Samaria Overstruck on Philistia – Numismatically Significant

CNG 84, Lot: 708. Estimate $10000. Sold for $8500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SAMARIA. Circa 375-333 BC. AR Drachm (14mm, 3.32 g, 12h). Two confronted heads, the left bearded, each wearing headdress in form of lion forepart / Bearded head right, wearing headdress in form of lion forepart; [Aramaic shin behind]. Meshorer & Qedar 34 corr. (obv. headdresses not noted). Good VF, toned. Overstruck on a drachm of Philistia, with the types: bearded male head right / facing dual head joined at the mouth (Gitler & Tal XVIII.3Da).

This coin is numismatically important for two reasons. First, the specimen in Meshorer & Qedar is off center such that the lion headdress worn by the two heads on the obverse was not noted in their catalog of Samarian coinage. Second, and most important, is the fact that this coin is clearly struck over a Philistian drachm, which helps to establish a relative chronological point for both series.