Triton XXI, Lot: 115. Estimate $2000. Sold for $4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (33mm, 23.03 g, 12h). Dated RY 3 (AD 139/140). [AVT K T] AIΛ A∆PI • ANTωN[INOC ЄVCЄB], bare head right / Isis Pharia, holding billowing sail, sailing right before the Pharos of Alexandria, which is surmounted by a statue and two Tritons; L TP I T OV (date) around. Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 8564 (this coin); K&G –; Emmett 1592.3 (R5); Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 113 (this coin). VF, smooth, attractive brown patina with traces of green and red. Extremely rare type for this regnal year.

From the Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection. Ex Münzen & Medaillen Deutschland GmbH 11 (with Nomos AG, 7 November 2002), lot 206; Bayerische Vereinsbank Münzschätze FPL 14 (München, 1977), lot 173; Giovanni Dattari Collection, no. 8564.

Isis Pharia sailing toward the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria is one of the most popular of all the Alexandrian reverse types. Antoninus Pius, according to Keith Emmett’s study, struck this type for his regnal years 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 18, and the only year that Emmett did not assign at least a rarity of 3 or more to was regnal year 12 (R1).