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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ancient coin hunter, post: 4298612, member: 87200&quot;]On many coins of Roman Egypt you will find the personification of Alexandria. The history of the personification of Alexandria is somewhat obscure, though it originated after the accession of Ptolemy I Soter in the 330’s B.C.</p><p><br /></p><p>Perhaps the first depiction of the nascent goddess is found in a mosaic in Thmuis (Mendes) created by the Hellenistic artist Sophilos, now in the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tcFJzCL1ClzQkKOPN2eHfsvGUYhlKCMfFl_tYrEzG_eClkwgOG8VwpfO5-7tLDMqTOHYWWnfsY8X2Va7pi0E5cZZbkVp-dB2BG33DW-LNm2xXV2kowdBp7xLQJUpdoTixPW8Xmgv" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The woman depicted is Queen Berenike II, who ruled jointly with her husband Ptolemy III Eurgetes, as the personification of Alexandria, with her crown showing a ship’s prow, while she has an anchor-shaped brooch for her robes, symbols of the Ptolemaic Kingdom’s naval prowess and success in the Mediterranean Sea. [1]</p><p><br /></p><p>The first Roman emperor to portray Alexandria on his coinage was Nero, who struck so many coins in Alexandria that the output of the mint represents roughly half of the known examples of Billon Tetradrachms that have survived to date.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JEp2PEsvEWIiAkP37ghIFhW850uO54hOmq_QB5vb2rL5R88mJYAFlU4ZZ3-GzSTYHv36Mtdk3wYhE68y7-vMq_CUt6fdN39YU9sScLcTQgID_YG9RZAI-qLgQLuYJ410KZWUgfbE" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Vespasian continued the trend, once he had nailed down suzerainty in the Eastern provinces including Egypt. [2]</p><p><br /></p><p>From the time of Hadrian is this silver denarius with the reverse legend Alexandria, depicting the goddess, and also commemorating the presence of Hadrian in the City and his trip down the Nile with Antinous. [3]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XctbiHWWToDzJbP_TB4P9FwuhMQVWnis732bSlM8Ssgr5hwV3Yv05RF2gxWVm1LfmkWpLVKg9wxG5FIgZNhs-oaRFMLeoUYYTGDnEeVhiN_jBPYRndSa0V7yQXwoNDaOxDX84raD" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Alexandria standing left, sistrum in right hand, snake in basket in left hand.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another depiction of Alexandria from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is illustrated below in the form of a golden goblet.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4RkysYaN7g4qC20QDYp_2atSrmMaYDXLQ8p8R8XiXBI1MAtyEpqOzVwAeAjua6duE-ypf3bW548lq29rsG33kdQzNhSOa8uzVOZIf580Q0ImI_nOZLj1gdsnVa1Bms7L3BuV7tdi" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0x7k4zdPtDYK979NPSt-92TvsmM1wPPr22E3lqT_nMpIzdP7lODJOU_eYxfdmJDuKkZFK8-t-UqYPUT1Ixl3c-SkTytp9TOU-cPjo72VnANrriICP9HVC23meffoAPDinwE5Rrl" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>This new coin procured from [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] (JAZ Numismatics) also shows the personification of Alexandria. The coin is quite historical and commemorates Hadrian’s arrival in Egypt in the year 130-131.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BAFH0h8dSqdPyDSmcW4G3WkBSl88aKUP1jnnlvtblT8uF38oadHAb76D3FgLIINdQXSoBZ8K1re0fd1WArnHqSKrPihOIt6adOhntv0xrP5vREA2764xDXnjgnTIshWfKzZKqbP8" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Hadrian. 117-138 AD.</p><p><br /></p><p>Æ Drachm, 36mm, 22.1g, 11h; Alexandria, Year 15 = 130/1 AD.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obverse: AVT KAI - TRAI AΔPIA CEB; Bust laureate, draped, cuirassed right.</p><p><br /></p><p>Reverse: Alexandria kisses the hand of the arriving emperor; he is laureate and togate, stands left, extends right hand to Alexandria and holds scepter in left; she stands right wearing elephant skin headdress, guides the emperor&#039;s hand to her mouth with her right hand, and holds two wheat ears downwards with her left hand; in lower field L - IE.</p><p><br /></p><p>Reference: Cologne 1034; Emmett 964/15.</p><p>-------</p><p><br /></p><p>[1] Ebrahim, Fathia (2016) Personification of Province of Egypt and Alexandria in Roman Art, The Conference Book of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists.</p><p><br /></p><p>[2] Watson, Peter (2014) A Brief Introduction to Egyptian Coins and Currency, Author House.</p><p><br /></p><p>[3] Poole, Sir Reginald Stuart (1892) Catalogue of the Coins of Alexandria and the Nomes, British Museum Department of Coins and Medals.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please feel free to post your examples of the Personification of Alexandria![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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