Lot 2229

Description

Phoenicia-Samaria, local Athenian imitations (c.375-346 B.C.), silver obol, (0.79 grams), probably struck at Gaza, obv. head of Athena to right, rev. owl standing to right, head facing, to right downwards partial A **Q* E , (cf.S.2530, SNG ANS (Palestine) 20, Samaria Hoard No. 279 (this coin described and illustrated, (p.79, Pl.46). Nearly extremely fine with very sharp portrait.

Ex. Samaria Hoard (279) and Sotheby, Zurich Sale Oct. 27-8, 1993 (lot 998 part). The inclusion of these Athenain imitations in the Samaria hoard, establishes the existance of a local mint (maybe Gaza or Ascalon [Numismatic Chronicle 1996, pps 1-9, on a hoard of 31 coins of this type found at Ascalon], or even a Samaritan mint) striking this coinage for local acceptance to supplement the distinctive local coinage of Samaria. The hoard was buried about 346-5 B.C. and thus the chronological implications indicate this issue to be prior to that date.