PHILISTIA. Central Mint. Philistian-styled, about 420-350 BCE. Half Drachm or 1/8 Sheqel (silver, 14 mm, 2.59 g, 3 h). Male head (the Persian Great King?) to right, wearing hunted crown. Rev. Owl standing facing, wings spread, within stylish rectangular olive wreath; all within incuse square. Gitler & Tal -. Hendin. Jeselsohn I -. Leu 21 (2026), 246 (same). Leu Judaica -. Shoshana -. Sofa -. Of the highest rare, the second known example and other unknown, the only other specific having been offered by us in Leu 21 (2026), 246 (hammered for 24,000 CHF). Attractive earthen deposits on darkly toned metal. The reverse struck gently off center and with a test cut, otherwise, very fine. This remarkable coin introductions an absolutely new type into the Philistine coinage. The above shows a male head with prominent nose and ear, wearing a created headdress, most likely a modified rendering of the Persian Great King, as seen, for example, on Gitler & Tal XXIII.10. The reverse bears the celebrated Athenian oval in frontal view, familiar not only from the magnificent Attic dekadrachms, but also from a series of Philistine issues (Gitler & Tal III.1Ta and III.3Da). Enclosing the oval is an unusual rectangular border terminating in ornaments resembling snake heads, probably derived from the double olive spray depicted on Gitler & Tal XIV.28Db. Of particular interest, its weight of 2.59 g identifies the coin as a hemidrachm, equivalent to 1/8 sheqel, a very rare denomination within the Philistine coin series. This lot can be shipped to a US address.