Eastern Arabia, Mleiha. Imitative 'Abi'el BI Tetradrachm. In the

Eastern Arabia, Mleiha. Imitative 'Abi'el BI Tetradrachm. In the types of Alexander III of Macedon and in the name of 'Abi'el. 1st century - 2nd century AD. Stylized head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Figure enthroned left, holding sceptre in left hand, right hand extended, upon which horse(?); palm to left, ^ below arm, HE monogram to inner left, Aramaic legend to right, 'b'l ('Abi'el). Huth 132; MacDonald, 'Abiel', Group D 1.4.2.a; Van Alfen, Die 141 (O6/R14, this coin). 15.97g, 28mm, 12h.



Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.



This coin published in P.G van Alfen, 'A Die Study of the Abiel Coinage of Eastern Arabia' in M. Huth and P.G. van Alfen, Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms, in Studies in the Monetization of Ancient Arabia. ANSNS 25. (New York, 2010);

Ex Dr. G.W Collection;

Ex Numismatik Lanz München, Auction 68, 6 June 1994, lot 257.



This extremely rare coin is one of only 14 tetradrachms of this particular subgroup attributed by MacDonald, made up of nine separate reverse dies, only six of which (including this one) fall into Potts' Class XLVIII with these particular controls in this placement. In Van Alfen's die study of this coinage, he cites only two examples of this particular obverse die making this an extremely rare coin.