Ptolemaic coinage

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Phoenician weight
)

A silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy IV Philopator, who reigned from 221-205 BC; an undated issue from the Arados royal mint, struck circa 214-212 BC, 26mm in width, 14.10 gm in weight; the obverse shows a diademed head of Ptolemy I Soter wearing the aegis, while the reverse shows an eagle standing on a thunderbolt.

Coinage of the

Hellenistic world, was smaller than the dominant[1] Attic weight. Consequentially, Ptolemaic coins are smaller than other Hellenistic coinage. In terms of art, the coins, which were made of silver, followed the example set by contemporary Greek currencies, with dynastic figures being typically portrayed. The Ptolemaic coin making process often resulted in a central depression, similar to what can be found on Seleucid coinage
.

The

native dynasties made only very limited use of coins. Egyptian gold stater was the first coin ever minted in ancient Egypt around 360 BC during the reign of pharaoh Teos
of the 30th Dynasty. These coins were used to pay salaries of Greek mercenaries in his service.

The first Ptolemaic mint was in

Jewish community in Palestine
, they still had to observe the Ptolemaic weight. These policies, along with inflation and increasing difficulty to obtain silver, caused monetary isolation of the Ptolemaic coinage.

After Egypt was

aurei
did not circulate in the former Ptolemaic Kingdom, so Egypt's monetary isolation continued.

Design and symbolism

Further information: Ancient Greek coinage
Ptolemy V Epiphanes' bronze coin. Depression in center of the coin can be clearly seen both on obverse and reverse sides. Reverse shows a common Ptolemaic symbol, the eagle standing on a thunderbolt.

The Ptolemaic Kingdom used

Phoenician weight instead of the more common Attic weight.[2] Phoenician weight, also known as Ptolemaic weight, is about 14,20 grams. The more common Attic weight from other Hellenistic states is approximately 17,26 grams. Ptolemaic coinage was struck in different standard, and the kingdom sought to obtain full royal control on coinage in circulation.[3] The largest denominations of Ptolemaic bronze coinage weighed up to 100 grams.[3]

Artistically, Ptolemaic coinage closely followed contemporary

deified.[4]

In the coin making process, there were similarities with Seleucid coinage. For instance, Ptolemaic coins often have a central depression from the coin making process.[5][6]

Mints

Ptolemaic dominions
in 200 BC

Coinage was used in the

Roman rule of Egypt
. The first Ptolemaic mint was at Memphis. It was later moved to Alexandria.[7]

Tyre was the most important coastal city out of the five Ptolemaic cities with a mint in Syria.[2] After the Seleucid Kingdom led by Antiochus III the Great conquered Coele-Syria Ptolemais in Phoenicia (Acre) was still allowed to strike coins using the Phoenician weight. The mint remained very prolific, and was among the most active ones in the Seleucid Kingdom.[8][9] It is likely that the city struck silver coinage without an interruption after it changed hands, as it was a very important city in Phoenicia.[9] However, the Seleucids discontinued a Ptolemaic mint in Jaffa.[3]

In Greece, Ptolemaic coinage mainly originates from the Peloponnese and Euboea. Corinth did not strike Ptolemaic coinage during its brief subordination to the kingdom.[2]

Cyprus had many important mints, and the island struck large amounts of Ptolemaic coinage from 200 BC to 80 BC.[2] Cyprus was also richer in silver than Egypt.[10] In the second century BC, most of the Cypriot coinage are easily identifiable and datable because they include abbreviations for mints and dates for both gold and silver coinage. Cypriot mints from this period include Salamis (abbr. ΣA), Kition (abbr. KI) and Paphos (abbr. Π, and later as ΠA).[11] Meanwhile, at Crete, there was no royal coinage in use, and Cretan cities had a strong autonomy of minting their own coins.[2]

There are no evidence that Ptolemaic mints existed in

Asia Minor. Furthermore, regions such as Cilicia and Lycia had no autonomous mints striking local currency. It seems that there was little circulation of Ptolemaic currency in Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia and Cilicia. Local Pamphylian silver coinage was discontinued under Ptolemaic control. It is likely that people in southern Asia Minor simply did not have a habit of using coinage in everyday economic transactions.[2]

History

Ptolemy II Philadelphus (front) and his sister-wife Arsinoe II

Background

Further information: Diadochi

Silver was scarcer than gold in Egypt, and the exact ratio of their value is unclear. Silver was however probably shipped in significant quantities from abroad.[12] In addition, Ptolemaic Cyprus produced some silver for coinage struck locally.[10]

Coinage was not used in Egypt during pre-Ptolemaic

Naukratis had coincided with the strengthening trade relations.[13]

Monetary isolation

Tetradrachm of Ptolemy I Soter, British Museum, London

The Ptolemaic Kingdom did not use the Attic weight, or Attic standard, which was very common in other contemporary

Rhodian standard in the transition process to the Phoenician weight. A possible reason for this very brief usage of the Rhodian weight in coinage may have resulted from strong commercial ties with the island of Rhodes.[14][15] However, it is important to note that the Rhodian standard was lighter than Attic but heavier than Phoenician weight. As a result, the process shows a clear downward scale in size of the coinage. Despite this coincidence, political reasons and trade partnerships are still offering better explanations than a proposed theory that value of silver was in appreciation during Ptolemy I's reign.[15]

During most of the Ptolemaic Kingdom's history, it was a policy that all foreign coinage within Egypt would be confiscated by the state and replaced with Ptolemaic currency. Parallels between

Athens and the Ptolemaic Kingdom can be drawn as Athens attempted to introduce a sole currency in its empire. The Ptolemaic Kingdom forced its own monetary system to its foreign dominions. In rare cases, where cities under Ptolemaic dominion were allowed to keep their local currency, the cities were still forced to convert their currency to Phoenician weight.[2][3]

Yehud coinage

Palestine region and Judea came under Ptolemaic control when Ptolemy I Soter took control of Yehud Medinata in 320 BC. But there was considerable instability in the area after his rule there was challenged.

Achaemenid period. Mostly small denominations were minted there. When the Ptolemies took over Palestine, they allowed this coinage to continue with modifications. It appears that the previous minting authorities were allowed to continue their issues, and there is no evidence that the Egyptian weight system was used. Rather, the Attic standard prevailed after the Macedonian conquest.[16]

The minting of small denomination coins continued, for example coins with Ptolemy and Berenike.[17] Minting of some local coins was allowed with the names of local magistrates.[18]

The Ptolemaic coins minted in Judea carried only the Hebrew letters YHD (Yehud), and no Greek lettering.

John Hyrcanus I with different legends. Substantial advances have been made in the study of Yehud and Samaria coins in the 21th century.[20]

Neighboring Seleucid Kingdom's policy was also not so strict in imposing the royal control on mints.[2]

obverse: diademed
bust of Cleopatra VII. Reverse: inscription reading "ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑΣ", with an eagle standing on thunderbolt.

During the reign of

Macedonian Empire.[8] Cypriot coinage was eliminated when the local monarchies ceased to exist. In Cyrene it took even longer to eliminate municipal coinage. In Crete the local currency was never suppressed. Uniformity of the currency was sought flexibly, yet opportunistically.[2]

As it became increasingly difficult to obtain silver for the Ptolemaic kingdom, bronze coinage largely replaced silver in Egypt. Furthermore, monetary isolation was increased by other factors, like considerable inflation and the use of a unique standard to replace the Attic weight.

Cleopatra VII it had suffered a very large degree of debasement. Despite the economic difficulties in the Ptolemaic realm, economically notable debasement began in 136 BC. After Cleopatra VII's economic reform in 51 BC a type of stater that was only one third silver was issued.[21]

Roman era

Cleopatra VII Philopator
, the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom

After the demise of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, Egypt became a

aurei did not circulate in provincial Egypt.[22]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-521-39504-5
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 90-04-04490-6
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-521-21880-1
    .
  4. ^ Fulinska, Agnieszka (2010). "Iconography of the Ptolemaic queens on coins: Greek style, Egyptian ideas?". Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization. 14. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  5. ISBN 978-0-521-39504-5
    .
  6. ISBN 978-1-107-60599-2
    .
  7. ISBN 978-0-520-08329-5
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1-134-87783-6
    .
  9. ^ a b Newell, Edward T. "The first Seleucid coinage of Tyre". Digital Library Numis (DLN). pp. 1–2. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  10. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4969-9020-4
    .
  11. ^ "The Coinage of the Ptolemies in Cyprus". kyprioscharacter.eie.gr. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  12. ^
    JSTOR 3854105
    .
  13. ^ JG Manning (December 2006). "Coinage as 'code' in Ptolemaic Egypt" (PDF). Stanford University. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  14. ISBN 978-1-108-02062-6
    .
  15. ^
    ISBN 978-1-108-07865-8
    .
  16. ^ Gitler H., Lorber C., Fontanille J.-P. (2023), The Yehud Coinage: A Study and Die Classification of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah. (Introduction) Israel Numismatic Society; Jerusalem, Israel.
  17. ^ The Menorah Coin Project website. Israel Numismatic Society. See Section 3. "Ptolemaic period"
  18. ^ Lorber, C. C. (2018). Coins of the Ptolemaic empire. Part I: Ptolemy I through Ptolemy IV. Volume 1: Precious metal. New York: American Numismatic Society
  19. ^ The Menorah Coin Project website. Israel Numismatic Society. See Section 3. "Ptolemaic period"
  20. ^ Gitler H., Lorber C., Fontanille J.-P. (2023), The Yehud Coinage: A Study and Die Classification of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah. (Introduction) Israel Numismatic Society; Jerusalem, Israel.
  21. doi:10.3406/numi.1984.1865
    . Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. ISBN 978-1-316-06089-6
    .

Bibliography

External links

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