Nomos 26

CILICIA. Uncertain mint. Circa 350 BC. Obol (Silver, 11.5 mm, 0.70 g, 3 h). Bearded male head to right, wearing a curved-topped crown and a hoop earring; border of large dots. Rev. Forepart of Pegasos to right. SNG Levante 232. SNG Paris 482-4. Very attractively toned and nicely centered. Interesting traces of a brockage of the obverse border on the reverse , otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions.

Whose is the male head on the obverse? It would be easy to identify him as the Persian Great King, but the 'crown' he is wearing is quite unusual (though that does not mean he isn't the Great King since the crown he wears might have been well-known then, but not now). He is quite reminiscent of the male head on the reverse of lot 522, above, but that head has a mural crown and has the hair at the back of his head curling upwards. One thing we can be sure of is that the artist who engraved the dies for this coin knew whose head it was! Too bad we can't ask him!!!