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1/2 Ma'ah-Obol - Hezekiah
| Issuer | Yehud Medinata, Satrapy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 340 BC - 332 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Ma`ah-Obol = 1⁄48 Shekel |
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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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Owl standing to right with head turned to face the viewer, rendered in a style closely imitating Athenian coinage. The feathers of the head are formed by a beaded circle enclosing the facial disc, a distinctive feature of the Yehud owl type. To the left of the owl appears the Hebrew inscription naming Hezekiah the governor. The design occupies the full field of this diminutive hammered flan, with characteristically crude engraving on certain specimens. |
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| Mintage | ND (340 BC - 332 BC) - - ND (340 BC - 332 BC) - Crude style and inscription - |
| Additional information |
Yehud Medinata — Judah as a Persian administrative province — produced its own small silver coinage in the fourth century BC, one of the few subject territories the Achaemenid empire permitted to mint. The authorization likely came as a practical concession to local temple economics rather than any grant of political autonomy; the Jerusalem priesthood needed fractional silver for dues and transactions the Persian imperial coinage was too large to facilitate cleanly.
The Hezekiah issues are named for a high priest attested in both coin legend and Josephus, placing this piece at the very end of Achaemenid rule in the Levant — the series terminates with Alexander's conquest of Gaza in 332 BC.