Catalog
Æ13 - Aretas IV and Phasaelis
| Issuer | Nabataean Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 6 BC - 18 AD |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Aretas IV facing right, rendered in the schematic Nabataean style characteristic of the early first century AD. The effigy displays a simplified profile with stylized hair and laurel wreath. A single Nabataean letter He (ח) appears in the left field, serving as a mint or regnal identifier. The flan is irregular and the strike somewhat off-center, typical of hammered Nabataean bronze coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two cornucopiae crossed at their bases and filled with fruit and foliage, a classic Hellenistic symbol of royal abundance adopted by the Nabataean court. The horns of plenty are depicted symmetrically, their mouths flaring upward and outward. Two Nabataean letters, Fa (פ) and Sad (צ), appear centrally between the cornucopiae, likely constituting an abbreviated royal or mint inscription referencing Queen Phasaelis. The design is executed in low relief with a worn but legible strike. |
| Reverse script | Nabataean |
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