PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter. As satrap, 323-305/4 BC. AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 17.24 g, 12h). In the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon. Arados mint. Struck circa 320/19-315 BC. NGC AU, 4/5, 5/5.

CNG Feature Auction 133
Lot: 399. Estimated: $ 750

Greek, 12h, Silver

Sold For $ 1 900. 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. AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 17.24 g, 12h). In the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon. Arados mint. Struck circa 320/19-315 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, legs crossed; AP monogram in left field. Price 3426 (Byblos mint); Taylor, Reattribution, Group 4.1, 189–90 (A35/P91); ANS 1944.100.35041 (same dies). In NGC encapsulation 2400668-001, graded AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 5/5.

Ex Stack’s Bowers Galleries (15 January 2021), lot 20024.

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 Alexandreia. 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 CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Two – Lot 309-594 will be held Tuesday morning, 15 September 2026 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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