Nomos 23

PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter, as satrap, 323-305 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 17.11 g, 1 h), Memphis, 317-316. Head of Alexander the Great to right, wearing elephant's scalp, horn of Ammon and aegis. Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated to left on throne, holding eagle in his right hand and long scepter in his left; to left, vertical thunderbolt; below throne, monogram. CPE 33. Svoronos 22. SNG Copenhagen 11. Boldly struck, lightly toned, well-centered, and very well-preserved - a splendid piece and most attractive. Extremely fine.

From a Swiss collection and from a European collection, Nomos 19, 17 November 2019, 222, and the collection of A. Fund, Sotheby's New York, 26 October 1993, 77, ex Numismatic Fine Arts XXX, 8 December 1992, 171, Numismatic Fine Arts XXVII, 4 December 1991, 85, Christie's New York, 2 May 1989, 760, and F. Kovacs, FPL 26, July 1987, 63.

The coins bearing the portraits of Alexander, which were struck by Ptolemy I in Memphis in the 'teens of the 4th century, are among the most impressive of all the "Alexander" tetradrachms. The coupling of the newly invented portrait of Alexander wearing an elephant's scalp, but coupled with the standard Zeus reverse gave it a manifest commemorative nature: its Attic weight meant that it could have circulated far from Egypt (the clearly modern gold piece with this portrait type, supposedly struck in Baktra or someplace or other, has been rightly dismissed from consideration). The type was soon made solely Ptolemaic Egyptian when the weight standard was lowered a few years later. This is a particularly fine example.