Hello Deacon Ray and welcome! That is a nice coin. Thanks for sharing. I myself am an Elder in my church. You might be able to help me in a question I have. I did a sermon recently on Luke 15:8-10, the parable of the lost coin. So my question is which coin do you think was lost according to the time period? I researched online and I got like 3 different responses. Drachma, Shekel, Stater..Do you own any of these to show? I would love to see more of your biblical coins.
Very interesting coin. Thanks for posting it. Handle the slab gently. That 3-point mounting looks a little precarious. It could turn into a PCGS-style rattler. Cal
Nice one. I wanted to get more this year but have focused more on 18th & 19th Great Britain coins, medievals, as well as usual random ancients. Maybe 2017 I will get a few more. From last years secret santa. Malichus II & Shuqailat II (40 - 70 A.D.) Nabataean Kingdom Æ Unit O: Jugate busts of Malichus & Shuqailatt right R: Crossed Cornucopia 1. WKLM 2. YQS 3. TL from r. to l. MLKW / SQY / LT = Maliku / Shuqailat 19mm 2.51g SNG X I#I444
I love the coin because it has clear busts of both the king and the queen, and the lettering on the reverse is also complete - it's an excellent example of the type, which is typically struck way off-center. I hate the slab though, sorry.
Well played, D-Ray ... I love your new OP-winner Ummm, I also have a fairly cool example ... Nabataean, Aretas IV & Shuqailat => my example was $45 (delivered) ... maybe I paid too much?
Pretend I don't know anything about the Nabataeans or this coin. Tell me something about it... Who are those people? What attracted you to this coin? How does this fit into your set?
Hi Physics-fan3, The Nabataeans were part of an Arab kingdom roughly in the area now known as Jordan. My Nabataean coins fall under the category of Biblical Kingdoms. Although the Nabataeans are not mentioned frequently (2 Corinthians), the Nabataean King Aretas IV is the father-in-law of Herod Antipas. (The Herod Antipas coin is on my yet to acquire list of Judaean coins.) Also, the Nabataean coins available for sale are some of the most reasonably priced items in the ancient coin market.
Yes, I am quite skilled with the google. However, if someone buys a new coin and posts it here, I find it is most interesting when they describe it. I can google any piece of information I want. If you are just going to refer me to google, why should I even read these threads? I can get everything i need elsewhere. The personal aspect, however, transcends the straight facts. Having Ray tell us about the Nabataeans and why he bought the coin is far more interesting than reading the Wikipedia page.
nice lookin' black and tan nabatean DR! here's my favorite of aretas iv and his girl..... Nabatean Kingdom, Aretas IV, 9 BC-40 AD O:Aretas, palm left, H right. R:Shuquailat, Aramaic legend, 16 mm, 2.7g, SNG ANS 1435
Yes, the Nabataeans and their coins are fascinating and a bit mysterious! The coins are a real bargain as collector's items!
Since the Greek NT reads drachma, this would seem to be without doubt but that is a denomination and we really have no way to know which coin of that size it might have been (since it is a Parable, this seems a moot point). Of the choices mentioned, the drachma is the smallest coin and worth about a day's wage to a laborer. The others are larger. I hardly collect coins of this region and do not have a silver of drachma size but would be interested in seeing what our experts believe might have circulated most commonly in the time of Jesus. I could see a later Seleucid or even a Gaza copy of an Athenian owl but nothing stands out to me. This would be too early for the Jewish drachmas of the revolts. Interesting question.
