New Ptolemaic Bronze

Many of you know I maintain a small collection and it is not surprising that this is just the first coin I have bought this year. I love base metal coins and this one shows a touch more green in hand than in my poor photo:



Ptolemy VI Philometor, Second sole reign, 163 - 145 BC
Æ29, Alexandreia Mint, Series 7, 29mm, 17.67 grams.
Obverse: Head of Isis right wearing wreath of grain ears, hair in long curls.
Reverse: Eagle with open wings standing left on thunderbolt; ΠΑ monogram to left. Svoronos 1384 (Ptolemy VI and Kleopatra I as Regent)
Weiser 147 (Ptolemy VI and Kleopatra I as Regent)
SNG Copenhagen 279-87 (Ptolemy VI and Kleopatra I as Regent)
Noeske 201-7 (Ptolemy VI)
Lorber & Faucher Series 7B.

 

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I'd like to acquire a coin figuring an Egyptian goddess like the OP.

 

What a great example of the type!

I picked up one last year and need to review the most recent thoughts on attribution, which it looks like you have done.


Ptolemy V-VI
204-145 BCE
Æ 27mm, 18.4g; Alexandria mint.
Obv: diademed head of Isis right
Rev: ΠTOΛEMAIOΥ BAΣIΛEΩΣ; eagle on thunderbolt.
Ref: Svoronos 1234 and SNG Cop 247 (as Ptolemy IV)

 

My one and only Ptolemaic coin is this AE38 of Ptolemy III. Seller's photo.

Svoronos 974

View attachment 734539 View attachment 734539 View attachment 734540

 

Love it Ken! I'm a fan of the Ptolemic coins but don't have anything other than Zeus sadly.

 

Nice one Ken, the green highlighting the devices gives it great eye appeal.

 

A really attractive coin indeed.

 

Great coin Ken! Sadly, I have no Ptolemaic coins yet.

 

Very nice! Great eye appeal!

 

Nice coin! I don't have one but do have a related coin of Antiochus IV of the Seleucid Empire (Syria) who invaded Egypt and contested with the incompetent advisers for Ptolemy VI after the death of Cleopatra. During this period, he issued coins resembling the Egyptian style. It is likely that Antiochus would have annexed Egypt at this time but the Roman ambassador in the region made it clear that doing anything would be taken as declaring war with Rome so Antiochus went home. The coin below fits nicely between the lifetime issues showing Cleopatra I and the posthumous ones like the OP issued by her son. I am not up on how we separate the various Cleopatra coins or assign them to periods.


For a while, Ptolemy VI ruled jointly with his brother Ptolemy VIII who later moved his sphere of influence to Kyrenaica leaving Ptolemy VI as sole ruler. Coins of the joint period have two eagles on the reverse like the AE21 below.


The AE16 with head of Libya below is from Ptolemy VIII's time in Kyrenaica.


If you can keep your Ptolemys straight without a cheat-sheet, you are much better than I. It is an interesting period. I took my spellings from Sear. Can someone explain why we use Kyrenaica rather than Kyrenaika or Cyrenaica?

Repeating: Very nice coin, Ken.

 

Honestly I believe much of it is pure guesswork. One will note that various Ptolemaic issues are constantly being re-attributed to one person or another. I dont think that will change. People always want to make a name for themselves (or to present a thesis for graduation), so we can be assured there will be many more changes in coming years.

A bit like the above mentioned comment. Spellings are always changing (and I really dislike it). However, it can be roughly assumed in Greek it would be spelled with a "K" and Latin a "C", but that doesn't hold true with various coin descriptions (dealers, auction houses, etc).

 

Hi Puckles,
If it is Svoronos 974, it seems to be Ptolemy IV. Compare to https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1088180

Obverse: Head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing ram's horn and taenia.

Reverse:BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, looking back; cornucopiae decorated with 3 taenia, an ornament for the head attribute of heroes, at his shoulder; E between legs.

Mint and Date: Egypt, Alexandria, 221 - 205 BC

Reference: Svoronos 148, 974. Köln 92. SNG Copenhagen 224 - 229. Weiser 92.

Ptolemy IV Philopator (221 - 205 BC) was the fourth Pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt. Philopator means friend of his father, even though he was accused of poisoning him. The decline of the Ptolemaic dynasty began under his reign. Egypt was actually governed by Sosibios. In 219 BC he lost Seleucis in Pieira to Antiochus III the Great, but the victory at Raphia in 217 BC reestablished the equilibrium and he was able to reconquer Coele-Syria (Coele literally means hollow in Koine Greek) under Seleucid control. After a dissolute life, Ptolemy IV died aged 33 leaving a 5-year-old son under the tutelage of his sister-wife Arsinoe III.

 

The OP coin is beautifully complete, not even missing the bottom of Isis's hair. I grabbed a less complete example last year too:

 

Not a copper, but still a Ptolemaic

Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphos 285-246 BCE AR tetradrachm, 13.87 grams, 29mm Alexandria mint. Obv: Diademed head of Ptolemy I, banker marks
Rev:Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, ST, KI, AX monograms on left. Svoronos 378

 

@Ken Dorney ... I REALLY like the Isis obv. Nice coin, beautiful example!

All of my AE Ptolemies are Zeus-Ammon, except for this Alexander III


Egypt Ptolemy II 285-274 BC AE Obol 20mm 6.7g Alex III Eagle Tbolt Plain SV 601

 

Just picked up this hemidrachm of Ptolemy IV yesterday. Liked it because it has the cornucopia c/m and the odd PI-Y-E monogram. I guess the new theory is that it was struck in Kyrene and not Alexandria.

 

It it doublestruck or overstruck. The Zeus heads almost look different but those can fool you. I like that c/m. My only one is an incuse trident.

 

Nice big bronze Egyptians, everyone. Just this month I got my first Isis/Cleopatra I Ptolemaic bronze. Not so nice, but inexpensive.





Ptolemy V Epiphanes Æ 28
(203-180 B.C.)
Alexandria mint
Head of Cleopatra I as Isis, right, wearing a wreath of grain / [ΠΤΟΛΕΜ]ΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, eagle standing on winged thunderbolt, left (no monogram).
Svoronos 1234; SNG 248.
(18.25 grams / 28 mm )

 

I only have one Ancient from Kyrene, but not Ptolemaic. It is a fun one that I got from @John Anthony ...


KYRENAICA Kyrene Æ25 9.6g 250 BCE Diademed Zeus-Ammon r - K-O-I-N-O-N; Silphium plant; monogram SNG Cop 1278 BMC 16-19

 

Nice one, @Ken Dorney

I have something similar. I can't swear I have the attribution completely accurate but I think it's

Ptolemy V Epiphanes, 205 BC-180 BC
AE hemidrachm, 18.84 g; 28.4 mm
Alexandria, ca. 197-183/2 BC
Obv: Corn-wreathed head of Isis, right
Rev: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, eagle standing on winged thunderbolt, left
Refs: Svoronos 1235; Sear Greek 7880; BMCG 6.94,72; SNG VIII (Hart) 1175; Forrer 80.