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Message:: [QUOTE="PtolemAE, post: 3962152, member: 108089"]Your (top) coin is thought to be an issue of Hieron II possibly continuing or supplementing a run of somewhat similar types of coins produced for a brief period by an actual Ptolemaic mint (making Sv 610) on Sicily. Hieron II made coins 'sort of like' Sv 610 (either contemporaneously and/or subsequently) in several batches with identifiable styles and control symbols. Several qualities easily distinguish the Hieron 'imitations' from the actual Ptolemaic Sicily-mint coins (Sv 610): styles, random die axes (vs uniform 12h for Sv 610), and control symbols (PHI, N, NK, etc.) that are found on other Hieron II coinage (vs no control symbols on Sv 610). The Hieron II 'imitative' coins and the Sicilian Ptolemaic issue Sv 610 both lack the 'sigma', are exactly equal in average weight, and both Ptolemaic and Hieron Zeus/eagle/shield coins are sometimes found together along with Hieron's own 'portrait/horseman' coins, also of the same weight. There's little reason to doubt they circulated together and were likely interchangeable, valued equally. The Sv 610 are frequently found on Sicily (not a single one has been found in Egypt) but Sicilian numismatists never made the connection that the reason is because they are actually Sicilian coins. There's more about the Ptolemaic coinage of Sicily in some powerpoints and papers you can read for free on academia.edu PtolemAE[/QUOTE]