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Diobol - Ptolemy II Philadelphus
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 275 BC - 274 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 15.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Greek |
| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ (Translation: King Ptolemy.) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Ptolemy II inherited a monetary system from his father that was deliberately incompatible with the broader Greek world — a closed currency zone designed to force all merchants trading in Egypt to exchange their coin at royal banks, generating conversion revenue for the crown. This bronze diobol belongs to the early phase of that system's consolidation, struck when Ptolemy II was simultaneously managing the First Syrian War against the Seleucids and completing the grand building program at Alexandria.
The Lorber 1.2 classification places this among the earliest organized bronze issues under Philadelphus, before the series underwent significant weight adjustments in subsequent decades.