Remember drachms were supposed to be silver sir. Egypt was short of silver but had copper, so made massive copper coins instead of small silver ones. Same with the sestertius, which was a small silver coin in the republic and was reinvented as a large brass one instead.
The Ptolemaic dynasty also known as the Lagids after Lagus, Ptolemy’s I father, who ruled from 305 to 30 BC, had a complete monetary system not only in gold and silver, but also especially in bronze. In this system it is possible that the heaviest coin weighting more than 90 g corresponded to one drachm.
I thought it was the octobol sir. The drachms of Ptolemy III were usually 70ish grams, and octobols 90+. The Ptolemies as far as I have read had a gold mine the pharoahs used and copper mines, but silver was scarcer in their country, which is why they came up with the idea of very heavy copper as replacements for smaller silver coins.
I only have an AV Oktodrachm Ptolemy III AV octodrachm ND Alexandria Mint 26mm. 27.83g. 12h Ptolemy III Euergetes 246-222BC This one is common, they struck lots of these. Mine is close to EF.
My hobby budget allowed the purchase of this bronze hemiobol portrait of Mr. Ptolemy III in a CNG auction back in 2015. PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy III Euergetes. 246-222 BC. Æ Hemiobol. Uncertain mint in the Peloponnesos. Struck 243 - 222 BC. Obv.: Laureate bust of Pt. III, right, wearing aegis Rev.: Eagle, closed wings, on thunderbolt; cornucopia; ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ Diam.: 19 mm. Weight: 5.1 g. Axis: 12h Attrib.: Sv. 1000. CPE B407. Weiser 69. SNG Cop. 193-5. Noeske 126-9. Notes: VF. Brown surfaces with touches of green. Some faint cleaning marks. Probably struck for use in Greece/Peloponnesos (see EHC pp. 107-8). From the collection of Alexandre Carathéodory Pasha (1833-1906).
PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHOS AR Tetradrachm OBVERSE: Diademed head of Ptolemy II right, wearing aegis around neck REVERSE: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ], eagle standing left on thunderbolt, to left, club surmounted by Tyre monogram Tyre 285-260 BC 25 mm., 14.14 grams Svoronos 644; SNG Copenhagen 482-3 ex. JAZ Numismatics
Interesting. Scarcer coin, not sure I am familiar with it. All I have seen from him were the traditional Zeus portrait.
Bing, here's an updated attribution cite for your coin if you'd like to add it to your files: CPE 561. Also, although it is an issue of Ptolemy II, the portrait is of his father, Ptolemy I. For more info on the type see: https://numismatics.org/pco/id/cpe.1_1.561
I made the changes in my catalog. Thank you. Also here is the info I have on Ptolemy II (I'm not sure where I got the infor, so no attribution): Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Φιλάδελφος, Ptolemaĩos Philádelphos" 309 BC-246 BC), was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC. He was the son of the founder of the Ptolemaic kingdom Ptolemy I Soter and Berenice, and was educated by Philitas of Cos. He had two half-brothers, Ptolemy Keraunos and Meleager, both of whom became kings of Macedonia (in 281 BC and 279 BC respectively). Both died in the Gallic invasion of 280-279 BC. Son of Ptolemy I, he was made co-ruler by his father two years before the latter's death, thus ensuring a smooth succession. His long reign was a period of growing prosperity for his kingdom, and the capital city of Alexandria was embellished with many splendid new buildings - the Pharos, the Museum and the Library being foremost. He was twice married: in circa 288 B.C. to Arsinoe I, daughter of Lysimachos of Thrace; and about twelve years later to his own sister, Arsinoe II.
Yes, as with most of the bronze issues by Ptolemaic rulers, the majority of Ptolemy III's bronze types include a portrait of Zeus. However, the following bronze types each have a Pt. III portrait: CPE 404, 405, 406, 407, & 408.
