Himyarite Kingdom, Silver Hemidrachm - c. 50 to 200 CE - Yemen, Middle East

These cup shaped silver coins come from the Himyarite Kingdom, an ancient Middle Eastern state whose territory encompassed Yemen and a small portion of Saudi Arabia. The denomination of these coins is often called a hemidrachm or a half denarius, based on Greek and Roman silver coins that are a similar size. However, like many types of ancient currency, it is not known what the original Himyarite name for these coins was. (Map source: Wikimedia) Who were the Himyarites? The Himyarite Kingdom was located in a region known as Arabia Felix in ancient geography, a Latin name that translates to “Happy” or “Flourishing Arabia.” Described as one of the “richest nations in the world” by Roman author Pliny the Elder, the kingdom was an international trade hub that connected the Mediterranean to the Middle East and India. It also produced much of the Roman Empire’s frankincense and myrrh, which are fragrant tree resins that were highly prized in the ancient world for their religious and medic