343/2-338/7 BCE
AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 15.07 g, 9h)
Imitating Athens. Head of Athena right, with frontal eye, wearing earring and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl
Owl standing right, head facing; olive spray and crescent to left, “Artaxerxes Pharaoh” in two-line Demotic A script to right.
two test cuts on either side, obv. punch.
Van Alfen Type I, 1–5 = Price, More 147–9; O. Mørkholm, “A Coin of Artaxerxes III” in NC 1974, pl. I, 7–8; cf. Meadows, Administration 329; Mildenberg, Münzwesen 124.
I was completely stunned when I won this coin.
Of the ‘satrapal’ owls of Egypt, this is by far the toughest to obtain. I was aware of the type, but I also knew that it typically went into the stratosphere, so I didn’t even bother to add it to my list.
However, when I saw this worn copy, I wondered if the more well-heeled buyers would pass on it, and luckily they did!
My presumption is this coin was minted in the short period between when Ataxerxes III took control of Egypt and when he gave it as a satrapy to Sabakes. Besides having Okhos name, this is the only coin ever produced that named a ruler as ‘pharaoh’ while he was actually the pharaoh.
Previously, the Egyptians had produced quite a few imitation owls, but none had varied much from the Athenian standard. Nektanebo II also minted some rare issues that even had hieroglyphics, but they did not name him as pharaoh. However, when Ataxerxes III Okhos overran Egypt, he became its pharaoh so this coin was correct.
Another major rebellion erupts in Sidon against Persian control, led by Tennes (Tabnit), the king of Sidon, who initially receives support from Egypt and Cyprus. However, Artaxerxes III besieges Sidon and defeats the rebels. The Persians destroy Sidon in retaliation, leading to a massacre where thousands of Sidonians die.