Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Lot 2622    SESSION 11 (9.30AM THURSDAY 25TH NOV)    Greek Silver & Bronze Coins

Estimate $150
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $120

PALESTINE, Judaea, John Hyrcanus I (Yehohanan), (134-104 B.C.), copper prutah, (1.35 g), obv. legend in four lines (yehphanan, the High Priest and the Council of the Jews), all within wreath, rev. double cornucopiae adorned with ribbons, pomegranate between, (S. 6096, H.463, AJC I, Group La, cf.Kaufman "Unrecorded Hasmonean Coins From the J.CH. Kaufman Collection", Jerusalem, 1995, cf.La51); second coin Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), (104-76 B.C.), copper lepton, (0.94 g), obv. anchor around partial legend **BASILEWS ALEXANDROY*, rev. star of eight rays surrounded by diadem, between the rays Hebrew letters [Yehonatan the King], (S.6087, H.1152, BMC 1 [p.210], Meshorer 8). Both attractive patination, first with earthern patina, very fine, both rare in this condition. (2)

Ex Tom Cederlind stock in his described flips with retail price $270US.
The first coin has been reattributed to John Hyrcanus I instead of John Hyrcanus II as attributed by Meshorer and other scholars because of a late 1987 hoard of about 700 coins which contained only the issues that referred to "Yehohanan the High Priest" with issues from Seleucid coins of the 2nd century B.C. and a very early Nabataean coin. Consequently Hendin and Qedar announced the find as clearly establishing these issues to the first Hasmonean ruler rather than the grandson. This empirical proof established the sequence of issues and shortly after its discovery Meshorer endorsed the order in his Addendum I, although his own earlier AJC volumes (1982) had the coins issued to the grandson.