Finally added one of those big bronzes. In fact it's the heaviest coin in my collection, including the modern ones! This particular coin also happens to be in the sweet spot of cost to wear ratio, a nice budget example for a decent eye appeal. Ptolemy IV Philopator Æ Drachm. 70g 222-205/4 BC. SNG Copenhagen 205–6 Here's my tiniest coin on top with a dime for scale. Please post your Ptolemaic or any other big bronzes.
Great addition. I've been looking at them more myself but have yet to buy one. It's either because it's too expensive, or they have some active BD on it, so that makes it an easy pass.
I collect Roman coins, but I like to look through the Greek and Hellenistic coinage in auction listings from time to time because they are interesting. I've seen these Ptolemy ## bronzes before, and from time to time noticed that cone-shaped, pin-hole that looked like it'd been milled into the center of the coins. The first couple of times that I saw this type of thing, I assumed that it was something that somebody had done to the coin while in circulation. However, I've now seen enough of them to make me think it is something else. Do the pinholes have something to do with the manufacturing process, or was it done systematically for some other reason?
PTOLEMY IV AE36 OBVERSE: Diademed head of Zeus Ammon right REVERSE: PTOLEMIAOU BASILEWS, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, looking back at cornucopiae under right wing Struck at Egypt 221-205 BC 46.4g, 36mm SNG Cop 221 PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHOS AR Tetradrachm OBVERSE: Diademed head of Ptolemy II right, wearing aegis around neck REVERSE: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ], eagle standing left on thunderbolt, to left, club surmounted by Tyre monogram Tyre 285-260 BC 25 mm., 14.14 grams Svoronos 644; SNG Copenhagen 482-3 ex. JAZ Numismatics
Excellent addition, a nice heavy one. It took me while to find a Ptolemy IV, they seem to a bit harder to get, but I finally did: AE Drachm 42 mm, 65.61 g, 12 h Alexandria, Series 5D, ca. 219 – 205/204 BC CPE B495; Svoronos 1125; SNG Copenhagen 199-200; Obv.: Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right with ram's horn and ornament in his hair and over the diadem. Rev.: (ΠΤΟ)ΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopia bound with royal diadem at left, ΔI between legs. and a Ptolemy III AE Drachm Egypt, Alexandria, 246 222 BC 72.53 g SNG Copenhagen 171; BMC 87; Noeske 117; Svoronos 964, Plate XXIX, 19; Ob.: Horned head of Zeus Ammon to right, wearing taenia with basileion; dotted border Rev.: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ on l. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ on r. Eagle with closed wings standing to l. on thunderbolt, monogram Chi-Ro between legs, cornucopia bound with royal diadem at left; dotted border
LoL I asked a similar question more than a decade ago: “The short answer is that they were created during the preparation of the flan for striking. Likely a tool was used to hold the flan in place as it was rotated in a circular motion to make it easier to shave the edges of the flan to the right dimensions.” https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-novices-question-ptolemaic-coins-punched-out-center.200475/
Interesting. I guess they didn't mind divots in the center of their otherwise masterfully crafted coins eh!
You see centration dimples in most provincial bronzes as well. Shows that the provinces prepared their flans with more care than Rome. I wonder if this means that the coinage was relatively more valuable in the provinces than Rome.
