PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter. As satrap, 323-305/4 BC or king, 305/4-282 BC. AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 15.71 g, 12h). Ptolemaic standard. In the name of Alexander III of Macedon. Alexandreia mint. Struck circa 306-300 BC. Good VF.

Triton XXVI
Lot: 423. Estimated: $ 2 000

Greek, 12h, Silver

Sold For $ 2 750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter. As satrap, 323-305/4 BC or king, 305/4-282 BC. AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 15.71 g, 12h). Ptolemaic standard. In the name of Alexander III of Macedon. Alexandreia mint. Struck circa 306-300 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing elephant skin, aegis around neck with tiny Δ in scales / AΛEΞANΔPOY, Athena Alkidemos advancing right, brandishing spear in right hand and wearing shield on extended left arm; to right, helmet, monogram, and eagle standing right on thunderbolt. CPE 69; Svoronos 162; Zervos Issue 28, dies 492/a; SNG Copenhagen 29; McClean 9766 (same dies). Light iridescent tone. Good VF.

Ex Classical Numismatic Group 50 (23 June 1999), lot 949.

Ptolemy I Soter, the son of a Macedonian nobleman, was a friend and intimate of Alexander III the Great from boyhood and accompanied him on his great career of conquest, from 333-323 BC. Upon Alexander’s death in 323 BC, Ptolemy was granted the prized satrapy of Egypt, the richest of the formerly Persian provinces. Alone among the Diadochi (”successors”), he was content with his sphere of influence and did not risk all to succeed Alexander. However, he was not above using the great conqueror’s image and reputation to secure his own position. He hijacked Alexander’s funeral cortege as it was proceeding back to Macedon and had his embalmed corpse formally interred at Memphis in Egypt; later the body was relocated to a splendid mausoleum in Alexandria. Ptolemy’s early coinage is modeled on that of Alexander and carries the conqueror’s image and name, as seen on this remarkable tetradrachm, which shows Alexander wearing an elaborate elephant-skin headdress in honor of his victories in India, backed with a striking image of Athena in a fighting stance. Ptolemy declared his own kingship in 305/4 BC and was the only one of Alexander’s Successors to die peacefully, in his bed, in 282 BC, having founded a dynasty that would last three centuries.

The final winners of all Triton XXVI lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 10-11 January 2023.

Triton XXVI – Session Two – Lot 335-673 will be held Tuesday afternoon, 10 January 2023 beginning at 2:00 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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