Alegandron's First Ægytian Tet

Forgive me if I make an historical mistake, but I am pulling from my rusty memory as I write this:

I have always enjoyed Alexander III (the Great) of Makedonia. I have always been impressed with one of the smartest, and loyalest of his Generals: Ptolemy. He grew up with Alexander (although he was approx 10 years older). He served with Alexander from the very first campaigns against the Persians, including River Granicus, Issus, Siege of Tyre, Gaugamela (INCREDIBLE battle!), Bactria and Sogdiana Campaigns, River Hydespes against King Porus in India... and MANY smaller, but not insignificant battles. He was one of seven of Alexander's bodyguards, making him as close to Alexander as anyone could get, both in trust and camaraderie. Additionally, when Alexander journeyed to the Oasis of Siwa, Ptolemy was one of the intimate few that went with him to receive the Oracle. However, you always had a feeling as you studied Ptolemy that he was one of the shrewder of Alexander's Generals.

When Alexander succumbed to an untimely death at 33 years, in June-323 BCE at Babylon, the new Makedonian/Persian Empire was without a true heir to wield the necessary power to rule its vastness. Upon his death, when asked who was to inherit his Empire, it is believed, fabled, written, whatever - that Alexander stated "TOI KRATISTOI" or "To the Strongest". (OR, some say... "To Craterus" one of his Generals...) However, Alexander's Signet ring passed to Perdiccas, General of the Companion Cavalry, and originally General for Phillip II (Alexander's father). Perdiccas was assassinated in 321 BCE by Seleucus and his band... The Empire subsequently, over time, was broken up into the various "Greek Kingdoms and Empires" with lots of cool coinage and intriguing stories until the Romans (Republican, that is), began to clean up their acts!

After Alexander's death, Ptolemy took a small army of approx 2500 men and went to take Ægypt. He was also smart enough to grab the Ægyptian treasury and idols that the Persians had taken to Babylon when they conquered Ægypt. Upon his arrival in Ægypt, he was loved and revered as he brought their stolen heritage (and money!) back to them. Ptolemy was also shrewd enough to "hi-jack" Alexander's funeral procession, and diverted his body in the honey-filled sarcophagus to Memphis in Ægypt. This further validated Ptolemy's Rule over Ægypt and helped earn him the title Ptolemy I Soter (Savior).

The above crude synopsis from memory lead me to capture my 1st Ancient Ægyptian coin purchase. 'Taint the purdiest of coins, but I love it!

I submit for your comments and critique; AND an invitation to POST your Ptolemies and descendants!

Ptolemy I
signed by the Designer / Artist with a Delta behind his ear (curl of his hair).
305-285 BCE
AR Tetradrachm
OBV: Ptolemy I facing r, Delta behind ear, punch marks
REV: Standing Eagle l, punch marks.
23.6mm x 4.5mm (thick)
13.8g

 

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Did you just get that? I like it and I'm also a fan of the Ptolemaic coins. No silver, yet.

We all remember our first love, and this one is mine:



Ptolemy IV, BC 221-204
AE 41mm, 64g, Alexandria mint
Bust of Zeus-Ammon right
Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopia tied with fillet before, DELTA IOTA between legs (can't seem to get this computer to write in Greek)
Svoronos 1125



Ptolemy III BC 246-222
AE 38.6mm, 41.6g, Alexandria mint
Bust of Zeus-Amon right
Eagle standing half left on fulmen, wings closed, head right, filleted cornucopia right ascending from behind shoulder, E between legs
Svoronous 974




The coin above hasn't actually arrived yet and I can't remember what the weight and size were but it is a Svoronous 1128.

 

Yes, I nabbed it the other night, as well as an Anonymous Roman Denarius from 211-206 BCE, and some gold. Personally, I love silver ancients...and I love them gently worn. Then I know they were transacted; held and spent by ancient hands.

 

Great addition!

 

the father of all ptolemy clan...well played sir...well played.

 

A collector after my own heart. Silver is such a beautiful metal.

Congrats on the wonderful coin too!!

 

Nice!! I've been looking for a couple of Ptolemy I coins for a while now but can't seem to find the right coins at the right prices . He's a fascinating character, extremely important to that period in the ancient world.

 

Further, I think Ptolemy was a FAR-thinking man: He lived to be 84...and in that long lifetime, he had the Library of Alexandria built, attracted philosophers and great thinkers from all over the known world to Alexandria, helped build Alexandria into one of the greatest and largest cities in the known World. He was a great statesman, and a successful General successfully holding off any attack by the Perdiccas and other players after his kingdom. Although he took control of Ægypt in approx 321 BCE, he consolidated power, extended Ægyptian control, and eventually overcame thousands of years of culture to become Pharaoh of Ægypt in 305 BCE. Amazing man, well suited to trod in Alexander's Footsteps...

 

Wow, that's a sweet silver coin and an awesome write-up (thanks for the effort, Alegandon)



Man, I love these meaty Ptolemy coins as well ... eventually, I wanna grab at least one example from each of the Ptolemy crew, but so far I only have these 4 examples:

Pt-I (AE20) ... with elephant skin hat


Pt-IV (AE41) ... 70 grams


Pt-IV (AE40) ... 70 grams


Pt-V (AE26) ... featuring Isis (cool coin)

 

Every time I see the larger coins, such as your Makedonian/Ægyptian above, I always wonder what they could buy. AE26 buys a chicken and some fruit, or the AE40 gets a full meal out with the family, etc. I also wonder what people CALLED the coins. We seem not to have records of what coins / change were called when you used them. Even later Roman "Follis" is made up during recent times (hate that name, so un-Roman, LOL). I do like As though, and the Romans named that coin... It was a BIG-As coin too!

 

As I look at the Ægyptian bornze/brass/copper coins, they seem fairly unique and to always have the punch marks in the center, both Obv and Rev. I wonder how they minted them? Even my Ptolemy I has punch marks on Obv and Rev, although not on the images. Does anyone know about their minting processes? (sorry, I have been in manufacturing for 35 years, I can guess...but am very curious).

 

Love the write up!
Wasn't Ptolemy the only Diodochi to die of natural causes?

So here is a tetradrachm of Ptolomy X. I always loved the weight of this thing.

Perhaps if the successor kingdoms had not constantly quarreled with one another they may have soon a chance against the growing power of Rome. I am not complaining though


Edit-
The death of Alexander.

 

This is the site you want. Be sure to click through all the pages. Those are not punch marks. They are dimples created by a lathe, used to trim the flans.

Lathe Machining of Bronze Coin Flans

 

I think that our very own coin-God, dougsmit, said it best:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/feac48pto.html

 

Yeah, about Ptolemy living to a ripe old age! I think he was the smartest...he grabbed the most wealthiest of the domains, had a small 30mi (45km) portal that he could be invaded via land! So he fortified it with a bunch of forts, loaded up the garrisons, and kept all invaders out. Smart... no-one could really get to him, and he built his own Empire, as well as attracted the brains of the world to Ægypt! My kinda guy! I betcha he was a bear to play Risk with (and I mean with dice on a board, not that video "schthuff").

 

AH, AH, AH!!! Thank you, personal mystery solved! A LOT of work for a coin. But, hey, after having 6 daughters, I understand slave labor around the household!

 

Making a coin with complex technology was the counterfeit prevention of the day. The more sophisticated the minting, the more work a forger had to do to mimic a coin. This principle is still in effect today. If you're a ruling authority, there is in fact a very practical and necessary imperative to make your coins as difficult to counterfeit as possible.

 

I scanned the articles, thank you! Answered a lot of questions, and some great conjecture since it appears there are no complete records of the process. Great reverse-engineering though! Early Ptolemaic coin production was superior to later versions. they got sloppy as they got greedy...and becoming in-bred... The earlier superior production was clearly Ægyptian technology applied to a Greek invention! Although you are left with a lathe-dimple, large coins (of concentrated wealth-value), could be easily manufactured, more consistent, and a controlled commodity. Ægyptian technology had been around for a long time on a massive, and clearly as well, on a minor scale (coinage manufacturing). Great job Ægypt!

However, there may be some other less-than-brain-cases that would have a different feeling how the Ægyptians solved these coinage engineering problems:

 

Great looking coins everyone

 

Everyone! Thank you very much for your thoughts, comments, and great resources to follow up! VERY much appreciated!