This coin just arrived today. It is a tetradrachm of, I believe, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Alexandria. While I have seen numerous tetradrachms of Ptolemy II, the obverse of this coin is interesting. Around parts of the portrait there appears to be remnants of letters and what appears to be the lower part of a bird's feet and wings (lower left, next to the neck). The reverse appears to be typical, without any odd features in the field. At first glance, when I saw the coin online I thought the coin was struck over a previous tetradrachm. However, now that I've examined it, I am not so sure. An alterative possibility is that the obverse die was repurposed, that is, it was reengraved with Ptolemy II's portrait, leaving whatever else originally there untouched. Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 285-246 BC AR Tetradrachm Alexandria 13.87 grams Are the attributions to Ptolemy II and Alexandria correct? Any ideas what is going on with the obverse? Thanks!
Thanks. Stylistically I compared my coin to the Ptolemy I tets online. Like your Ptolemy I tetradrachm, the portrait is different, compared to those of Ptolemy II, and there's that delta behind the ear on the Ptolemy I coin, a clear indication that it is, indeed, his coin. Differentiating between the two kings has been something of a struggle for me, unless that delta mark is present.
Nice pickup, @robinjojo. I also picked up a similar coin earlier this year in the Triton auction. Ptolemy II Philadelphos. 253-252 BC. AR Tetradrachm 26mm, 13.97 g, 12h. Ioppe (Joppa) mint. Dated RY 33 (253/2 BC). Obv: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis around neck Rev: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; to left, IOΠ (mint) monogram above MT monogram; to right, ΛΓ (date) above Θ. CPE 669; Svoronos 804; SNG Copenhagen 463 var. (lower left monogram); DCA 18. Triton XXV, January 2022.
I'll take this opportunity to remind people I would enjoy hearing of other examples using the reverse die of my Ptolemy II tetradrachm overdate delta over gamma (34/33). I would love to see a mint state one or a die match with no correction.
Interesting coin, @robinjojo . I can't help you with the portrait. But I agree with you that it's more likely to be a re-engraved die than an overstrike. As you point out, the reverse looks too clean to be overstruck. And, if it were an overstrike, I'd expect to see at least some rudimental bleeding of the original design onto the face of Ptolemy on the obverse. Which I don't.
Yes, I agree that an over strike is not likely. The reverse shows absolutely no signs of another coin's design. The coin is something of an oddity. I also thought that the uneven areas on the portrait might be due to a die clash, but I've ruled that out possibility. I don't see any indication of a negative of a reverse letter or other element.
You can get overstrikes where there is no sign of the understrike on the reverse.... Take the following coin for example:- Silver Tetradrachm of Ptolemy I Soter, founder of the Pteolmaic Kingdom Obv:– Diademed head of Ptolemy I right wearing aegis Rev:– ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, monogram left Minted in Alexandria, B.C. 294 Reference:– Svoronos 236, SNG Cop 75 14.379g, 29.9mm, 0o The coin has the signature of the Delta artist behind the ear (between the ear and the first curl near the neck). It came with the following note:- Struck on a briefly used standard of 21-attic obols. Broad flan. Overstruck over an Alexander tetradrachm, which had a banker's mark. Undertype visible at 4:00 on obverse. Minor chip. Rare overstrike!
Cool coins and discussion --an early Ptolemy has been in the back of my mind for a long time. Wish they were cheap enough for people like me, who know nothing about the series, and not much about the historical context. But I'm wondering if the delta is actually the tie to Ptolemy's --what, diadem? Along the lines of this Aksumite of Aphilas, very approximately c. 270/90-330 CE. Here they tie his headcloth.
The delta character is located on some of Ptolemy I's tetradrachms behind the ear and within the hair curl. Take a look maridvnvm's coin, posted above. The delta is very prominent. The theory for the delta is that it represents a die engraver's initial. Not all of Ptolemy I's tetradrachms have this character.
Thanks, @robinjojo, for the elucidation. But from here, even in @maridvnvm's example, it's still looking like a tie. What else am I missing?
...Except that, on every example on this thread that has it, it really looks like a tie. As you noted, "The theory for the delta is that it represents a die engraver's initial. Not all of Ptolemy I's tetradrachms have this character." ...Emphasis on "theory." As someone who mostly collects earlier medieval, I'm well acquainted with the ways in which ongoing research sometimes has to begin on the level of informed speculation. Still gets to be speculation.
Here is a cropped area of the Delta from my original full sized photos. The one above is very reduced in size. It looks like a Delta - I cannot see it as a tie to anything placed where it is as there is nothing to tie..... The Delta also appears on a small number of Ptolemy with Elephand Headdress Tetradrachms. It is the fact that it appears on both types and on coins with engraving of the highest quality that the assertion of the Delta as a signature is derived.
Thanks, @maridvnvm, and @robinjojo. I'm not used to this level of detail. For one, I don't collect a lot of anything Classical (what medievalists might like to call 'Ancient'); for another, I generaly don't have the budget for anything in this condition.
