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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Greek Imperial| ▸ |Egypt||View Options:   | | | From Augustus' conquest until Diocletian's monetary reforms, Egypt maintained a separate currency. Hoard evidence indicates that when crossing into Egypt all imperial coinage had to be exchanged for Egyptian and when leaving all Egyptian coinage had to be exchanged for imperial coinage. Coins are dated according to the Egyptian year which began on 29 August, or 30 August following a leap year. The Egyptian tetradrachm was officially valued at one denarius. |
The following list was provided by the consignor and has not been verified by FORVM:
1) Antoninus Pius
2) Julia Mamaea
3) Gordian III
4) Aurelian and Vabalathus
5) Probus
6) Maximianus
7) Severus Alexander
LT110952. Billon Lot, lot of 7 Roman provincial Egypt billon tetradrachms, F - VF, 18.6mm - 25.3mm, Alexandria mint, c. 140 - 300 A.D.; no tags or flips, the actual coins in the photograph, as-is, no returns, 7 coins; $270.00 (€253.80)
Augustus, 16 January 27 B.C. - 19 August 14 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt
Alexandria (31°13'N, 29°55'E), was founded on the site of a fishing village at the mouth of the Nile in Egypt by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and after his death in 323 BC it was ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty until Octavian seized it for Rome in 30 BC. Famous as an intellectual and trading center, it was the second largest city in the Roman Empire with a population of 500,000 at the time of Christ. It had long struck coins for Egyptian circulation, and briefly struck Imperial denarii (192-194) before Diocletian in 294 commenced normal imperial issues, continuing until 421 (and briefly under Leo I 457-474).RX113651. Bronze diobol, RPC Online I 5013; Dattari-Savio pl. 1, 16; Geissen 9; BMC Alexandria p. 3, 18; Emmett 27; Kampmann-Ganschow 2.9, F, rough, weight 6.919 g, maximum diameter 22.1 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria (Egypt) mint, 3 - 2 B.C.; obverse garlanded altar between two laurel branches, ΣEBAΣTOY below; reverse KAIΣA/POΣ in two lines within laurel wreath; ex Stacks & Bowers auction Aug 2023, lot 53235 (part of); ex Naville Numismatics auction 51 (21 Jul 2019), lot 236; $180.00 (€169.20)
Antoninus Pius, August 138 - 7 March 161 A.D., Roman Egypt
"ALEXANDRIA (31°13'N, 29°55'E), was founded on the site of a fishing village at the mouth of the Nile in Egypt by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and after his death in 323 BC it was ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty until Octavian seized it for Rome in 30 BC. Famous as an intellectual and trading center, it was the second largest city in the Roman Empire with a population of 500,000 at the time of Christ. It had long struck coins for Egyptian circulation, and briefly struck Imperial denarii (192-194) before Diocletian in 294 commenced normal imperial issues, continuing until 421 (and briefly under Leo I 457-474)." - from Moneta Historical Research by Tom SchroerRX111023. Bronze drachm, RPC Online 13749/36 (this coin); Dattari-Savio 8855; Geissen 1672; SNG Milan 1299; BMC Alexandria p. 143, 1201; Emmett 1449, aVF, well centered, some corrosion/pitting, edge splits, obv. edge beveled, weight 27.079 g, maximum diameter 34.4 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 151 - 152 A.D.; obverse AVT K T AIΛ AΔP ANTWNINOC CEB EVC, laureate bust right, with aegis on far shoulder; reverse Peristyle altar of Agathodaemon, with four columns and garlanded entablature, female figure sacrificing within, burning pyre and acroteria in form of aphlasta above; L in exergue, I-E (year 15) across fields; ex Naville Numismatics 40 (27 May 2018), lot 298; ex Roma Numismatics e-auction 41 (2 Dec 2017), lot 491; $125.00 (€117.50)
Roman Egypt, c. 1st - 3rd Century A.D.
According to Milne, lead tesserae served as local small change in Egypt during the first to the third century A.D.
Euthenia is the personification of abundance or plenty. To the Romans she was Abundantia. Her attributes are heads of grain and the cornucopia. She can be seated or standing and is sometimes shown emptying a cornucopia.
In Denise Wilding's unpublished 2020 thesis, Tokens and communities in the Roman provinces: an exploration of Egypt, Gaul and Britain, she describes an Egyptian tessera similar to our piece with the date LZ in the exergue, found in an ancient shipwreck off the Carmel coast at Haifa (Israel). According to her source, an article published in ‘Atiqot 63 (2010) by Ya‘akov Meshorer, the wreck "contained a hoard of 162 coins," comprising "68 denarii, along with three [silver] provincial coins, three Alexandrian billon, 85 bronze coins and three [lead] tokens." Meshorer dated the coins within the period 20 B.C - A.D. 235. For Wilding, the presence of the tesserae (2 Egyptian and a 4th century B.C. Athenian[!]) was hard to interpret, especially the Athenian token, which would already have been ancient at the time of the shipwreck. However, it should be noted that throughout history, shipping vessels needed ballast onboard when there was not enough cargo, for stability. Oftentimes, such ballast would consist of nothing more than large amounts of dirt likely procured at different ports. Depending on the source, the soil could be littered with a wide variety of discarded or lost items, including coins and tokens.RX114008. Lead tessera, Emmett 4325.6 (R5), cf. Milne 5397 - 5400 (diff. years, in ex.), Dattari-Savio 11623 (LB, in ex.), Weiser -, F, well centered, holed, with attractive splashes of yellow deposits and/or oxides across fields and in hole, weight 3.796 g, maximum diameter 18.5 mm, die axis 270o, uncertain Egyptian mint, c. 1st - 3rd century A.D; obverse Nilus reclining left, holding palm frond in his right hand and cornucopia in his left; to left, drooping lotus flower; reverse Euthenia reclining left, holding three grain ears in her right hand and cornucopia in her left, pomegranate or child's head(?) above right arm; to left, Genius (or another child) standing right (mostly obstructed by hole), raising their right hand and holding staff over left shoulder, Lς (year 6 of an uncertain era) upper left; very rare; $110.00 (€103.40)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Berenike II, 244 - 221 B.C., Wife of Ptolemy III
This type has traditionally been attributed to Ake Ptolemais, Galilee (Acre, Israel). R. Poole attributed them to Cyprus and they have been found there, but C. Lorber notes they were found in numbers in the Ras Ibn Hani Excavations, on the North Syrian coast. This site had easy access to Cyrus. She also finds Seleukid influence in the skilled epigraphy and reverse legend arrangement. She thus attributes the type to an uncertain North Syrian mint.GP114718. Bronze tritartemorion, Lorber CPE B460; Svoronos 1055; SNG Cop 460; Weiser 84; Noeske -, aVF, porous/rough, legends weak, light earthen deposits, obv. edge beveled, weight 6.387 g, maximum diameter 21.0 mm, die axis 0o, uncertain North Syrian mint, 244 - 221 B.C.; obverse BEPENIKHΣ downward on left, BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ (clockwise), diademed and draped bust of Queen Berenike II right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (clockwise), eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings closed, head left; $100.00 (€94.00)
Hadrian, 11 August 117 - 10 July 138 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt
This coin was once part of the Dattari Collection, probably the finest Alexandrian coin collection ever assembled. Giovanni Dattari (1853 - 1923) was a self-taught collector and successful trader of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities. He held a near monopoly in the antiquities trade in Cairo. He also shared his expertise and first-hand knowledge of Egypt with the foremost scholars of his time. Dattari assembled a collection of over 25,000 ancient coins. His 1901 work, Numi Augg. Alexandrini, cataloged 6411 of his coins from Roman Alexandria, and is still a primary reference for the coinage of Roman Egypt. Dattari also made pencil rubbings of more than 13,000 coins from Roman Alexandria in his collection; these were finally published in 2007 by Adriano Savio. In 1920, Dattari donated much of his collection to the Museo Nazionale Romano. After his death, the remainder of his collection was sold.RX113872. Bronze drachm, cf. RPC III 5023, Geissen 760; Dattari 1782; Milne 84; Kampmann-Ganschow 32.49; BMC Alexandria -, F, green patina, light earthen deposits, obv. edge beveled, weight 21.512 g, maximum diameter 33.5 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 117 - 28 Aug 118 A.D.; obverse AYT KAIC TPAIANOC A;ΔPIANOC (or similar, Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus), laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder; reverse Nilus reclining left, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, reeds in right hand, left arm resting on crocodile(?) and cornucopia, LB (year 2) in exergue; ex Leu Numismatik auction 26 (8 Jul 2023), lot 7006 (part of); ex Eric ten Brink Collection; ex Naville Numismatics 57 (26 Apr 2020), lot 265 (realized £55 plus fees); $95.00 (€89.30)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros), 116 - c. 110 B.C.
This is the scarce Kyrene mint version of the very common Svoronos 1426, struck at Alexandria.GP114958. Bronze obol, Asolati 80 (Ptolemy VI-VIII); SNG Cop 455 (as Ptolemy VIII-Ptolemy Apion); Svoronos 1158 (as Ptolemy IV), F, near black patina, earthen deposits, obv. edge beveled, central depressions, weight 6.229 g, maximum diameter 19.8 mm, die axis 0o, Kyrene (near Shahhat, Libya) mint, 116 - c. 110 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right; reverse two eagles standing left on fulmen (thunderbolt), heads left, wings closed, silphium plant to left; $90.00 (€84.60)
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt
The North African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaohensis) is an extinct subspecies of the African bush elephant, or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa, north of the Sahara, until it died out in Roman times. These were the famous war elephants used by Carthage in the Punic Wars, their conflict with the Roman Republic. Although the subspecies has been formally described, it has not been widely recognized by taxonomists. Other names for this animal include the North African forest elephant, Carthaginian elephant, and Atlas elephant. Originally, its range probably extended across North Africa and down to the present Sudanese and Eritrean coasts.RX111825. Bronze dichalkon, Geissen 460, Dattari 1203, Kampmann 27.51, SNG BnF IV 1036, Emmett 701.7, F, dark green and brown patina, cleaning marks, weight 1.392 g, maximum diameter 13.0 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 103 - 28 Aug 104 A.D.; obverse no legend, laureate head right; reverse elephant walking right, L Z (year 7) above; ex Classical Numismatic Group e-sale 481 (02 Dec 2020), lot 346; ex Judy Day Frink Collection; $80.00 (€75.20)
Diocletian, 20 November 284 - 1 May 305 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice, and skill. Her usual attribute is the owl and Nike is her frequent companion.RX114200. Billon tetradrachm, RPC Online X U75951 (27 spec.), Dattari-Savio 5626, Emmett 4030; Geissen 3225, Milne 4811, Curtis 1961, SNG Cop 981, BMC Alexandria 2481, aVF, tight, ragged flan with superficial cracking, weight 7.550 g, maximum diameter 19.0 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 286 - 28 Aug 287 A.D.; obverse A K Γ OYA ΔIOKΛHTIANOC CEB, laureate and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front; reverse Athena standing slightly right, head left, spear in right hand, resting left hand on grounded shield, LΓ (year 3) in left field; ex Priapus Numismatics e-auction 1 (5 Nov 2023), lot 651; scarce; $80.00 (€75.20)
Maximus, Caesar, 235 or 236 - 24 June 238 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt
Handsome and accomplished, but ill mannered, Maximus was declared caesar at eighteen years of age. He became so proud, insolent, and vicious, that he was soon detested as much as his father. After a short time in Rome, he was obliged to join his father in Germany. Betrothed to Junia Fadilla, he was on the verge uniting his barbarian blood to that of the illustrious family of Antoninus Pius, when he was assassinated alongside his father by disgruntled soldiers.RX114957. Billon tetradrachm, RPC Online VI 10722, Dattari-Savio 4630, Geissen 2592, Kampmann-Ganschow 67.18, Milne 3240, Emmett 3324/3 (R4), F, scratches, weight 11.075 g, maximum diameter 22.7 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, as caesar, 236 - 237 A.D.; obverse Γ IOYΛ OYHP MAΞIMOC KAI, bare-headed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; reverse Nike advancing left, raising wreath in right hand, palm frond in left hand, L Γ (year 3) lower left; first specimen of the type handled by FORVM, only two sales of this type listed on Coin Archives in the last two decades; rare; $80.00 (€75.20)
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