EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (33mm, 21.83 g, 12h). Dated RY 5 (AD 141/2). Near VF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 685. Estimated: $ 500

The Beniak Collection of Alexandrian Coinage, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 1 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (33mm, 21.83 g, 12h). Dated RY 5 (AD 141/2). Laureate head right / Plowman (constellation Boötes?), wearing short kirtle (tunic) and pileus, holding goad in raised right hand, sowing with bag of seeds in left, driving team of oxen left; L Є (date) in exergue. Köln 1407; Dattari (Savio) 2985; K&G 35.153; RPC IV.4 526.10 (this coin); Emmett 1639.5 (R4). Brown and red surfaces, some roughness, light smoothing. Near VF. Rare.

From the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection. Ex Astarte XXIII (28 October 2024), lot 379; Roma E-Sale 62 (17 October 2019), lot 653.

In the third year of the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 139/140), a new Great Sothic Cycle began. To mark this event, the mint of Alexandria struck an extensive series of coinage, especially in large bronze drachms, each related in some astrological way to the reordering of the heavens during the advent of the new Great Sothic Cycle. By the time that these coins were issued, the Egyptian names for the various constellations had been replaced by those more familiar to the Greeks and Romans. Among the issues struck during this time was this extremely rare type depicting a plowman, which may refer to the constellation Boötes, the mythological figure who invented the plow. Since the appearance of Sirius heralded the beginning of the Nile’s flooding, which deposited a rich alluvial layer of mud on the fields, necessary for the growing of grain, the inclusion of the constellation associated with the originator of the plow would have made perfect sense, given the agricultural significance of the Great Sothic Cycle and the importance of Egypt in providing grain to the rest of the empire.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session Three – Lot 588-888 will be held Tuesday morning, 19 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM 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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