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1/2 Ma'ah-Obol Samaria
| Issuer | Samaria, Satrapy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 539 BC - 332 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Facing head of Bes, the Egyptian dwarf deity, depicted in his characteristic grotesque frontal aspect with wide staring eyes, prominent brow, and bushy beard. The leonine facial features are rendered in a stylized yet forceful manner typical of Samarian coinage of the Persian period. The design fills the small flan, with the deity's face occupying the full field of the coin. |
|---|---|
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| Mint | Samaria |
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| Additional information |
Samarian coinage emerged under Persian administration, struck by local authorities within a satrapal system that permitted regional minting as a practical concession to commerce rather than any grant of political autonomy. These fractional silver pieces circulated alongside imported Greek coins — Attic owls and their fractions dominated the Levantine economy — and the Samarian issues were sized specifically to function within that international weight standard.
The series ends abruptly in 332 BC with Alexander's siege and destruction of Samaria following a revolt in which the Macedonian governor Andromachus was burned alive.