Reconsidering the Fourth Century BCE Fractional Silver Coinage of Syrian Manbog (Hierapolis-Bambyke)

Abstract

The north Syrian mint of Manbog is best known for its didrachms, predominantly featuring cultic imagery associated with the city’s renowned temple. While 59 such didrachms are known, only two fractional silver coins have been securely identified to date. Whereas previous studies have focused on the mint’s larger denominations, this paper draws on typological, iconographic, and epigraphic evidence to expand the known corpus of Manbog’s small change. Based on the distinctive and recurring U-shaped symbol, the study suggests that Manbog employed a more flexible denominational system than previously recognized, prompting a reassessment of its monetary output in the late Persian and early Macedonian periods.