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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,574 |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I received a really super gift in the mail today from Bob L. Thank you Bob. The first coin is a Himyarite Scyphate 1/2 denarius of Raidan Amdan Bayyin ca. 50-150 AD The Himyarite kingdom was located in ancient Yemen in south Arabia and existed from 110 BC - @520 AD. The coin is scyphate in shape and is 13mm x 1.1g. the obverse is a bust of the king and the reverse is a smaller bust with a Sabean legend : MDN BYN RVDN. I've always been interested in this type but didn't take the plunge yet. So this is my first example. SNG ANS 1585   The next coin is a drachm of the Indo-Greek Baktrian king Hermaios 90 - 70 BC this is a posthumous issue. The obverse is a bust of the king facing right with the Greek legend of: BASILEOS SOTEROS HERMAIOU ( Of King Hermaeus the saviour. The reverse is Zues enthroned with the Kharoshthi legend: MAHARAJASA TRATARASA HERAMAYASA. 16 mm x 2.2g MIG 415   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5029 Posts |
Very cool looking coins! Well deserved!
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
34428 Posts |
Both are great coins! I hadn't ever heard of Himyarites before so thanks for sharing.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
There really isn't too much information about them that I've been able to find. One interesting fact was that they adopted Judaism as their religion.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Wonderful examples and I especially love that scyphate 1/2 Denarius. I've bid on those a few times and never managed to pull one in. Yours is nicer than any I've seen. Congratulations.
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Thanks moxking, The detail is really nice.
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Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
lovely coins echizento I especially like the Himyarite great colour and detail. I hadn't heard about this kingdom before so thanks I'll do some reading. I want friends like you!!  Saludos Paul |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
10743 Posts |
I know nothing about these..  ..is that first coin 'cupped'?  |
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Good question and one I not sure of. These predate the Byzantine scyphate type of the 11th century by at least 400 years so they may very well be.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1269 Posts |
Very interesting coins. I love how there is always more unknown than known in the stories of these coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Fantastic coins from a very generous friend!  I have also eyeballed the Himyarite coins, but they always climbed too high for a passing fancy. They are on my "eventually" list though! Scyphate coins are uncommon, but AFAIK the first ones are the Gandhara punchmark coins from India, first made in 600 BC. Can't really beat that. There are apparently some other scyphates from India, as a side effect from trying to make a Uniface coin with a die much smaller than the flan. Also of scyphate shape are the "obols" from Soghdiana, ostensibly modeled after some Seleucid coin from one of the Antiochuses. Estimates range from the 2nd century BC to the 5th or 6th century AD in terms of when they were made. |
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Steve it must of been too early for my brain to work I forgot all about those.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,574 |
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Posted 12/01/2016 9:29 pm
