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Trichryson - Ptolemy II Alexandria
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 282 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Trichryson = 1 gold Pentadrachm = 60 silver Drachms |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | An eagle with closed wings stands in left profile atop a thunderbolt, its powerful talons gripping the weapon firmly. The bird's plumage is rendered in fine, deeply incised detail, conveying both strength and regal dignity, emblematic of Zeus and of Ptolemaic royal power. To the left of the eagle, a small oval shield is depicted in the field. The two-line Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ is disposed in the right and left fields respectively, reading around the central device in a manner typical of early Ptolemaic gold coinage. |
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| Mintage | ND (-282) |
| Additional information |
The trichryson — worth three gold pieces — was part of Ptolemy II's ambitious monetary overhaul at the start of his reign, a deliberate break from the Attic weight standard that had governed Greek coinage for generations. By shifting to a lighter Phoenician-based standard, Alexandria positioned itself to dominate eastern Mediterranean trade on its own terms, making Ptolemaic gold inconvenient to exchange at par with Macedonian or Seleucid issues. The move was as much commercial policy as political assertion.
Svoronos 583 places this among the earliest Alexandrian issues of the new reign, struck before the monetary reforms fully consolidated.