My last acquisition I'd like to share here : a Ptolemaic AE30. Ptolemy VI Philometor (180-145 BC), Alexandria, Faucher-Lorber series 7c. AE 30 mm, 23.50 g, thickness 5 mm, beveled edge, central punch on both sides. Obv.: Head of Zeus Ammon right Rev.: ΠT°ΛEMAI°Υ BAΣIΛEΩΣ, two eagles, wings closed, standing left on thunderbolt, cornucopia in l. field I like this specimen because of its central punches on both sides. This feature is typical of bronze ptolemaic coinage. After the blanks were cast and cut from the bar, they were put on some rotating tool for some polishing process, in order to smooth the surface on each side, after which the blank was struck. On this example, the striking has been weak and the concentric rings created in the polishing process are still largely visible. At the same period the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who was planning some special military operation in order to take control of Egypt, minted in Antioch a totally new set of bronze coins inspired by Egyptian coinage. Though these Seleucid coins were minted in Antioch (and circulated in Syria, very few if any having been found in Egypt) the blank preparation process was imitated from the Alexandria mint. On this coin I acquired in Syria many years ago, we can see that not only does each side have a central punch, but on the obverse at least there was even a flat rim around the punch, which has been partially obliterated by the striking. Seleucid Kingdom, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC), Antioch c. 170-168 BC, Seleucid Coins (part 2) 1413 AE 33 mm, 39.06 g, thickness 6 mm Obv. : Laureate head of Serapis with taenia right, Osiris cap atop taenia Rev.: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXΟΥ ΘEOY EΠIΦANOYΣ, Eagle standing right on thunderbolt This special method for preparing blanks with central punches has been sometimes reproduced in some Hellenistic Phoenician mints, even later by a few Roman provincial mints. Please share your coins, Ptolemaic, Seleucid or other, with a central punch... Thanks.
Ptolemaic coins have always been my favorites. Just the heft of some of them is astounding to me. Neat examples!
Love Ptolemaic Coinage. Here's one I show kids: a Ptolemy II AE47, weighing 98.1 g. Ex Tom Cederlind auction 5/22/2014, lot # 111. Also another one: Ptolemy V tetradrachm Ptolemy VIII, 1/2 drachm, AE43, 38.63g. Last but not least Cleopatra tetradrachm, 36 BC. A Ptolemy but not usually numbered as such.
