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 Ptolemaic kingdom was struck in Phoenician weight, also known as Ptolemaic weight (about 14.2 grams). This standard, which was not used elsewhere in 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 Ptolemaic dynasty introduced standard coinage to Egypt, where pre-existing 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 Memphis and was later moved to Alexandria. Succeeding in monetizing the Egyptian society, largely due to efforts of king Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the Ptolemaic kingdom flourished. For most of its history, the kingdom vigorously enforced a policy of a single currency, confiscating foreign coins found on its territory and forcing its dominions to adopt Ptolemaic coinage. In the rare cases when these dominions were allowed their own currency, such as the 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 annexed into the Roman Empire and the Ptolemaic dynasty ceased to exist, its currency still remained in circulation. This was the case until the rule of Emperor Nero. Silver from the coins was reused for Roman tetradrachm. Denarii and aurei did not circulate in the former Ptolemaic Kingdom, so Egypt's monetary isolation continued.
^Otto Mørkholm (31 May 1991). Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamaea (336-188 BC). Cambridge University Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-521-39504-5.
Coinage of the Ptolemaic kingdom was struck in Phoenician weight, also known as Ptolemaic weight (about 14.2 grams). This standard, which was not used...
the tetradrachm. Also the Persian coinage, the Persian daric and the Sigloi were used, and later the Ptolemaiccoinage. As the evidence from the discovered...
The Ptolemaic Kingdom (/ˌtɒlɪˈmeɪ.ɪk/; Koinē Greek: Πτολεμαϊκὴ βασιλεία, romanized: Ptolemaïkḕ basileía) or Ptolemaic Empire was an Ancient Greek polity...
to the Ptolemaic Kingdom which imposed an exclusive royal currency. In coin making process there were similarities with the Ptolemaiccoinage. For instance...
busts, paintings, and sculptures, cameo carvings and glass, Ptolemaic and Roman coinage, and reliefs. In Renaissance and Baroque art, she was the subject...
somewhat reminiscent of the eagle that had consistently been a symbol on Ptolemaiccoinage since the very beginning of the century, and it has been suggested...
Retrieved 2023-06-05. Mørkholm, Otto (1975). "Ptolemaic Coins and Chronology: The Dated Silver Coinage of Alexandria". Museum Notes (American Numismatic...
attribution to Nectanebo II, however, is not confirmed. Money portal Ptolemaiccoinage Schulz, Seidel, 1998. Egypt: The World of the Pharaohs, Editors, Regine...
Macedonian Greek family (the Ptolemaic dynasty) had intermarried with the Seleucid dynasty. Cleopatra's official coinage (which she would have approved)...
monetary standard following Rhodes. Coinage using the standard achieved a wide circulation in the region. Even the Ptolemaic Kingdom, a major Hellenistic state...
The history of ancient Greek coinage can be divided (along with most other Greek art forms) into four periods: the Archaic, the Classical, the Hellenistic...
The reign of Cleopatra VII of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt began with the death of her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, by March 51 BC. It ended with her...
The Ptolemaic governors of Cyprus ruled the island on behalf of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, from the abolition of the traditional kingdoms on the island in...
bringing gold and silver coinage into the city had to give it to the civic authorities in exchange for local bronze coinage. Ptolemaic Egypt operated a similar...
queen regnant of Cyrenaica from 258 to 246 BCE and co-regent queen of Ptolemaic Egypt from 246 to 222 BCE as the wife of Ptolemy III. She married Demetrius...
a member of the Berber Massyles tribe, as well as a descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty via his mother Cleopatra Selene II. Ptolemy was the son of King...
Ptolemaic didrachm). The Ptolemaic standard was used by the Ptolemaic Kingdom for its silver coinage from 294 BC. It was based on a tetradrachm of 14.26 g and...
Ἀρσινόη, c. 316 BC – between 270 and 268 BC) was a Ptolemaic queen and co-regent of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of ancient Egypt. She was given the Egyptian...
Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt the following year. The Ancient Greek word Hellas (Ἑλλάς, Hellás)...
Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, successor states to Alexander the Great's empire, during...
sister-wife display a fine double portrait and they adapted a Ptolemaic model for coinage. The coinage draws attention to his Persian and Greek origins. An example...
became a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He managed to wrest independence for Cyrenaica (in modern Libya) from the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt...
Dionysos, lit. 'Ptolemy the new Dionysus' c. 117 – 51 BC) was a king of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt who ruled from 80 to 58 BC and then again from 55 BC...
Greece. The empire's western territories were repeatedly contested with Ptolemaic Egypt—a rival Hellenistic state. To the east, conflict with the Indian...
in use, but within the bounds of Roman law. The tetradrachm coinage minted at the Ptolemaic capital of Alexandria continued to be the currency of an increasingly...
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