EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (33mm, 23.45 g, 12h). Dated RY 12 (AD 148/9). Near VF.

Electronic Auction 558
Lot: 457. Estimated: $ 150

Roman Provincial, Bronze

Sold For $ 120. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (33mm, 23.45 g, 12h). Dated RY 12 (AD 148/9). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Isis seated right on throne, holding infant Harpokrates; all within distyle Egyptian-style temple façade, crown of solar disk and horns in pediment; L ΔωΔЄ KATOV (date) around. Köln 1611; Dattari (Savio) 3046; K&G 35.437; RPC IV.4 Online 1109; Emmett 1587.12. Earthen brown patina, light roughness, small edge flaw. Near VF.

Following Alexander’s conquest of Egypt, the cult of Isis spread across the Mediterranean, with its popularity reaching its zenith in the Roman period, when the “goddess of a thousand names” became one of the Mediterranean’s principal deities. It is generally recognized that the iconography of Isis nursing Harpocrates influenced Christian representations of the Madonna and Child, particularly the Virgo lactans type popular in Medieval Europe.

Closing Date and Time: 20 March 2024 at 12:32:00 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.