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Message:: [QUOTE="John Anthony, post: 2030583, member: 42773"]Here are 8 of the minute bronzes of Aretas IV. Three of these are new coins, two are re-imaged. Notice the difference between the busts on the coins in my previous post and the later portraits of the king. The later busts become less Arabian, more Greco-Roman, but they are still quite distinctive. Aretas IV is easily recognizable on any of the coins minted throughout his 49-year reign. These are just the bust/double-opposed-cornucopia types. There are others: eagles, wreaths, and double-parallel-cornucopias, but I'll save those for another thread. These coins come in many varieties, particularly in the field marks. Some have a caduceus, others a pomegranate stalk. Some have the mark X, which is the number 4 in Nabataean. It's not clear whether this is a date or not. If it was a date, one would expect to see other numerals as well, but such coins have not been discovered. Perhaps the number 4 held some religious significance, or perhaps it denotes a denomination: a quarter of something? I'll be happy when Dansco comes out with an album for these. They'll be easier to keep track of. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> [ATTACH=full]369436[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]