This unusual coin from Ariabia Felix is from the late 1st century or early second century AD.
There doesn't seem to be much info on these coins, so I am starting this post to share resources and examples of these coins. This article on CoinWeek is a good place to start.
The alphabet picture at the link above useful for decoding the lettering:
AR Quinarius South Arabia, Himyar
Ruler: Amdān Bayān Yuhaqbiḍ
Date: Circa AD 100-120.
Mint: RYDN
Obv: Head within circular torque; monogram to left
Rev: Head right; MDN BYN ‘scepter’ to right, mint signature RYDN in exergue.
Size: 12.3mm and 1.41g
Ref: Munro-Hay 3.4i
This 2010 Article Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms edited by Martin Huth and Peter G. van Alfen is a good second stop. Christian Robin describes six Ḥimyarite rulers that appear on coins.
Mubāhil dhu-Raydān (Mbhl ḏ-Rydn) (before 30 BCE)
Shammar dhu-Raydān (c. 30 BCE)
Karibʾīl Watār Yuhanʿim (c. 40–70 CE)
Amdān Bayān Yahaqbiḍ (c. 100–120 CE)
Dhamarʿalī Yuhabirr (c. 135–175 CE)
Thaʾrān Yaʿūb Yuhanʿim (c. 175–215 CE)
The coin above is a coin of ʿAmdān Bayān Yuhaqbiḍ who struck coins in the name of either ʿAmdān Yuhaqbiḍ or ʿAmdān Bayān (ʿmdn Byn).
Although attributions describes RYDN as the mint - this note from Christian Robin's article: "On Ḥimyarite coins, the term ‘Raydān’ (Rydn), invariably placed in the exergue, denotes the Royal palace at Ẓafār. There is little probability that these Royal palaces housed the respective mints of these kingdoms: contrary to the usual practice, Raydān, Ḥarīb, and Shaqir should thus not be interpreted as mint-names."
Here is another from the same King.
Arabia Felix, Himyarites, AR scyphate quinarius, 'MDN BYN YNF (Amdan Bayyin Yanaf), c. 80-100 AD, RYDN denotes the Royal palace at Ẓafār
Obv: Male head right within torc.
Rev: 'MDNIBYN around, RYDN in exergue, small head right; "sceptre" symbol before; YNF monogram behind.
Size: 1.27g 14mm
and one from Thaʾrān Yaʿūb Yuhanʿim (c. 175–215 CE) :
Arabia, Southern, Himyar, Tha'rān Ya'ūb Yuhan'im, circa AD 175-215, AR Unit "quinarius", Raydan mint
Obv: Male head right; uncertain letters above, monogram to left
Ref: Small male head right; 'oblong sign' to left, 'scepter' to right
Ref: CAF 3.24i; Huth 451 var.
Here's my read on the letters - read from right to left.
and another coin from the same region a century or so earlier:
Arabia, Himyarites, 1st Century BC, AR Light Denarius
Obv: Diademed male head left; symbols flanking
Rev: Bucranium with antelope horns and plume; symbols flanking
This coin is an interesting oddity....although New Style Athenian Tetradrachms were no longer being issued in Athens by circa 42BC, this Siglos was issued imitating the New Style Tetradrachm in Arabia Felix around 24 BC.
Arabia, Himyarites, Siglos imitating Athenian new style tetradrachm circa 24 BC, AR 26 mm, 5.47 g.
Obv: Laureate head of Augustus r.; in l. field, n (South Arabian). All within olive wreath.
Rev: Owl on amphora between two monograms; in r. field, symbol of Almaqah. All within border of stylised amphorae.
Ref: BMC 35. CAF pl. III, 57-58. RPC 4994.
Notes: Old cabinet tone. Traces of over-striking and area of weakness on reverse, otherwise about extremely fine. From the collection of a Mentor.
The date and attribution to Augustus goes back to at least AD 1878 and this Plate coin from Barclay V. Head's publication.
"Class VII, Pl. XIII. No. 12 sqq., exchanges the head with ringlets for that of Augustus, a most valuable indication of date, proving this class to have been issued during, orsoon after, the reign of that emperor. The famous expedition of Aelius Gallus into Arabia in 24 BC may have occasioned this change of type ; or the direct commercial intercourse between the East and Puteoli, the Italian "little Delos," which superseded Delos in the trade in Oriental luxuries after the devastation of that island by Mithradates, may have brought Roman coins more and more into use in Arabia and India."
-Head, Barclay V. “On Himyarite and Other Imitations of Coins of Athens.” The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society, vol. 18, 1878, pp. 273–84.Strabo wrote about this expedition, sponsored by Augustus:
"Many of the special characteristics of Arabia have been disclosed by the recent expedition of the Romans against the Arabians, which was made in my own time under Aelius Gallus as commander. He was sent by Augustus Caesar to explore the tribes and the places, not only in Arabia, but also in Aethiopia, since Caesar saw that the Troglodyte country which adjoins Aegypt neighbours upon Arabia, and also that the Arabian Gulf, which separates the Arabians from the Troglodytes, is extremely narrow. Accordingly he conceived the purpose of winning the Arabians over to himself or of subjugating them. Another consideration was the report, which had prevailed from all time, that they were very wealthy, and that they sold aromatics and the most valuable stones for gold and silver, but never expended with outsiders any part of what they received in exchange; for he expected either to deal with wealthy friends or to master wealthy enemies. He was encouraged also by the expectation of assistance from the Nabataeans, since they were friendly and promised to co-operate with him in every way. "
-Strabo, Geography, XVI.4.2Pliny wrote about it as well:
"Ælius Gallus, a member of the Equestrian order, is the sole person who has hitherto carried the Roman arms into these lands, for Caius Cæsar, the son of Augustus, only had a distant view of Arabia. In his expedition, Gallus destroyed the following towns, the names of which are not given by the authors who had written before his time, Negrana, Nestum, Nesca, Masugum, Caminacum, Labecia, and Mariva above- mentioned, six miles in circumference, as also Caripeta, the furthest point of his expedition. He brought back with him the following discoveries—that the Nomades live upon milk and the flesh of wild beasts, and that the other nations, like the Indians, extract a sort of wine from the palm-tree, and oil from sesame."
-Pliny, Natural History, 6.32.60-64And Cassius Dio points describes it as a difficult journey:
"While this was going on, another and a new campaign had at once its beginning and its end. It was conducted by Aelius Gallus, the governor of Egypt, against the country called Arabia Felix, of which Sabos was king. 4At first Aelius encountered no one, yet he did not proceed without difficulty; for the desert, the sun, and the water (which had some peculiar nature) all caused his men great distress, so that the larger part of the army perished."
-Cassius Dio, Roman History, 53.29References
2011 Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms by Martin Huth, is referenced in the article above
2003: Coinage of Arabia Felix: The Pre-Islamic Coinage of the Yemen by Stuart Munro-Hay
Sidebotham, Steven E. “Aelius Gallus and Arabia.” Latomus, vol. 45, no. 3, 1986, pp. 590–602.
Jameson, Shelagh. “Chronology of the Campaigns of Aelius Gallus and C. Petronius.” The Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 58, 1968, pp. 71–84.
Comments, corrections, and additional references are always appreciated.
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