Ptolemaic #3

[a]

Hi all,

Please help me with this ptolemaic bronze:

Zeus & Eagle, 17mm/6.9g

Best Regards,
Explorer

[archivum]

These are all pretty worn, but since you have the coins you may see details lost on a scanner; here's the Svoronos index if you'd like to prospect:

http://www.coin.com//images/dr/svoronos_book3.html

[PtolemAE]

the coin you've posted are pretty beat up but the reverse on this one gives it away - the eagle has filetted cornucopia on its shoulder *and* there's a club in the left field.  based on the size it's either Svoronos 1060 (with PI-TAU combination monogram in the eagle legs) or Svoronos 1252 (with ALPHA-RHO combination monogram in the legs).  When the coins are this beat up it's hard to even identify enough features to be sure.  But in this case the reverse has enough (barely) showing to come up with the two possibilities.  This would be a Ptolemy IV issue.  You can both of the possibilities in the PtolemAE collection online at www.ptolemybronze.com.

Again, I used my software program (and being familiar with the types helps a lot .

PtolemAE

[PtolemAE]

After having another look at the reverse I can see there's no way to positively attribute the coin as the area between the eagle's legs appears so corroded that the monogram is indiscernable.

So it is either Svoronos 1060 or 1252, but you (nor anyone else) will ever know which

There's a family of (late ?) Ptolemy IV coins of Tyre (the club in the reverse left field indicates Tyre mint) that have these eagles with cornucopiae on the shoulder, sometimes very elaborate and sometimes even more things in the reverse fields (caps, stars, etc.).  So you sometimes see the most elaborate reverses of any Ptolemaic bronzes.  There appear to be two sizes, about 30gm and about 5gm, and with a few variations in 'leg monograms'.  The big ones are *very* cool and they're all pretty scarce (the small ones, too) in nice condition.  Apparently not hoarded in large numbers, but they turn up from time to time.  Check out the PtolemAE collection pages on www.ptolemybronze.com - peruse around and you'll spot 'em.

PtolemAE