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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;JeromeLS, post: 782655, member: 7867&quot;]It&#039;s an issue of Ptolemy II, the Hellenic ruler of Egypt, 285-246 B.C.E. The link shows one in better condition. What you think is a mammoth is actually the bottom of the body of an eagle: see the picture. You&#039;re right about the content: the copper of these issues is very impure, and they tend to contain various other metals. This has led to a reddish patina on some worn issues. </p><p><br /></p><p>There was not the technology to strike coins so early in man&#039;s history. Even in the beginning of the Iron age, coinage was primarily restricted to gold and silver. The concept of a two-sided, copper coin arising before the year 500 B.C.E is almost ridiculous. </p><p><br /></p><p>The reason why the coin is so smooth is that it had at least 100 years of constant circulation, and maybe considerably more. </p><p><br /></p><p>My advice is: don&#039;t read too much into slugs. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.vcoins.com/guyclark/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=149" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.vcoins.com/guyclark/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=149" rel="nofollow">http://www.vcoins.com/guyclark/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=149</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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