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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;medoraman, post: 1711144, member: 26302&quot;]So, I had never heard of the Sothic Cycle until last month at the TCACC. There a Roman Egypt expert was giving a talk, and he related that under AP Alexandria produced a series of all 12 Hercules Labors. When asked why that emperor and that mint had made them, he mentioned it had been conjectured because the Sothic Cycle renewed under his leadership. The Sothic Cycle is the time between instances of the dog star Sirius rises on exactly the same point as the sun. Under the Egyptian calendar, the cycle lasts 1461 years. So, the last one was in 1600, so we have another one coming around in just 1000 years or so. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, after that talk I see this coin. I viewed it as a sign that right after I learned about the Sothic Cycle, this scarce coin struck on that very year, commemorating that very thing, was up for auction. I probably overpaid, but appears to be a pretty scarce coin. I won it on my very last bid increment, so very nearly didn&#039;t get it. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH]263100.vB[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Description from the auction site:</p><p><br /></p><p>Egypt, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. A.D. 138-161. BI tetradrachm (26 mm, 12.21 g, 11 h). Regnal year 2 (A.D. 139). AVT K AIΛΛ (sic) AΔP ANTWNINOC ЄVCЄB, bare bust of Antoninus Pius right, slight drapery on far shoulder / AI-WN, phoenix standing right; across field, date (L B). Köln 1290-1; cf. Dattari 2430; Kampmann &amp; Ganschow 35.2. Light deposits. Very fine. </p><p><br /></p><p>A.D. 139 marked the renewal of the Great Sothic Cycle, a cycle of 1461 years beginning when the star Sothis (Sirius) rises on the same point on the horizon as the sun</p><p><br /></p><p>This is what I love about this hobby, how intertwined coins and knowledge, and equal pursuit of both, can be. I am pretty darned sure if I did not collect ancient coins I would have never heard of the Sothic Cycle.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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