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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 4893367, member: 56859&quot;]Resurrecting this thread because I was fortunate enough to add a third Alexandrian sphinx to my collection <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.&nbsp; It&#039;s not as spectacular as AJ&#039;s Domitian but it&#039;s pretty darn nice.&nbsp; There are even some face details on the sphinx.</p><p><br /></p><p>I wonder what the collective name is for sphinxes (or sphinges if you prefer the lesser used plural)?&nbsp; I suggest riddle.&nbsp; I now have a riddle of sphinxes <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1180946[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian</b></p><p>Æ obol; 17.5 mm, 3.40 gm</p><p>RY 11 (91/92 CE)</p><p>Obv: laureate head right</p><p>Rev:&nbsp; Andro-Sphinx seated right; L <i>A in exergue</i></p><p>Ref:&nbsp; Dattari (Savio) 570-1 var. (same); K&amp;G 24.181 var. (same); RPC II 2645; Emmett 326.11; Köln 395 var. (position of date)</p><p><i>ex Rocky Mountain Collection of Alexandrian, purchased from William M. Rosenblum</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Hmm, looks like I didn&#039;t post my second Egyptian sphinx in this thread so I&#039;ll pop it in here too <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/apisphinxobol-e1782-20-unlistedyear-rt-jpg.790997/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius</b></p><p>year 20, CE 156/7</p><p>AE obol, 18 mm, 4.36 gm</p><p>Obv: laureate head right</p><p>Rev: sphinx crouched/reclining left; L K above</p><p>Ref: Emmett 1782.20 (unlisted reverse for year 20); unlisted in Geissen and Dattari</p><p><br /></p><p>May as well re-post my first one so they&#039;re all in one place <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie59" alt=":joyful:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/marcusaureliussphinxobol-rt-jpg.738207/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius as Caesar</b></p><p>AE obol, 20.5 mm, 6.0 gm. Alexandria.</p><p>Year 15 (CE 151/2)</p><p>Obv: MAVPHΛICKAICAP; bust right, bare head</p><p>Rev: Sphinx reclining right; LIE (date) above in left field</p><p>Ref: Emmett 1919.15, R5; Dattari 3221; <a href="http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/15684/?search&amp;stype=quick&amp;q=15684&amp;rno=1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/15684/?search&amp;stype=quick&amp;q=15684&amp;rno=1" rel="nofollow">RPC IV online 15684</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Are the &quot;crouched sphinx&quot; reverse on these Alexandrians meant to depict the Great Sphinx of Giza?&nbsp; I guess we&#039;ll never know.&nbsp; Maybe, maybe not.&nbsp; It seems odd that there aren&#039;t more Alexandrian coins with this reverse.&nbsp; It seems the Great Sphinx of Giza was visible in this era of the Roman empire.&nbsp; Pliny the Elder describes it in Natural History, vol. 36, chapter 17-- including fairly accurate dimensions.&nbsp;&nbsp; It also seems odd that pyramids are lacking on coins of Roman Egypt.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Heh.&nbsp; Well... looks like I&#039;m going to try for one &quot;great sphinx pose&quot; for each issuing person in Alexandrian coinage.&nbsp; Three down, three to go.&nbsp; Good luck, buddy <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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