Every so often we have questions about owls from Athens and many show are modern fakes. The coins were so popular even in their day that some were made in places far from Athens. Some are identifiable only by style and many in collections today may very well have started life in Eqypt or somewhere far from Athens. Below is a 1/4 unit issued by the Arab Sabaeans in the 3rd-2nd century BC. They were struck on a weight standard completely different from Athenian coins but they even have the name Athens on the reverse. This is a 1/4 unit clearly marked by the X on Athena's cheek. Other denominations (whole to 1/8) have other Sabaean letters on the cheek. They are not particularly good silver (and this one could stand cleaning). Post your Sabaean silver with other letters. http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/arabia/himyarites/t.html Wildwinds seems to have the denominations other than the one shown here mixed in on their Arab page.
A fabulous, well-cut representative of its type! I rarely feel any jealousy at others' acquisitions, but you've managed to make me a bit green. It's possible the standard was based on the Persic shekel of 5.3g. There is evidence of earlier trade between the Sabaeans and the Achaemenid Empire. Whereas most of these coins were lumped together as homogeneous Southern Arabians, modern scholarship, based on typology and metrology, now distinguishes between coins of Qataban, Himyar, and Saba. Yours is indeed a Sabaean 1/4 unit, HGC 10, 735; Munro-Hay 1.1iii; Huth 175. Two other varieties are recorded, with monograms on the reverse. Mine is a coin of Qataban, minted on a standard close enough to the Philistian (tetradrachm = 16.3g) to allow us to call it a hemidrachm. I've lost my image of this coin so I'm using the seller's - I'll re-shoot it tomorrow. Southern Arabia, Qataban AR Hemidrachm. Unknown ruler(s). Timna, circa 350-320/00 BC. Imitating Athens. Head of Athena right, Γ on cheek, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor / Owl standing right, head facing; [olive sprig] and crescent behind, Royal Qatabanian monogram, composed of South Arabian letters h and l, and AΘE to right. Munro-Hay p. 71, 1.0aii, pl. 48, 30-32; HGC 10, 711. 1.98g, 11mm, 9h.
Sear lists gamma as the mark of the half unit. We see many more full units (N). He lists sigma as the 1/8th.
Cool Owl, @dougsmit I have captured a couple owls that are not Silver... This one you have commented on... Athens 224-198 BC AE 12 Athena 2 Facing Owls RARE Agora 71 O-R.jpg This one is from Sicily... Sicily Kalakte AE unit 2nd C BCE Head Athena in Helmet - Owl rev Obv-Rev RARE.JPG
I love ALL ancient owls. There's a Seleucid AE with an owl reverse and great sandy patina that I've had my eye on for a while, but haven't taken the plunge on... yet. I'm sorely tempted.
Nice OP-Owl, Mentor ... wow, you've collected some real winners lately (congrats) The "other" owl, eh? Ummm, how 'bout these babies?
Thanks, lord ... we all have pretty cool coins, eh? (man, I love ancients!!) => there are sooooooooo many different possibilities (every time one of us posts a new coin, I do a double-take and think "sproing, there's a new winner!!")
Wonderfully interesting posts everyone!!! That example is fascinating Doug! I currently have my eye on one of the type, but from Athens, which looks like it was the inspiration for JA's example....or simply a 'wounded warrior' that somehow survived to the present.
One of the best websites of Athenian Owls is http://athenianowlcoins.reidgold.com/ which has a boatload of these imitation owls from various areas, including Arabia Felix. I only have this one that is different from Doug's: Arabia Felix: Himyarites and Sabaeans (ca. 3rd Century BC) AR Drachm (Munro-Hay 1.4i2) Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right; Sabaean "N" on cheek. Rev: Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE before, monogram below.
