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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 7358938, member: 82616&quot;]I was really thrilled to have recently acquired this <i>very</i> rare tiny bronze struck for Domitian at Alexandria.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1282807[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Domitian</b></p><p>Æ Dichalkon, 1.58g</p><p>Alexandria mint, 91-92 AD</p><p>Obv: No legend; Head of Domitian, laureate, r.</p><p>Rev: LΙΑ; Crocodile, r., with sun disc</p><p>RPC 2750. Emmett 333.11. Dattari-Savio 6815-16.</p><p>Acquired from Athena, March 2021.</p><p><br /></p><p>A series of small bronzes were struck at Alexandria without obverse inscriptions. Identifying which reign they belong to is down to identifying the obverse portrait and the regnal year date on the reverse. We are on firm ground with this dichalkon which unmistakably features a portrait of Domitian on the obverse and regnal year 11 on the reverse. This ethnic type featuring a Nile crocodile is fairly rare, being struck for just a handful of regnal years. It almost certainly depicts the ancient Egyptian crocodile god Sobek, god of the Nile and fertility. Sobek was particularly venerated during the Roman period in the Fayum, a swampy area west of the Nile Valley that was a natural home for crocodiles.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A Roman period ritual offering box featuring a king making an offering to Sobek.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1282811[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>A present day Nile crocodile basking in the sun.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1282812[/ATTACH]</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This species can grow up to 20 ft. in length, disproportionately larger than the tiny Alexandrian coin which depicts them!</p><p><br /></p><p>And you knew this was coming. At least there are crocodiles in this version.</p><p><br /></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]h8gowZkMGAM[/MEDIA]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to show off your numismatic reptiles![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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