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AR Quinarius - Anonymous
| Issuer | Himyarite Kingdom (Southern Arabia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 110 BC - 50 BC |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Huth#394-96 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Bearded male head facing right, rendered schematically in low relief with visible beard and hair details, occupying the upper portion of the flan. A horizontal line or bar separates the head from the lower register, in which the South Arabian monogram or legend RYDN is inscribed in Ancient South Arabian (Musnad) script, reading right to left. Additional South Arabian monogram characters appear to either side of the central inscription, serving as flanking symbols or workshop marks. The lettering is boldly cut and clearly legible despite the crude flan. The overall composition reflects the hybrid Hellenistic-Arabian artistic tradition of Himyarite coinage. |
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| Mintage | ND (110 BC - 50 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Himyarite kingdom produced silver fractions closely imitating Athenian "owl" coinage at a period when South Arabian trade networks were funneling incense, myrrh, and spices northward into Hellenistic markets. The imitative coinage wasn't ignorance of local tradition — Himyar had its own monetary conventions — but a deliberate commercial decision to circulate currency recognizable to Greek-speaking merchants controlling the northern end of the trade routes.
Huth 394–96 covers a tight cluster of die variants within this anonymous series, distinguished primarily by the progressive degradation of the Athenian prototype into increasingly schematic forms.