New Acquisition - Ptolemy II Tetradrachm

After finishing my Twelve Caesars set a bit ago I've been wanting to expand beyond my Roman Imperial comfort zone and stretch my normal budget to buy more Greek coins of decent quality which while typically more beautiful artistically than Roman coins were usually more expensive and I didn't know where to start. But after getting a worn Athenian tetradrachm recently I managed to get another lovely tetradrachm this time from Ptolemy II Philadelphos. The king looking up has a very ethereal, ghostly presence which I can't help but help but love, it just makes this coin feel even more like a long lost relic from the mysterious ancient past. Any of you have some nice Ptolemaic tetradrachms to share?



Title: Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt. Ptolemy II Philadelphos (285-246 BC) AR Tetradrachm
Attribution: CPE 527; Svoronos 740; SNG Copenhagen 515 Sidon mint
Date: Dated Year 33 - 253/2 BC
Obverse: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right
Reverse: ΠTOΛEMAIOY ΣΩTHPOΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, ΣI / MI monogram, AΓ (date) in right field
Size: 25.55mm
Weight: 14.17 grams
Description: VF, a few marks, bankers punch.

 

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Ptolemy V Epiphanes. 204-180 BC. AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in Cyprus(?). Dated year 72 (191/0 BC). Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis / Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; OB (date) in left field. Svoronos 1091; Mørkholm, Ptolemaic 39–43; SNG Copenhagen 541; DCA 73.

 

As with the nice Ptolemy II example in the OP, my representative tetradrachm of Ptolemy II carries the interesting titulature of 'savior' rather than the more prevalent 'king'.

Ptolemy II (285-246 BC). AR tetradrachm (13.89 gm).
Mint of Joppa (in modern day Israel), dated RY 35 (251/0 BC).
Diademed head of Ptolemy I right.
Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; Joppa monogram and MT monogram to left, ΛE (date) and Θ to right.
(Heritage Auction 3040, September 2015.)

It was under Ptolemy II that the Septuagint was initiated and completed. Some sources cite its completion as being in the same year my example is dated.

 

Very nice examples everyone! Thanks for sharing!

 

Nice coins posted!

Here's one more contribution.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, tetradrachm Alexandria, 285-246 BC.
13.87 grams

 

Hi @robinjojo,

That’s a great coin but it’s not Alexandrian. It’s from an imitative mint in Northern Syria. These are described in the new CPE part 2, the earlier paper by Aumaitre & Lorber “New Evidence Concerning a Mint Imitating Ptolemaic Tetradrachms”, or better, see a recent lecture by Cathy Lorber that explains what Ptolemaic coins are doing minted deep in Seleucid territory here:

- Broucheion

 

Thank you for the information! Stylistically the coin is quite different, especially with the obverse, from the Alexandrian tetradrachms of Ptolemy II.

I'll update the coin's tag and bookmark the YouTube link.