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Hemidrachm - Anonymous Two busts
| Issuer | Qatabanian Kingdom (Southern Arabia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 350 BC - 200 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hemidrachm (½) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of an anonymous male figure facing right, the hair rendered in pronounced curly locks depicted as a series of raised pellets arranged across the crown and temple in the Hellenistic tradition. A stylized crescent or ear ornament is visible behind the ear. The facial features — brow, nose, and lips — are rendered in a schematic yet expressive manner characteristic of South Arabian imitative coinage. The flan is irregular and slightly ragged at the edges, consistent with hand-hammered production. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
The Qatabanian kingdom, centered in the Beihan valley of what is now Yemen, controlled key sections of the overland incense trade routes that connected the frankincense and myrrh producing regions of Dhofar and Hadramawt to Mediterranean markets. These fractional silver pieces circulated in an economy built almost entirely on that commerce. The anonymous nature of the issue — no ruler named, no regnal reference — is consistent with Qatabanian monetary practice, where civic or federal authority frequently took precedence over individual kingship in coinage.
The Attic weight standard underlying this denomination reflects direct engagement with Greek mercantile networks, likely through intermediary ports on the Red Sea coast.