I found this at a flea market and can tell that it is a tetradrachm but that is about it. I had previously thought that there were perhaps 3 Ptolemys; but no, there seem to be like 10-11? I cannot tell which one it might be. I'm just trying to find some kind of attribution for this as it is a pretty nice coin (you won't find this at 7-11!) Any help is much appreciated and thank you for looking. Hope everyone is doing well; it's always fun to visit...
Hi @marchal steel, Your tetradrachm is CPE-288 = Svoronos 574, pl. xiii, 11 [11 listed] = SNG Copenhagen 109, a coin of Ptolemy II. Ptolemaic history covers about 300 turbulent years that make up the Hellenistic era. A recent 3-part (very abbreviated) overview of Ptolemaic coinage is presented by Mike Markowitz starting. See Part 1: https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-the-ptolemies-part-i/ Part 2: https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-the-ptolemies-part-ii/ Part 3: https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-the-ptolemies-part-iii/ The best current resource is Catharine C Lorber’s paper book Coins of the Ptolemaic Empire: Part I, Ptolemy I through Ptolemy IV (2 volumes), New York (2018). However, CPE only covers the first four Ptolemies. The next volumes are still being penned. The American Numismatic Society’s Ptolemaic Coins Online (PCO) database illustrates the ANS’, and a few related institution’s, coins that correspond to the text. See http://numismatics.org/pco/ . This represents the current state of knowledge on this series. For an easy to use resource for the bronze coins only see Dan Wolf’s “The PtolemAE Project” at http://ptolemybronze.com/ with the “Ptolemaic Bronze Coin Denomination Series Page” starting at http://ptolemybronze.com/ptolemy_series.html . Another web resource many people still quote for Ptolemaic coins is not the most correct, but it is also free online. See the English translation of Svoronos’ 125-year old catalog “Ta Nomismata tou Kratous ton Ptolemaion (Coins of the Ptolemaic Empire)” at https://www.coin.com/images/dr/svoronos_book2.html . The table of contents is here https://www.coin.com/images/dr/svoronos_book3.html . There were about 15 kings and several queens depicted on their coinage. For a detailed genealogy of the rulers see the masterful Egyptian Royal Genealog site at http://www.instonebrewer.com/TyndaleSites/Egypt/index.htm by the late Chris Bennett. It may be jumping into the deep end to start, but ‘there is no royal road’, as Euclid told Ptolemy I. Enjoy! - Broucheion
Broucheion- Dude!!! You've given me a lot more than I would have thought with regards to the coin and the overview of the Ptolemaic Empire. I guess what I find interesting is that this was going on during the Greek's reign; the Roman coinage will also at times have Greek lettering--- a lot was happening with the world at that time. Many thanks again, Broucheion--- the help is much appreciated.
