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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Hellenistic Monarchies| ▸ |Ptolemaic Egypt||View Options:   | | | After Alexander the Great's death, Egypt was administered by Ptolemy, one of his friends and generals. In 305 B.C., Ptolemy crowned himself king, establishing one of the most important and flourishing Hellenistic monarchies. Ptolemaic rule lasted for 275 years, until 30 B.C. The culture was a complex mixture of Egyptian and Greek traditions, best represented by the famous city of Alexandria. All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy, while queens regnant were all called Cleopatra, Arsinoe or Berenice. The most famous member of the line was the last queen, Cleopatra VII, known for her role in the Roman political battles between Julius Caesar and Pompey, and later between Octavian and Mark Antony. Her suicide at the conquest by Rome marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. |
The following list was provided by the consignor and has not been verified by FORVM:
1) Ptolemy I, AE20, Alexander / Eagle, wings open
2) Ptolemy Keraunos, AJN 12, 2000, 64 (legend reversed), ex Moneta
3) Marathos, AE24, Berenike II, Marathos
4) Ptolemy III?, AE20, Kyrene, Svoronos 871, rough
5) Byzantium and Kalchedon, AE26
6) Ptolemy IX, Kyrene, AE16 Headdress of Isis
7) Ptolemy VIII, AE23, Svoronos 1385, ex Clain-Stefanelli
8) Late Ptolemaic, cf. Svoronos 1698, skeuomorph central marks
9) Time of Ptolemy IX, AE29, Cypriot mint, two eagles standing left
10) Ptolemy II, AE17 hemiobol, Eagle with open wings, Svoronos 441; Lorber B221
11) Ptolemy III, AE13, Trident at left of eagle, Svoronos 839, Choice VF, rare this nice
12) Ptolemy IV, AE26 obol, F
13) Ptolemy VIII, AE28, Svoronos 1492, ex Clain-Stefanelli
14) Time of Ptolemy IX, AE37 (23.4g), Cypriot mint, head of Zeus-Ammon / two eagles
15) Late Ptolemaic Cyprus, c. 88 BC, brockage, Svoronos 1714
16) Time of Cleopatra, Paphos, AE16 hemiobol
17) Cleopatra VII, AE10, Svoronos 1160
LT110931. Bronze Lot, Ptolemaic Egypt, 17 bronzes, 9.7mm - 37.6mm, mostly Fair to Fine, 305 - 30 B.C.; no tags or flips, the actual coins in the photograph, as-is, no returns, 17 coins; some scarce;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246 - 222 B.C.
Ptolemy III Euergetes was the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He promoted the translation of Jewish scriptures into Greek as the Septuagint. Due to a falling out at the Seleucid court, his eldest sister Berenice Phernophorus was murdered along with her infant son. In response, he invaded Syria, occupied Antioch, and even reached Babylon. This war, the Third Syrian War, is cryptically alluded to in Daniel XI 7-9. The Ptolemaic kingdom reached the height of its power during his reign.GP111185. Bronze hemiobol, Lorber CPE B469, Svoronos 709, SNG Cop 496, BMC Ptolemies p. 53, 70, Weiser 57, Hosking 27; SNG Milan 138; Noeske 96, aVF, centered on a broad flan, edge cracks, obverse edge beveled, central dimples, weight 5.730 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, c. 230 - 222 B.C.; obverse diademed and horned head of Zeus-Ammon right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (King Ptolemy), eagle standing left on fulmen (thunderbolt), wings closed, club left, no control letters; from the Michael Arslan Collection;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246 - 222 B.C.
Ptolemy III Euergetes was the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He promoted the translation of Jewish scriptures into Greek as the Septuagint. Due to a falling out at the Seleucid court, his eldest sister Berenice Phernophorus was murdered along with her infant son. In response, he invaded Syria, occupied Antioch, and even reached Babylon. This war, the Third Syrian War, is cryptically alluded to in Daniel XI 7-9. The Ptolemaic kingdom reached the height of its power during his reign.GP111186. Bronze hemiobol, Lorber CPE B469, Svoronos 709, SNG Cop 496, BMC Ptolemies p. 53, 70, Weiser 57, Hosking 27; SNG Milan 138; Noeske 96, VF, broad flan, earthen encrustation, scratches, obverse edge beveled, central dimples, weight 6.182 g, maximum diameter 20.5 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, c. 230 - 222 B.C.; obverse diademed and horned head of Zeus-Ammon right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (King Ptolemy), eagle standing left on fulmen (thunderbolt), wings closed, club left, no control letters; from the Michael Arslan Collection;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246 - 222 B.C.
Ptolemy III Euergetes was the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He promoted the translation of Jewish scriptures into Greek as the Septuagint. Due to a falling out at the Seleucid court, his eldest sister Berenice Phernophorus was murdered along with her infant son. In response, he invaded Syria, occupied Antioch, and even reached Babylon. This war, the Third Syrian War, is cryptically alluded to in Daniel XI 7-9. The Ptolemaic kingdom reached the height of its power during his reign.GP111196. Bronze dichalkon, Lorber CPE 471; Svoronos 711; Weiser 58; Hosking 28; BMC Ptolemies p. 53, 72; SNG Milan 181; SNG Cop -; Noeske -, VF, earthen encrustation, rev. off center, obv. edge beveled, central dimples, weight 3.036 g, maximum diameter 15.9 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, c. 230 - 222 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (King Ptolemy), eagle standing left on thunderbolt, club left, no control letter; from the Michael Arslan Collection;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros), 116 - c. 110 B.C.
After Ptolemy VIII died in 116 B.C., Cleopatra III ruled with her mother Cleopatra II and son Ptolemy IX. In 110 B.C., she replaced Ptolemy IX as co-regent with her second son Ptolemy X. Ptolemy IX regained the throne in 109 but was again replaced in 107 B.C. In 101 B.C., Ptolemy X had his mother Cleopatra III murdered and then ruled alone or with his niece and wife, Berenice III.GP111973. Bronze AE 15, cf. Svoronos 1845; Buttrey Cyrene 378; SNG Cop 685, Noeske 392, Weiser -, VF, cleaned and porous, weight 3.351 g, maximum diameter 14.5 mm, die axis 0o, Kyrene (near Shahhat, Libya) mint, 116 - c. 110 B.C.; obverse horned head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing diadem; reverse ΠTOΛE BAΣIΛE ΣΩ (or similar), headdress of Isis;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, 51 - 30 B.C., Paphos, Cyprus
Kreuzer, in his book The Coinage System of Cleopatra VII and Augustus in Cyprus, assembles evidence dating this type to Cleopatra VII instead of the reign of Ptolemy IV used in older references.GP111778. Bronze 1/4 obol, Kreuzer p. 44, first illustration; Svoronos 1160 (Ptolemy IV); SNG Cop 649; Weiser -, F, dark green patina, porous, obv. edge beveled, weight 2.232 g, maximum diameter 13.1 mm, die axis 0o, Paphos mint, obverse diademed bust Isis (Cleopatra as Isis?) right, hair in melon-coiffure; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY - BAΣIΛEΩΣ, double cornucopia flanked by ribbons;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy IV Philopator, 221 - 204 B.C.
Ptolemy IV's surname Philopator means father lover, ironic since according to some authorities he poisoned his father. Ptolemy IV is a major protagonist of the apocryphal 3 Maccabees, which describes events following the Battle of Raphia, in both Jerusalem and Alexandria. He was a cruel and evil monarch.GP110808. Bronze dichalkon, Lorber CPE B550, Svoronos -, BMC Ptolemies -; Weiser -; SNG Cop -, Noeske -, SNG Milan -, Malter -, aVF, dark green patina, scratches, beveled obv. edge, central cavities, weight 3.114 g, maximum diameter 15.6 mm, die axis 0o, Phoenicia, Tyre (Lebanon) mint, 221 - 204 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings closed, club left, ΣΕ monogram between legs; only one sale (misattributed) of this type listed on Coin Archives in the last two decades; extremely rare;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246 - 222 B.C.
Ptolemy III Euergetes was the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He promoted the translation of Jewish scriptures into Greek as the Septuagint. Due to a falling out at the Seleucid court, his eldest sister Berenice Phernophorus was murdered along with her infant son. In response, he invaded Syria, occupied Antioch, and even reached Babylon. This war, the Third Syrian War, is cryptically alluded to in Daniel XI 7-9. The Ptolemaic kingdom reached the height of its power during his reign.GP111048. Bronze hemiobol, Lorber CPE B449; Svoronos 1007; Weiser 109; SNG Cop 646; SNG Milan 201; BMC Ptolemies p. 52, 60; SGCV II 7824, Choice gVF, green patina, well centered, central dimples, obv. edge beveled, weight 6.547 g, maximum diameter 19.5 mm, die axis 0o, Cyprus, Paphos mint, 246 - 222 B.C.; obverse horned head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing diadem and basileion; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, cult-statue of Aphrodite standing facing on base, wearing chiton and polos, holding lotus blossom to breast with right hand, poppies or myrtle branches in left hand;
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, 51 - 30 B.C., Paphos, Cyprus
Kreuzer, in his book The Coinage System of Cleopatra VII and Augustus in Cyprus, assembles evidence dating this type to Cleopatra VII instead of the reign of Ptolemy IV used in older references.GP110629. Bronze 1/4 obol, Kreuzer p. 44, first illustration; Svoronos 1160 (Ptolemy IV); SNG Cop 649; Weiser -, F, weight 1.297 g, maximum diameter 11.4 mm, die axis 0o, Paphos mint, obverse diademed bust of Cleopatra VII as Isis right, hair in melon-coiffure; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY - BAΣIΛEΩΣ, double cornucopia flanked by ribbons;
Kyrene, North Africa, Ptolemy Apion, c. 101 - 96 B.C.
Ptolemy Apion was a son of Ptolemy VIII, perhaps by an Egyptian concubine. This makes him a half-brother of Ptolemy IX and X. Ptolemy Apion died in 96 B.C., without an heir, leaving his kingdom to the Roman Republic.
According to Butrey, Apion's coinage was nothing but very small change, with a peak about 1.3 grams. Buttrey notes, "the Greek coinage of Cyrenaica, of glorious tradition, ended in the lamentable small bronzes of Apion."GB110044. Bronze quarter-obol, Buttrey Cyrene 542 - 603, VF, tight flan, dark patina, earthen deposits, weight 1.127 g, maximum diameter 11.6 mm, die axis 0o, Kyrene (near Shahhat, Libya) mint, c. 101 - 96 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Ptolemy I as Zeus right, wearing aegis; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, head of Libya or Isis right; ex Naville auction 65 (30 May 2021), lot 111 (part of); ex Richard Plant collection; rare;
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