PHILISTIA. Uncertain mint. Athenian Imitative Series. Ca. 400-350 BC. AR tetradrachm (24mm, 17.10 gm, 12h). VF, die shift, graffito. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three laurel leaves and vine scroll / AΘE (A barred), owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig with two leaves and one berry, and crescent moon behind, gamal (Aramaic) in left field, all within incuse square. HGC 10 -. Cf. SNG ANS 3 (Athens-type tetradrachm with Aramaic shin on cheek). The ubiquitous Athenian owl tetradrachm was widely imitated in the Levant, Arabia and Egypt, with copies ranging from crude to barely distinguishable from "official" issues of Athens. Likewise, many Athenian tetradrachms were countermarked with Aramaic letters or bear graffito with one or more Aramaic letters. This apparently unique imitative type, while a close copy of the original, bears what appears to be an Aramaic letter, likely a gamal, beth or lamed, on the reverse, not countermarked but cut into the original die.

HID09801242017

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