Catalog
Trichryson - Ptolemy II Alexandria
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 282 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 17.87 g |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and draped bust of Ptolemy I Soter facing right, rendered in fine Hellenistic style with richly detailed curling hair secured by a broad royal diadem. The portrait displays strong, idealized facial features characteristic of early Ptolemaic royal coinage, with a prominent nose and clean-shaven jaw. A twisted cord or taenia is visible at the nape of the neck, and a beaded border frames the field. The high-relief effigy fills the flan with commanding presence, reflecting the accomplished die-cutting of the Alexandrian mint. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (-282) |
| Additional information |
The trichryson — worth three gold chrysoi — was part of Ptolemy II's aggressive monetary program launched at the very start of his sole reign, designed to assert financial independence from the Macedonian weight standards that had governed Hellenistic coinage since Alexander. By adopting a lighter Phoenician-based standard, Ptolemy effectively locked Egyptian coinage into a closed currency system, forcing merchants operating within the kingdom to exchange foreign coin at the palace's rate.
Svoronos 573 places this among the earliest Alexandria issues of the reign, a dating supported by Lorber's die study linking it to the transitional period immediately following Ptolemy I's death in 282 BC.