Video: The Archaeology Of Ptolemaic And Early Roman Coinage In Egypt With Dr. Thomas Faucher

American Numismatic Society - Dr. Thomas Faucher, Researcher at the Centre d'études Alexandrines (CEAlex) speaks on the archaeology of Ptolemaic and early Roman coinage in Egypt. Ptolemy I's decision to close the Egyptian monetary system in the early third century BCE fostered a particular environment for the deployment of Egyptian coinage. When the Romans took over Egypt and integrated this regional monetary system into the larger system of the Empire, this monetary autarky allowed Egyptian coinage to develop hybrid forms. In this lecture, Dr. Faucher will present the material resulting from archaeological excavations—mostly copper alloy coins—and examine the evolution of coinage and its integration into the economy of the countryside during the Ptolemaic and early Roman periods.