Rarest Hadhrami Bronze Issue

CNG 99, Lot: 375. Estimate $1500. Sold for $1300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ARABIA, Southern. Hadhramawt. 1st century BC - 1st century AD. Æ (47.5mm, 71.46 g, 12h). Shaqar mint. Head right, hair in ringlets; m (in South Arabian) to left, sayin (in South Arabian [name of the moon god]) to right / Eagle, wings spread, standing right on ground line; šakar (in South Arabian [mint name]) to left, yšh (in South Arabian [proper name]) to right. Unpublished in the standard references. Near VF, earthen dark brown patina, some pitting. Very rare, and probably the first ever offered at auction.

The southeast Arabian kingdom of Hadhramawt, with its capital at modern-day Shabwah (where the ruins of the palace called Shaqar can still be seen), was rich in copper. Hadhramawt thus on occasions issued bronze coinage, but no silver or gold. All Hadhrami issues are rare, and these huge cast issues – somewhat reminiscent of Roman Aes grave – are the rarest of all. A few of these coins were brought by the famous British explorer Freya Stark from Yemen and presented to the British Museum in 1934. Prof. Christian Robin (“Yashhur'il Yuharish, fils de Abiyasa, Mukarrib du Hadramawt,” Raydan 6 [1994]: 101–11) attributes this issue to the Hadhrami mukarrib Yashhur'il Yuhar'ish, son of Abiyasa, placing his rule in the period of circa 25 BC – AD 75.