CILICIA. Uncertain mint. Circa 375-333 BC. Obol (Silver, 7 mm, 0.30 g, 6 h). Persian king running to right, holding bow with his left hand and transverse spear with his right. Rev. Head of youthful, beardless, Herakles (?) to right, his lion's skin tied around his neck. Apparently unpublished, but for a slightly similar fraction with a Persian king with a dagger and a simple head - without drapery on the reverse - attributed without any apparent reason to Kolophon, see CNG e463, 2021, 50 . Extremely rare. Well-centered with a dark patina. Good very fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, acquired in 1999.

This is an enigmatic little coin. Most tetartemoria with Persian kings on their obverses have him carrying a dagger in right hand, rather than the spear as here. In addition, those few coins that are vaguely similar (cited above) show a bare head, rather than one with drapery around the neck similar to the way we often find heads of Herakles. Where it was struck is unknown, but almost certainly in Cilicia, a center for Persian military forces, in constant need of small change for the soldiers' daily needs.