Ancient Archaic Period - 400-301 BCE Cilicia, Uncertain Mint AR Obol NGC Choice AU

From the Faces in Time Collection of Ancient coinage (15).

CILICIA. Uncertain Mint. 4th century BC. Obol (Silver 0.74 g). NGC Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5. Obverse: Turreted and bearded head left, with earring and necklace. Reverse: Bearded, turreted head facing, set on facing lion's head. References: SNG Paris 485. Sunrise 103. Winzer 3.1 (Artaxerxes III). Rare issue. NGC appears to have had some confusion in authenticating and placing this coin in its holder. Upon the slab, NGC has identified both sides as being the "obv." Also research points to the side in the reverse of the NGC holder as being the actual obverse.

Syncretic Parthian relief carving of Nergal-Heracles from Hatra in Iraq, c. the 1st or 2nd century AD.

The head upon the reverse of this piece is extraordinary, even for 4th century BC Cilicia, which is famous for uncommon imagery. The Paris sylloge has determined the reverse portrait to be Herakles. However, the turreted crown, from the flan of the Paris example, make that identification impossible. A possible identification is that the head belongs to Nergal, the quite dark Mesopotamian god of war and pestilence.