My First Animal On A Coin.

Thanks, Paul. I think we both know that it's the eagles. Someone planted the eagles in my head and they have flown around in there ever since.


Indeed. His grandmother had a lot to answer for by pushing a very unusual child into a position of such power at the age of fourteen, when even she couldn't control him. It must have seemed like a very long four years for the Romans before he met his demise.

Another Tet!
Nice addition to your convocation (had to look that one up) of eagles Jim..Well attributed too, not an easy coin to find..Congrats..

Another tet and another eagle to add to the convocation. (Thanks, Paul. ) This time a tetradrachm of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, "Ptolemy the Benefactor", also known as Physcon, Greek for "Potbellied or Fatty". The downside is that the coin is chipped, but chipped = affordable, and the upside is that it still has a reasonable bust of Ptolemy I and a reasonably detailed eagle. This coin would be one of the last to be struck before his death.

In 154 BC he launched a great building program in the Cyrenaica, hence the surname Euergetes, "Benefactor".

He was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 182 BC to Ptolemy V Epiphanes and Cleopatra Syra (daughter of Antiochus III the Great), and was to rule from 145 till his death on 26 June 116 BC.

Ptolemy VIII would marry three times, and by today's standards his family unit was rather strange. His first marriage was to his sister Cleopatra II, the widow of his elder brother Ptolemy VI who died in action. There was no issue. Without divorcing Cleopatra II he married his niece and stepdaughter Cleopatra III, the daughter of his brother Ptolemy VI and sister Cleopatra II. They had two sons; Ptolemy IX Soter and Ptolemy X Alexander, and three daughters; Cleopatra IV who married her brother Ptolemy IX; Cleopatra V Selene who also married her brother Ptolemy IX, and Tryphaena who married Antiochus VIII Grypus. His third wife Irene bore him a son; Ptolemy Apion.

Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II. Tetradrachm. Alexandria. 117-116 BC.
Obverse: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, aegis around neck. Reverse: Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; L ΝΔ (regnal year 54) in left field. Reverse Inscription: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ. Silver. Diameter: 24 mm. Weight: 11.1 gr.
Reference: SNG Cop. 331; DCA 54.

Thanks, Paul.

I was initially attracted to the rather severe looking eagle, then the nice bust of Ptolemy and of course the connection to the Seleucids. The very tempting low cost was a definite bonus.

The additional information is much appreciated, Paul. I've downloaded it into the appropriate folder and document. Thank you.

The crescent is mentioned in the RPC 5318 page, but so far I have not found any mention as to what it represents anywhere. Hopefully someone will have the answer.

Another eagle to add to the convocation , but it wasn't quite what I had expected.

I liked the portrait of Caracalla on this tetradrachm, but didn't understand why the reverse legend ended with APX instead of the OC T Δ it should have been. There are variations in the obverse and reverse legends, but when the coin arrived it became apparent that it was most likely a double (?) strike. On the obverse there is a fine line that follows the contour of the back of Caracalla's head. On the reverse, the eagle's left leg is missing, there is part of a wreath where the bull's head should be, also the top of the eagle's right wing and part of the legend is repeated, inverted, on the bottom right of the coin, at a position of around 180 degrees rotation.

Why would the obverse be almost perfectly in alignment, but part of the reverse be 180 degrees out of alignment?

Caracalla (198-217 AD), AR Tetradrachm of Sidon in Phoenicia. Struck 215-216 AD.
Obverse: His laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Obverse Inscription: AYT KAI ANTWNINOC CE. Reverse: Eagle standing facing, head left, wings open, holding wreath in beak; between legs, Europa riding bull right. Reverse Inscription: ΔHMAPX EΞ YΠATOC T Δ. Silver. Diameter: 27mm. Weight: 13.60gm.
Reference: Prieur 1357.

A similar example here: https://coins.ha.com/itm/roman-prov...bnail-071515

The obverse appears to be a die match to the Heritage Auctions coin.

I've shown this one before, but seeing all of the eagles I thought it might make a nice addition.
Attribution is not my strong suit yet so the info is what others have passed on to me.

Mint No.2 - Greek Ionia - Ephesos Tetartemorion B.C.500 - 420

Tetartemorion
1/64th stater
Silver
5mm
0.14g
Bee / Head of eagle facing left

So many animals since you started this thread. I like your recent Ionian barley grain (which looks to me more like a Mysian tuna fish). But back to the beginning....this Seleucid is still my favorite in my set of non-eagle animals.



Have you picked up one of these yet?