This coin is from the hoard containing at least 76 Athenian-type owls, both Athenian issues and Egyptian and Levantine imitations, and two silver "dumps" cataloged and discussed by Peter G. van Alfen, in "A New Athenian "Owl" and Bullion Hoard from the Near East" in AJN 16-17 (2004-05), pp. 47-61, and pl. 6-13. The hoard is rumored to have come from the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
The obverse of this coin is die linked to examples with the Aramaic letter mem on the reverse (van Alfen style group Ia, Gitler and Tal V.17), which may abbreviate Marnas, the patron deity of Gaza. |  |