PtolemAE mentions: 1) Puzzlement. 2) Antimony (
sic). 3) "anyone really knows what. . . " 4) "seemingly random" and 5) mysterious.
PtolemAE knows there is so much we don't know.
However the origin of
Svoronos 1813 is known. And apparently the
apluster links to this important naval battle.
"One contributor posted the conjecture that this one-eagle coin is from the 'co-rule' period of
Ptolemy IX and Berenike III, the
aphlaston commemorating a naval
victory during that rule. But if (as some believe) '# eagles = # rulers' then it should have two eagles, not one. Something doesn't seem right there... It's a puzzlement (an antinomy, actually
"
As supported by Richard
Pincock, for
Ptolemaic bronze coins a single
eagle sometimes meant a single ruler on the throne, while two eagles always meant two rulers. It doesn't
work the other way and inverting the logic to bash it seems unfair to
his view. If
his rule is incorrect, then produce a two
eagle Ptolemaic bronze that was not made under a known joint reign?
"Not sure anyone really knows what to make of so many unusual
symbols (
thunderbolt,
star, bee,
wreath,
caduceus, etc. that are not easily associated with an historical event) on apparently related
types with a seemingly random mix of one and two eagles."
The bee doesn't belong on this list of
symbols, right? I don't see any examples on the
PtolemAE website or in
Paphos II.
I suggested that the naval symbol on
Svoronos 1813 links to a historical event in 88 or 87 BC. Yes, there are other
symbols, and presumably they have other meanings. The link I suggest is an idea for this symbol. The naval defeat and death of
Ptolemy X does fit the suggested time period for this issue.
"Often said to have been minted on
Cyprus they seem to turn up in finds in
Israel and
Egypt. They are a mysterious group."
The
type of
Svoronos 1813 is Cypriot and quite common there. They are found in Cypriot ground finds. 13 examples were recorded in
Paphos II. I believe that all references do assign this
type to
Cyprus. I see many of them in Cypriot bronze groups.
The
fabric of
Svoronos 1703 seems different from
Svoronos 1813. The
type is
rare. As suggested from the
Svoronos plate coin, the
flan is chunky, not spread. In addition, there seems to be a central dimple. There are two eagles and the
aphlaston is smaller. Apparently, this is an earlier issue with a similar naval symbol.
Svoronos places the
type earlier too.
Matt
Kreuzer