Obolos 10

SOUTHWESTERN ASIA MINOR OR THE LEVANT. Uncertain. Mid 5th Century BC. Diobol (Silver, 12 mm, 1.80 g, 7 h). Sphinx seated to right, with spiral ornament on the back of her head and raising her left foreleg; below, uncertain aramaic (?) letter (taw?). Rev. Horse’s head to right; around, linear border of pellets within an incuse square. Traité II, 1, 988 pl. XXVIII, 11. cf. CNG e-auction 212, 2009, 105 (same dies, but letter unnoted and ascribed to Asia Minor) and CNG e-auction 274, 2012, 159 (same obverse die but letter off flan). Apparently extremely rare, and particularly interesting. Some flat striking on the obverse and rather rough surfaces, otherwise, good very fine.

Exactly where this coin was struck is highly uncertain: the sphinx, with its spiral headdress is known from Samothrace through Asia Minor; while the horse's head, with the prominent tuft of hair at the front of his mane is reminiscent of Persian, Phoenician and Egyptian depictions. The apparently Aramaic letter on the obverse seems to indicate a mint somewhere in the Levant (including southwestern Asia Minor).