This arrived in the mail today: A fairly decent coin of Malichus II. Obv. Jugate heads of Malichus and Shuqailat. Letter Shin in right field. Rev. Crossed cornucopias with Malichus above (partially off the flan) and Shuqailat below in two lines. Between their names appears to be the number 4. No reference that I can find. I have only seen this cross mark on coins of Aretas IV.
Nice coin. I like the bold portraits and the detail in the legends and left cornucopia. Definitely a good type coin of Malichus II. I'll search my sources to see if any variants have been listed with a cross between the cornucopiae. I don't think it's 4 offhand, 4 is usually written X, i.e. with slanted lines.
I'll search my sources to see if any variants have been listed with a cross between the cornucopiae. I don't think it's 4 offhand, 4 is usually written X, i.e. with slanted lines.[/QUOTE] I was thinking the same thing about the cross but if you check Schmitt-Korte 80 in NC volume 150 the plate coin has the same orintation of the X.
OK, I looked it up...S-K 80 has the + under the cornucopiae, which makes yours an unlisted variant, with + between the cornucopiae. I'm not convinced it's a 4 though - that's S-K's interpretation. Nabataean coins are sprinkled with symbols whose meanings have been lost. Every time I've seen 4, it's been written X, and the only time I've seen it is when it expresses regnal years, in which case the number is always preceded by the word "year". It's a curious puzzle.
When the lines are slanted in relationship to the rest of the text, X clearly means four, especially if it's preceded by the word "year" (outlined in yellow on the coin below). But the symbol on your coin and S-K 80 is +, not X, and I'm not convinced + means 4.
I really need to get some of those coins. I keep putting it off in favor of my Roman rulers set. I know where a few affordable ones are located from time to time. Nice OP coin and the rest too. JA, your knowledge of these coins is starting to get pretty good I've noticed.
That definitely looks like 4. I'm not saying the mark on the OP coin isn't - I'm just saying I'm not convinced. There are a series of marks on the minute bronzes of Aretas IV similar to the +, but with two parallel horizontal lines, and oriented the same way. The + could be a variant of that mark. Incidentally, the X on that coin can't refer to a regnal year as these types were minted long after Aretas' fourth year. Perhaps the anniversary of his marriage to Shuqailat? But it's probably just some sort of mint control mark. Correct. Nabataean script evolved from Imperial Aramaic, as did Hebrew. Thank you. I'm currently building a website dedicated to Nabataean numismatics, but the launch is still a few months away.
After some lengthy research, I agree with you JA. The X had appeared on Aretas bronzes from the time of Huldu right through his marriage to Shuqailat. I also agree the + on my coin does not represent a number 4 but as you say some sort of mint control mark. The same probably goes for the O symbol we see, and some of the Heths as well. Thank you as always for your input and I'm really looking forward to your new website!
