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<p>[QUOTE="Aidan_(), post: 3014854, member: 70832"]A Pharaoh of Egypt minted coins!!!</p><p><br /></p><p>This is where I talk about a coin I didn't know existed or could possibly exist! I stumbled upon this coin in an auction catalog kindly sent to me by Ken D. I must admit when I did read the description I was pretty shocked.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's an excellent write up taken from the NY sale XL:</p><p><br /></p><p>"This remarkable stater is the only “Greek” coin to feature a type intended to express an idea using the Egyptian hieroglyphic script. It was struck by Nektanebo II (ca. 361-342 BC), a rebel Saite Pharaoh who opposed the re-incorporation of Egypt into the Achaemenid Persian empire. In his bid to maintain Egyptian independence, he had the support of the powerful Egyptian priesthood and maintained an army of Greek mercenaries. The coin is itself symbolic of Nektanebo’s unenviable predicament of being a nationalist leader with a regime propped up by foreign military muscle. While it is generally believed that this gold stater was part of an issue used to pay the Pharaoh’s mercenaries, the hieroglyphic reverse type identifying it as “good gold” is likely to have been readable only by Egyptian priestly scribes. The hieroglyphic reverse reflects Nektanebo’s presentation of himself as a legitimate native pharaoh defending Egypt against the Persians - only the latest manifestation of the “vile Asiatic” repeatedly mentioned in hieroglyphic texts since the third millennium BC. Nektanebo II and his mercenary army successfully repelled a Persian invasion in 351/0 BC, but he was driven from power when the mercenary leaders turned against him and joined the renewed offensive of Artaxerxes II in 342 BC. Evidently more than good gold and the support of the religious establishment was needed to keep native Pharaohs on the throne of the Two Lands, even in the twilight of the Persian empire."</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://www.cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/10102075.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>EGYPT, Pharonic Kingdom. Nektanebo II. 361-343 BC. AV Stater (16.5mm, 8.16 g, 10h). Horse prancing right / Heiroglyphic representation of “good gold”: pectoral necklace ( nebew = “gold”) crossing horizontally over a windpipe and heart ( nefer = “good”)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As you may notice these staters look very Greek, hinting at the "Greek" in the write up above, so much so that if compared to the silver staters from Corinth, just a couple decades prior to Nek's gold staters, the horse of the obverse looks like the pegasus but without the wings in terms of artistic style! And also the fact that these coins would be payment to the Greek mercenaries who expected quality coins in payment (in metal and probably in imagery).</p><p><br /></p><p>The likely hood of Nek hiring a Greek engraver to make the die's for the coin is very probable.</p><p><br /></p><p>Why use hieroglyphs when no one except the Pharaoh and some scholars could read it? <b>What was the point?</b></p><p><br /></p><p>What are your thoughts on this coin and the mystery behind it? </p><p><br /></p><p>IF, by any chance you might have one of these or one of Nektanebo's bronze coins please share!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A good read on this topic from 1992 found on Academia: <a href="https://www.academia.edu/3987076/The_Earliest_Known_Gold_Pharaonic_Coin?auto=download" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.academia.edu/3987076/The_Earliest_Known_Gold_Pharaonic_Coin?auto=download" rel="nofollow">https://www.academia.edu/3987076/The_Earliest_Known_Gold_Pharaonic_Coin?auto=download</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Aidan_(), post: 3014854, member: 70832"]A Pharaoh of Egypt minted coins!!! This is where I talk about a coin I didn't know existed or could possibly exist! I stumbled upon this coin in an auction catalog kindly sent to me by Ken D. I must admit when I did read the description I was pretty shocked. Here's an excellent write up taken from the NY sale XL: "This remarkable stater is the only “Greek” coin to feature a type intended to express an idea using the Egyptian hieroglyphic script. It was struck by Nektanebo II (ca. 361-342 BC), a rebel Saite Pharaoh who opposed the re-incorporation of Egypt into the Achaemenid Persian empire. In his bid to maintain Egyptian independence, he had the support of the powerful Egyptian priesthood and maintained an army of Greek mercenaries. The coin is itself symbolic of Nektanebo’s unenviable predicament of being a nationalist leader with a regime propped up by foreign military muscle. While it is generally believed that this gold stater was part of an issue used to pay the Pharaoh’s mercenaries, the hieroglyphic reverse type identifying it as “good gold” is likely to have been readable only by Egyptian priestly scribes. The hieroglyphic reverse reflects Nektanebo’s presentation of himself as a legitimate native pharaoh defending Egypt against the Persians - only the latest manifestation of the “vile Asiatic” repeatedly mentioned in hieroglyphic texts since the third millennium BC. Nektanebo II and his mercenary army successfully repelled a Persian invasion in 351/0 BC, but he was driven from power when the mercenary leaders turned against him and joined the renewed offensive of Artaxerxes II in 342 BC. Evidently more than good gold and the support of the religious establishment was needed to keep native Pharaohs on the throne of the Two Lands, even in the twilight of the Persian empire." [CENTER][IMG]https://www.cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/10102075.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] EGYPT, Pharonic Kingdom. Nektanebo II. 361-343 BC. AV Stater (16.5mm, 8.16 g, 10h). Horse prancing right / Heiroglyphic representation of “good gold”: pectoral necklace ( nebew = “gold”) crossing horizontally over a windpipe and heart ( nefer = “good”) As you may notice these staters look very Greek, hinting at the "Greek" in the write up above, so much so that if compared to the silver staters from Corinth, just a couple decades prior to Nek's gold staters, the horse of the obverse looks like the pegasus but without the wings in terms of artistic style! And also the fact that these coins would be payment to the Greek mercenaries who expected quality coins in payment (in metal and probably in imagery). The likely hood of Nek hiring a Greek engraver to make the die's for the coin is very probable. Why use hieroglyphs when no one except the Pharaoh and some scholars could read it? [B]What was the point?[/B] What are your thoughts on this coin and the mystery behind it? IF, by any chance you might have one of these or one of Nektanebo's bronze coins please share! A good read on this topic from 1992 found on Academia: [url]https://www.academia.edu/3987076/The_Earliest_Known_Gold_Pharaonic_Coin?auto=download[/url][/QUOTE]
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