I just got these two Ptolemaic coppers from an unidentified lot off of eBay, both combined with shipping for around $5. Definitely feels like a steal! And it's something that I've never bothered with much before so I'm quite curious. I'm looking around Wildwinds and can't find anything that looks like an exact match on either of these and it looks like the general "Zeus-Ammon right and two eagles" design type was used for several rulers such as Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy IX, etc. I'd really appreciate any advice or help with these two! I'd also love to see anyone else's coins from Ptolemaic Egypt or other relevant powers. Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt 8.22g - 22mm - 3mm thick Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt 8.67g - 20mm - 4mm thick
Scrolling and reading through this site will give you a jumpstart and probably be enjoyable... http://ptolemybronze.com/ptolemy_series.html It might be important to see if you can make out what is in the left field, especially on that bottom one. Here are my two Ptolemaic bronze: Ptolemy IV Philopator, 222-205/4 BC AE Tetraobol, Alexandria mint Obverse: Head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing tainia. Reverse: Eagle standing left, head right, on thunderbolt; uncertain radiate monogram between legs. References: Svoronos 1148 Size: 37mm, 37.4g Ptolemy II Philadelphos, 285-246 BC AE Diobol, Alexandria mint, Series 2 Struck circa 285-261/0 BC Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus-Ammon right. Reverse: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, with wings spread; Σ above Galatian shield to left, A between legs. References: Svoronos 560 Size: 29mm, 14.37g Check out my related Hieron II coins imitating this type: https://iomegacollection.home.blog/2019/04/03/hieron-ii-imitating-ptolemy-ii/ https://iomegacollection.home.blog/2019/04/16/hieron-ii-imitating-ptolemy-ii-2/
Thanks for this website! It looks like a great resource. I already found this one that shows a mintmark to the left of the eagles that matches, I believe. It's listed as Sv1424b. I'll keep hunting around.
Ptolemy II, Ptolemaic Kingdom AR tetradrachm Obv: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis Rev: ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, monogram in left field, shield in front of eagle Mint: Alexandria Date: 285-246 BC Ref: Svoronos 574
Congratulations on your first Ptolemaic bronze. It is a series I am very fond of, and that site Justin recommends is my go-to spot for figuring these out. That being said, I think you are getting warm with attribution, but the size of your second example doesn't match SV 1424B which the site has at 21.9 grams. Yours is considerably lighter. The confusion comes because so many of these Ptolemaic AEs are the same design, but different sizes. And the 1424's are confusing, as noted in this FORVM post: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=103858.0 That second example you have does have an interesting "thing" in the left reverse field. I think I found an example on the site, but I'll let you have the pleasure of hunting it down. Here is my SB 1424B (I think!) - it looks like yours, but note the size (21.56 grams, 28 x 25 mm). Ptolemy VI-VIII Æ 28 Alexandria Lorber & Faucher Series 7C (c. 169-c. 130 B.C.) Diademed head Zeus-Ammon / ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ; Two eagles with wings closed standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopiae to left. Svoronos 1424-B. (21.56 grams / 28 X 25 mm)
