Silver "Bucranium" 1/2 denarius, 100-200 AD, Himyarite Kingdom, Arabia Felix

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Diademed male head to left; curved symbol of Almaqah to left, symbol of Athtar to right; disc-crescent of Dhat-Hamim above // Bucranium (decorated antelope's head), monogram (𐩠𐩣 "hm"?) right, curved symbol of Almaqah to left; disc-crescent of Dhat-Hamim above.  15mmx12mm, 1.26 grams. Cf. Zeno Type D #319628 (monogram left); Huth 302-303 (monogram left).

1/2 unit, weighing exactly half of a normal silver denarius/unit, or perhaps a very late issue. Rare with the monogram right.

These silver issues are commonly called "Bucranium" coins because of the presence of the antelope's head on the reverse. The word "Bucranium" comes from ancient Greek. It was a form of carved ox-skull decoration commonly used in Classical architecture. The name is generally considered to originate with the practice of displaying garlanded, sacrificial oxen, whose heads were displayed on the walls of temples. 


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