Bring on the Ptolemys

Very very nice Red, sweet coins..

 

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Red_Spork's Libya makes a good point. There are a few Ptolemies without eagles. I only have one but it is also a Libya (not nearly as nice!). I am not certain of the full ID but believe it is Ptolemy VIII from Kyrene. Who else has an eagle free coin?


Going the other way is this A27 eagle type with the legend of Antiochus IV from the time he ruled Egypt with Ptolemy VI c.168 BC. The obverse is said to be Isis but the features may resemble Antiochus. There are larger Zeus head denominations in this series which I do not have. The politics of the Mediterranean then was not simple and clear cut. Things changed rapidly at times.

 

I only have one Ptolemy, this small one without an eagle (13mm). It has a headdress of Isis on the rev. Zeus Ammon on the obv.

Attributed to Ptolemy XII, Auletes (the flute player). He was real wheeler and dealer with the Romans and the father of Cleopatra VII.

 

That's a sweet lil' coin, doucet

 

I have 1 i found can any1 help me identfy it u cam message me and i will send u a picture edited

 

I have an example of a Ptolemy! However comparably to previously posted ones in this thread, it is very minuscule!
Ptolemy VI

 

Hi @maridvnvm,

Your Ptolemy VI is actually a Ptolemy V (CPE-968). The checking point is the length of eagle's leg feathers: if they cover the legs it's Ptolemy VI; if not it's Ptolemy V.

Mine has the same reverse die as your beauty. I'm sure of the attribution as Cathy Lorber has seen these images. Here's mine.




Ptolemy V Epiphanes (205/204-180 BCE), Egypt, Alexandria
Main Silver Series, From 204 BCE
Size: 25x27mm
Weight: 14.14g
Die Axis: 00:00
OBV: Ptolemy I head facing right, wearing diadem and scaly aegis tied by snakes. Dotted border.
REV: Eagle on thunderbolt facing left, wings closed; Legend to left: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ, on right ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ. Dotted border.
Lorber: CPE-0968; Sv-1231, pi xl, 2 & 4-6 [23 listed]; SNG Cop 244-245; Sear-7856; BMC 06.100, #009.

- Broucheion

 

Would you consider this an octobol because of the weight? Ptolemy II or Ptolemy III? Why please?

 

Hi @tartanhill,

Doug's coin is CPE-B365

Ptolemy III, SERIES 4B: Control mark E

B365. Bronze octobol (45 mm, Zeus-Ammon): E between eagle's legs.
Reference: Svoronos 446, pl. xvii, 2 [34 listed]; SNG Copenhagen 142; HistMusFrankfurt 64.

- Broucheion

 

Thank you Broucheion. What does the E tell us?

 

Hi @tartanhill,

Sadly, at this point we don't really know beyond the fact that these are not mint marks (ie designating where minted), and not dates.

These AE coins come in groups ('series') using the same or very similar controls for each "issue". Some times there is proof that the series were simultaneous or overlapping to some extent. Letters like these could be tied to specific mint officials (I'm not keen on this but that's what Svoronos thought), or particular releases of bullion to be used for a series. The controls might let the higher ups see which coins came from which batch, or which officina, or which mint steward, or which authorization of funds. I once corresponded with a dear scholar (who passed on too soon), going back and forth on if special issues of coins were based on an amount of metal authorized for coining, or on a number of pieces to be coined, or set number of dies to use, or a set number of talents that should be issued. I wonder if we will ever stumble on a papyrus authorizing X talents of copper to be minted with the mark of "E" on it. One can only hope.

- Broucheion

 

Here is a similar coin that just sold for $500. It does not identify it as an octobol, but the weight would identify it as such.



PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy III Euergetes. 246-222 BC. Æ Drachm (46.5mm, 92.70 g, 12h). Alexandreia mint. Series 4B or 4C. Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right / Eagle with open wings standing left, head right, on thunderbolt; E between legs. CPE B365; Svoronos 446 (Ptolemy II); SNG Copenhagen 142. Brown surfaces. VF.

 

I would assume you put your email...not wise and not allowed. Post a picture, preferably in a new thread and you'll get plenty of answers.

 

Ptolemy V Drachm Sv 1423 Obv Head of Zeus Ammon right Rv Two Eagles standing left. 37.63 grms 36 mm

 

These are impressive, regardless. And it's the design type that defines the octobol - it's different from any other Ptolemaic coin. The weights range down to about 75 grams up to (a new record) about 110 grams. Interesting to see what appears to be one of the copyrighted pictures from ptolemybronze.com used as your avatar here. But it is hard to resists such a nice example...

 

Really great to see all these nice Ptolemaic coins in this thread. Let's keep it going. Here's one I've liked for some time. Said to be an image of Isis on the obverse with a headdress of corn leaves. One of the most common of all Ptolemaic bronze coins, but a pretty example of the type. Svoronos 1384, likely from Alexandria about mid-2nd c. BC. Ca. 26mm, 16gm. Let's see some more, folks... Merry Christmas!

 

Ptolemy IV Ae Drachm 218?- 204 B.C.SE Series Obv Head of Zeus Ammon right. Rv Eagle standing left wings folded Sv 992 CPE B 50866.80 grms 41 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

Since this old thread was revived I'll post a more recent group shot of my Ptolemaic bronzes:

Silver Ptolemaics:


EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter
AR tetradrachm, 27 mm, 17.0 gm (Attic standard)
Alexandreia mint, struck 313/12 BCE
Obv: Head of the deified Alexander III to right, wearing mitra of Dionysos and elephant skin headdress, with aegis around his neck, and with horn of Ammon on his forehead
Rev: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Athena Alkidemos advancing right, hurling spear with her right hand and with shield over her extended left arm; to right, eagle with closed wings standing on thunderbolt to right with ΔΙ below
Ref: Svoronos 33; Zervos series D, issue XIII; SNG Copenhagen 14; BMC 7



PTOLEMIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter
Struck c. 300-285 BCE, Alexandreia mint
AR tetradrachm, 28 mm, 13.92 gm
Obv: diademed head right, wearing aegis around neck, tiny Δ behind ear
Rev: eagle standing left on thunderbolt; to left, P above monogram
Ref: Svoronos 252; SNG Copenhagen 69; Noeske 40

 

Here's another no-eagle type, Cyprus issue with a statue of Aphrodite on the reverse. One of five sizes that all look alike, this one about 17mm, 3 gm, Svoronos 1008. Probably about the same time period as the Alexandria coins with 'chi-rho' in the eagle's legs which also have five sizes exactly alike. There are a few other 'no eagle' reverses like cornucopia, club, and the Kyrene Libya heads shown earlier.

 

Baby Ptolemy...

Egypt Ptolemy III Euergetes 246-222 BCE AE Chalkous 12.0mm 2.0g Zeus-Ammon Eagle Trident Svoronos 840 ex Righetti Collection