Arados, Phoenicia, 380-351 BC, Obol

Arados (Phoenicia), Obol, silver, c. 380–351 BC, 3.42 g, 12 mm. Minted at Arados. Laureate head of Ba‘al-Arwad right. Phoenician legend above a war galley sailing right with Pataikos standing right on deck; three waves below. Hammered on a compact flan typical of the Aradian fractional series. Betlyon 13.

Struck during the Achaemenid period when Arados (Arwad) furnished ships to the Persian navy, this type records the city’s maritime orientation and local cult. Ba‘al Arwad represents the principal city god, while the Pataikos—linked to the Egyptian Ptah—illustrates Phoenician religious syncretism; the galley reflects naval capability, and the Phoenician legend asserts civic authority and language.