214, Lot: 242. Estimate $200. Sold for $270. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

NABATAEA. Aretas IV, with Huldu. 9 BC-AD 40. AR Drachm (14mm, 4.60 g, 12h). Petra mint. Undated issue, struck circa 9/8 BC. Laureate head of Aretas right; Aramaic semkath to right / Veiled bust of Huldu right. Cf. Meshorer, Nabataea 48 (dated). VF, lightly toned. Struck on a compact flan but with complete legends.

Though containing the word for ‘year’ at the end of the reverse legend, an accompanying number or numeric word is not present and does not appear to be off from the flan, but simply left off from the die entirely. Stylistically, the lettering and features closely match the earliest issues of Aretas, indicating that it was most likely struck near the beginning of his reign.