind of strikes me as the "good" chrud...makes those details pop, especially on the obverse.

 

Here's my Rabbel II, from a handful of Nabataeans bought at auction a couple months back.

 

Since the question of reading these types occasionally arises, I'm putting together a graphic which can be used as a quick reference. But I probably won't finish it till tomorrow.

 

Yeah, I probably won't. Can't clean for nuts anyway.

 

Cool, you can even see Rabbel's nice flowy hair on yours! Their coins may not look like much, but I think these Nabataens had style.

 

The flans may be shabby but there is something compelling about them regardless.

John, you may live to regret inciting interest in these Nabataeans when demand and prices begin to mimic COL-NEMs

 

Absolutely, yes. If you compare the production of Nabataean coinage to Graeco-Roman standards, it falls far short. But the actual designs, although based on Greek issues, are quite distinctive. You really can't confuse a Nabataean coin with anything else.

You'll generally pay much more for a well-preserved early drachm than you will for a COL-NEM, which is frustrating to me as I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on one coin.