Catalog
Drachm - Anonymous Crescent
| Issuer | Lihyanite Kingdom (Northern Arabia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 24 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain, largely uninscribed field bearing a single bold crescent symbol centrally positioned, its horns pointing downward, rendered in low but well-defined relief. The crescent is enclosed within a broad, shallow circular incuse depression that fills most of the flan. The field surrounding the crescent is flat and unadorned, with no legend, border, or secondary device present. The overall design is stark and emblematic, reflecting the lunar symbolism characteristic of ancient Arabian coinage. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Lihyanites occupied the Dedan oasis in what is now northwestern Saudi Arabia, controlling caravan routes that funneled incense and spices northward toward the Nabataean and Greco-Roman markets. Their anonymous coinage — no ruler named, no dated series — reflects a kingdom whose written record is frustratingly thin, known largely from rock inscriptions around al-'Ula. The crescent type borrows from broader Arabian numismatic conventions without copying any single prototype directly.
The absence of a Huth catalog number signals how poorly documented this specific variety remains among specialists.