Wonderful posts and comments guys!! I must admit I was puzzled (and still am LOL) regarding the issue of the bull associated with Baal when my stater shows it being attacked by a lion. There is always something more to learn or to understand.....
Great catch Mikey Zee. As you mentioned, definitely nice fresh dies. Here's mine. The symbols of an eagle, wheat stalk, grapes, and a scepter may represent Baal’s capacity as a god involved in the seasonal cycles of life and death. Mazaios fought Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. After this loss, he fled to Babylon. With the Great King Darius III of Persia also fleeing Alexander's army, Mazaios was the person who surrendered the capital of the Persian Empire, Babylon, to Alexander later in 331 BC, which prevented the sack of the city. For doing this without a fight, Alexander appointed him governor of Babylon, which at the time was the world's largest city. Mazaios died in 328 BC.
I am just repeating what I read when I was doing research into this issue. It is possible that each Baal has a different representation as each city had their own version of Baal.
@Mikey Zee that is one heck of a coin and I much enjoyed your write up and the dialogue following. I have not yet finished this article but thought you'd enjoy it: https://archive.org/stream/myriandrosalexan00newe#page/10/mode/2up -d
Ummm, I have an amazingly weak example of "Baal" ... oh, but a really cool example of a wolf!! Lycaonia, Laranda, AR Obol Date: 4th cent. BC Diameter: 10.6 mm Weight: 0.4 grams Obverse: Baal seated, holding grain ear, grape bunch, and scepter Reverse: Forepart of wolf, crescent above ... errr, ummm ... Mikey-Z => is my Baal coin allowed to pal-around with your cool Baal example?
I loved all the posts guys!! Thanks so much for sharing your coins and comments!! I have bookmarked all the links that so many of you have provided
I have a couple of examples. They are both minted under the aegis of Mazaios who seems to like to show the food chain in action
Terence, those examples are gorgeous! Not only is the original artwork excellent, the dies were fresh and the preservation is superb. You have a very good eye.