Nomos 7

PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter, As satrap, 323-305 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 17.16 g, 12 h), Alexandria, 316 BC. Head of Alexander the Great to right, wearing elephant’s scalp, horn of Ammon and aegis. Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated left on throne, holding eagle in his right hand and long scepter in his left; to left, vertical thunderbolt; below throne, monogram. SNG Copenhagen 11. Svoronos 22. Zervos B-IX. An unusually fine example struck in high relief. Graffito in the form of a monogram of ΗΡ on the reverse, otherwise. Good very fine.

From the Mieza collection, ex UBS 56, 28 January 2003, 179 and from the stock of Jacob Hirsch, Hess-Leu, 16 April 1957, 311.

The monogram that is lightly incised on this coin’s reverse must refer to the banker who attested to its purity, or perhaps to an ancient owner. Somewhat surprisingly, in neither of its two previous auction appearances was the graffito noted. In UBS it was merely termed Good very fine and in Hess-Leu, nearly as struck! One supposes that the cataloguers were so amazed by the quality in general that they simply did not see any faults.