The upcoming Stack’s Bowers Galleries September Collectors Choice Online Auction features a fine selection of coins from around the ancient world, but the standouts are a pair of large-denomination gold issues from Ptolemaic Egypt.
Egypt’s strategic location at the gateway between Asia and Africa and its fertile Nile delta earned it the reputation of being the richest place in the ancient world, even after its strength had been supplanted by newer powers such as Achaemenid Persia. Greece, in contrast, spent centuries as a relative backwater due to its difficult rocky geography. Alexander the Great’s energetic charge across Asia in the 4th century BC obliterating any vestige of Persia’s empire, changed everything. Suddenly the Greeks found themselves the masters of the wealthiest empire on Earth, extending from Egypt to Bactria. The untimely death of Alexander in 323 B.C. resulted in an epic power struggle between his generals and companions, who collectively are called the Diadochi, or successors.
At the Partition of Babylon, each of the Diadochi staked his claim to govern a piece of Alexander’s empire. The ambitious Ptolemy gained governorship of Egypt and left immediately to establish his court at the city of Alexandria, taking Alexander’s body with him to bolster his legitimacy. Ptolemy’s move turned out to be a smart one. While other successors like Perdiccas, Antigonus, and Seleucus spent decades engaged in endless campaigns against each other to control Asia, Ptolemy’s rule over Egypt was never seriously threatened, enabling him to make himself pharaoh and establish what became the longest-lasting Hellenistic dynasty. The treasures of Egypt now lay at his disposal. No place had a greater supply of gold, a fact which, combined with the unrivaled skill of Hellenistic engravers, explains why the Ptolemies were able to produce the most magnificent and grandiose gold coinage in ancient history.
Lot 74067 is a Pentadrachm (or Trichryson) of Ptolemy I. This splendid coin weighs almost 18 grams of pure gold, over twice the weight of the Staters which had previously been the largest gold coins to circulate. It bears a sharp, lifelike portrait of the king, not handsome but undeniably regal with his simple diadem. A tiny delta behind his ear ties the coin to the famed “delta engraver,” responsible for some of Ptolemy’s finest numismatic depictions.
Lot 74068 is grander still, a Mnaïeion of nearly 28 grams of gold. It was struck some 30 years later under Ptolemy II, though it bears the posthumous portrait of his sister and wife, Arsinoe II. Her depiction projects a majesty approaching that of a goddess. She pairs her ornate tiara and veil with an expressionless visage and enormous eye, suggesting godlike radiance. The reverse depicts a double cornucopia, reflecting the abundance and luxury of her kingdom.
The auction will be conducted live on September 12, 2024, beginning at 9:00 AM PST. Click here to browse the complete selection of ancient coins in the sale. To view our upcoming auction schedule and future offerings, please visit StacksBowers.com where you may register and participate in this and other forthcoming sales.
We are always seeking coins, medals, and paper money for our future auctions, and are currently accepting consignments for our January 2025 NYINC, as well as for our Collectors Choice Online (CCO) auctions. If you would like to learn more about consigning, whether a singular item or an entire collection, please contact one of our consignment directors today at 800-458-4646 or Consign@StacksBowers.com.
