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Author Topic: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on  (Read 1114 times)

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Offline cliff_marsland

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About 10 years ago I missed out on buying a coin, and I've really regretted it.  It was a not huge (it was maybe low 30s mm diameter), but it was SUPER THICK and had a beveled edge.  I had to choose between a late Republican denarius and this.  The camel denarius won out that day.

Although I can't find it in the store search to show you, I super recently bought a Forum one which might just be that type.  Although I don't think it's the same exact coin, the Forum one seems to fit what I remembered.

GP97579. Bronze tetrobol, Lorber CPE B275, Svoronos 505 (8 spec.), Weiser 28, SNG Milan 552, BMC Ptolemies -, SNG Cop -, Hosking -, Noeske -, Malter -, VF, nice dark green patina, thick tight flan, porosity, obverse edge beveled, central depressions, Alexandria mint, weight 45.469g, maximum diameter 33.0mm, die axis 0o, c. 260 - 246 B.C.; obverse horned head of Zeus Ammon right, wearing taenia; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagles standing left on a thunderbolt, wings open, head left, Y/T monogram between legs; from a New England collector, Coin Archives records only one sale of this type in the past two decades; very rare;

Are there any other types which fit the super thick and beveled description?

Offline SC

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    • A Handbook of Late Roman Bronze Coin Types 324-395.
Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2022, 04:27:36 pm »
I have a very thick Ptolemaic coin that I have yet to identify it.  It is 48.6 grams, 35mm diameter and a full 9 mm thick!  (I will post an image later but my camera/phone is out of charge.)

But it appears different from the one you refer to as the reverse has only one eagle, wings folded.

I have larger drachmae, 41-42 mm diameter, that are only 6.5-7 mm thick so the 35mm/9mm thick one really stands out.

SC
SC
(Shawn Caza, Ottawa)

Offline cliff_marsland

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2022, 04:59:46 pm »
The one I saw that day was outrageously thick, like nothing I had ever seen before.  It could barely fit in the flip.  I'd say it was at least 15 mm. thick, if not more.  I don't recall what the reverse was.

Offline cliff_marsland

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2022, 12:20:11 am »
It's been ages since I was a regular, but wasn't there a member c. 2010 who was really into the Ptolemaic series?

Offline cliff_marsland

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2022, 07:50:13 pm »
The Forum coin is cool in hand (very speedy service), but I don't think it's the same one.  The mists of time play tricks, but I was just gobsmacked how thick that one was.  I should have bought it, but had to choose between one or the other.

I think there was a minor goof on the Antoninus Drachm part of the order, there's no way this thing is 39.9 mm., probably a typo for 34 or 35, but I'm happy enough.

Offline PtolemAE

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2022, 06:09:57 pm »
It's been ages since I was a regular, but wasn't there a member c. 2010 who was really into the Ptolemaic series?

You may wish to compare your coin with similar types on the

ptolemybronze.com

web site.

Diameters and thicknesses of Ptolemaic bronze coins are highly variable (on a single coin) and useful only as ballpark vague size ranges. The coins are seldom truly flat or round. Weight is the only reliable size measurement for Ptolemaic bronze coins.

Afaik there is no such thing as a Ptolemaic bronze coin that is 15mm thick - not even close.

The Ptolemaic bronze tetrobols average weight is around 45 grams and are typically 35 - 40mm diameter (and may show that range on a single coin).

There are several types of Ptolemaic bronze tetrobols. Those of Series 3 (like yours) are a little more scarce than the *extremely* common tetrobols of Series 4 and Series 5. All are about the same range of sizes and weights. Interestingly, they are fairly worn so they almost certainly circulated a lot and were used despite their seemingly inconvenient bulk. They were produced by at least five mints in several designs according to the same weight standard, on and off over 50 years, starting about 266BC. The Series 4 and 5 tetrobols are so common that they're always available - impressive, interesting coins for collectors.

Enjoy your new treasure.

PtolemAE

Offline cliff_marsland

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2022, 07:03:42 pm »
Thanks for the reply and I'm glad to see you're still here!  I bookmarked the site.

Are there many issues about this size, thick and beveled?

Well, it was 2010 and one's memory tends to play tricks. It seemed to be a bit thicker than this one, but maybe the glossy brown patina made it seem thicker than this (black patina) one.

Offline cliff_marsland

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2022, 08:01:03 pm »
Perusing your site, the coin in question had an edge very much like this one http://ptolemybronze.com/ptolemy/gaf074_o.jpg

Ptolemy IV - Post-Reform Lotus Blossom Series 4 With Controls
Tetrobol.

Offline PtolemAE

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Re: trying to find a Ptolemy super thick beveled coin type I missed out on
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2022, 05:03:49 pm »
Thanks for the reply and I'm glad to see you're still here!  I bookmarked the site.

Are there many issues about this size, thick and beveled?

Well, it was 2010 and one's memory tends to play tricks. It seemed to be a bit thicker than this one, but maybe the glossy brown patina made it seem thicker than this (black patina) one.

Glad the site is helpful.

Thicknesses vary. Beveling also. Not sure what 'this size' and 'this one' are referring to.

PtolemAE


 

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