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1/4 Ma'ah-Obol - Ptolemy I
| Issuer | Judea |
|---|---|
| Year | 295 BC - 282 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Diademed head of Ptolemy I facing right, rendered in the Hellenistic portraiture style characteristic of early Ptolemaic coinage. The effigy, though diminutive in scale due to the coin's fractional denomination, displays the king's distinctive facial profile with the royal diadem clearly indicated. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, typical of small Judaean silver fractions of the period. The relief is boldly struck relative to the coin's tiny size, with the portrait dominating the obverse field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Hebrew |
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| Additional information |
This fractional piece belongs to a transitional coinage issued in Judea under Ptolemaic administration following Alexander's conquests, when the province operated under Egyptian overlordship but retained local minting traditions. At roughly 0.18g, these are among the smallest silver coins produced in the ancient world, and their survival in any condition is largely a function of luck rather than careful handling.
Ptolemy I consolidated control over Judea around 301 BC after the Battle of Ipsus, one of the Diadochi wars that carved up Alexander's empire.