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Tetradrachm - Anonymous
| Issuer | Minaean Kingdom (Southern Arabia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 100 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Ancient South Arabian |
| Reverse lettering | Z-[`Ayin] |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Minaean Kingdom, centered on the oasis city of Qarnaw in what is now northern Yemen, dominated the overland frankincense and myrrh trade routes connecting southern Arabia to the Mediterranean world during this period. Their coinage borrowed heavily from Athenian prototypes — a deliberate commercial decision, since Athenian-style silver was the accepted hard currency of long-distance trade across the Near East. Striking familiar weight standards and iconographic conventions made Minaean coins immediately legible to merchants from Egypt to the Levant.
The "anonymous" attribution reflects the absence of a royal name, unusual for the series and possibly indicating civic or priestly rather than royal issuing authority.