Catalog
Tetradrachm - Ptolemy I Soter Alexandreia
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 294 BC - 282 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | An eagle with closed wings stands left upon a thunderbolt, the primary dynastic emblem of the Ptolemaic coinage. The eagle is depicted in a powerful, static pose with talons gripping the thunderbolt firmly. The legend ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (of King Ptolemy) is distributed in the field, with the mint control monogram ΠΑΡ appearing in the left field. The composition reflects the established reverse type introduced with the second monetary reform of Ptolemy I. |
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| Additional information |
Ptolemy I spent decades carefully constructing a divine image for Alexander the Great — and for himself by association — before finally taking the royal title in 305 BC. This issue belongs to the mature phase of that project, struck after Ptolemy formalized the deification of Alexander and established the dynastic cult that would define Ptolemaic rule for the next two and a half centuries. The Alexandreia mint was producing these heavy silver pieces at the moment Egypt was being transformed from a conquered satrapy into a hereditary monarchy with its own theological apparatus.
Ptolemy I died around 283 BC, making this among the last coinage struck under his direct authority.