Drachm - Ptolemy II

Issuer	Ptolemaic Kingdom
Year	260 BC - 246 BC
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Value	Drachm (1)
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Obverse description	Bearded effigy of Zeus-Ammon in right-facing profile, wearing a diadem, rendered in the Hellenistic tradition with elaborate, deeply engraved flowing hair and a full beard with finely detailed curls. The syncretic deity combines the iconography of the Greek Zeus with the ram's-horn attribute of the Egyptian Ammon, reflecting the theological legitimacy claimed by the Ptolemaic dynasty. The portrait occupies nearly the full flan, with bold high-relief modelling characteristic of Alexandrian die engravers of the third century BC. The field is plain, with no legend on the obverse.
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Reverse description	Two eagles standing in profile facing left, perched upon a thunderbolt, rendered in the robust Ptolemaic style that became the dynastic emblem of the kingdom. A control letter or date mark appears between the legs of the left eagle, identifying the emission series. The encircling legend ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (of King Ptolemy) runs around the reverse field in Greek majuscule lettering. The thunderbolt, a symbol of Zeus and of royal power, is depicted horizontally beneath the eagles' talons. Various control letters (including A, B, E, I, P, T, X, Δ, Θ, and Λ) are documented for this type, distinguishing individual issues within the series.
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Reverse lettering	ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, Θ (Translation: King Ptolemy)
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