Featured Seven Wonders of the World - The Pharos Lighthouse Hadrian

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Hemidrachm 136-37 AD Pharos lighthouse

Reference.
Dattari-Savio Pl. 95, 1935 (this coin). RPC 6233/; Emmett 1103.21

Issue L KA = year 21

Obv. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙС ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟС СƐΒ
Laureate draped and cuirassed bust of Hadrian, r., seen from rear

Rev. L KA
Pharos lighthouse surmounted by two Tritons, each blowing a trumpet, between a lantern surmounted by a statue, holding situla and scepter; entryway below.

11.31 gr
30 mm

Note.
From the Dattari collection.


Pharos was a small island located on the western edge of the Nile Delta. In 332 BC Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria on an isthmus opposite Pharos.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria
contemporary Koine Greek pronunciation, was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 280 and 247 BC which was between 120 and 137 m (394 and 449 ft) tall.

In 1968 the lighthouse was rediscovered. UNESCO sponsored an expedition to send a team of marine archaeologists, led by Honor Frost, to the site. She confirmed the existence of the ruins representing part of the lighthouse. Due to the lack of specialists and the area becoming a military zone, exploration was put on hold.[citation needed]
Greek archaeologists led by Jean-Yves Emperor re-discovered the physical remains of the lighthouse in late 1994 on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour. Some of these remains were brought up and were lying at the harbour on public view at the end of 1995. A Nova program chronicled the discovery. Subsequent satellite imaging has revealed further remains. It is possible to go diving and see the ruins. The secretariat of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage are currently working with the Government of Egypt on an initiative to add the Bay of Alexandria (to include remains of the lighthouse) on a World Heritage List of submerged cultural sites.

show your lighthouse

http://ancientcoinage.org/lighthouses-of-alexandria.html

 

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The large rendition on your great coin shows the figures on top much more clearly than on my Commodus billon 4dr which downsized the lighthouse to make room for the ship. Very nice bronze!!!

 

Super posts guys!! A coin with the lighthouse is definitely high on my 'want list'!!!

 

thank you Doug,
you coin is very nice and appealing, your coin type is also mentioned in the link above.

best
eric

 

Interesting nice Hadrian, congrats Eric.

Here's a Tet from Ptolemy the second (285-246 BC) , so he ordered the lighthouse to be build.

 

ok, you asked for it! oh.. on coins..oohhh

 

here's a better pic of the lighthouses..so much for a fast comeback..

 

Great coin, and post. No light house to share yet.

 

i'll loan you one of my lighthouses randy...

 

Brilliant buy Okidoki, I would love one of those type but can't afford it, I have a worn Antoninus Pius Lighthouse Drachm.

 

thank you for sharing

 

I got no lighthouse either, never even knew about a lighthouse reverse. Adding one to my watch list.

 

Cool! Another of the seven wonders was the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. I wrote about this a few months back.

 

Well, nobody specified which lighthouse to post:

 

Wonderful coin, Oki! I love those "lighthouse only" types. For now, I only have a common Hadrian/Isis Pharia & lighthouse drachm.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 18, CE 133/4
Æ drachm, 32 mm, 23.3 gm
Obv: AYT KAIC TPAIAN A∆PIANOC CEB, laureate and draped bust right
Rev: Isis Pharia right holding a billowing sail with both hands and left foot, sailing toward the Lighthouse of Pharos, which is surmounted by a statue and two Tritons, each blowing a buccinum (sea shell trumpet); L IH (year 18) above center
Ref: Emmett 1002.18

 

Fantastic lighthouse coins!! I love these types.

@Volodya that is one beautiful denarius. Wow.

 

Wow, Oki... congrats! That's a great coin and an amazing score.

@TIF, whenever I see that coin, I can't help but think of...



How big was that woman??

 

The wonam on the movie poster is much larger than 50ft. Try 200ft.

 

Wow, Oki => congrats on adding that amazing OP-coin!

Like Volodya, this is my only lighthouse example ... a very humble example

 

i wasn't aware that such coins existed until this thread. fanks!