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You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding. Auction currency is U.S. dollars ( US $ ) unless otherwise noted. Description Classical Cash and [Image] Please click the banner above to go to our eBay "AboutMe" home page. present -- our 151st eBay Sale! [Image] [Image] If the photos above do not load, click here for Obverse and click here for Reverse ORC5133 Ptolemy XII tetr. Cyprus aEF Egypt, Ptolemy XII, AR tetradrachm, (13.82g) dated Year 29 = 52/51 BC, Paphos Mint, Diademed head of Ptolemy XII right, aegis at neck. / RTOLEMAIOY BASILEWS Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, LKØ before, RA behind. Svor. 1839. Near EF Tetradrachms of the later Ptolemies all have similar types. The obverse features a diademed head facing right, with a strong chin, usually wearing an aegis at the neck. Die axis is generally 12:00. The reverse says "Ptolemy, King" in Greek. To the left of the eagle are L for Year, and one or two letters which spell out the date in Greek. For example, L IB is Year 10 + 2 = 12 of the reign of the ruler, dated from the ruler's ascension to power. To the right of the eagle is the mintmark RA, for Paphos, today sometimes called Neo- or Nea- Paphos because the Ptolemaic city of Paphos was 10 miles west of the Archaic city. Svoronos considers the obverse of the coinage of the later Ptolemies to show a portrait of Ptolemy I Soter, with a dummy RA mintmark was copied in Alexandria from coins struck at Paphos in prior decades. The argument can be made that the portraits on these later coins are not of Ptolemy I Soter, but are contemporary portraits, and that the mintmark actually reflects where the coin was minted. After the restoration of Ptolemy XII by the Romans, an unusual revision of the portrait took place. His chief minister was, rather briefly, a Roman creditor named Rabirius Postumus. Hazzard writes, quoting Morkholm, "An elaborate hairstyle now gave a certain charm to the head of Ptolemy Soter. The hairstyling, remarked Morkholm, 'consisted of several sharply separated rows of locks arranged alternately, and placed in tiers, one above the other.'" The strength of the chin on the tetradrachm portrait declines markedly. In "Standard Ptolemaic Silver," Newell notes: "With the renewed issues of [Ptolemy VI] Philometor in Cyprus, a new type of head makes its appearance. The hair has become inordinately curly, the nose longer, thinner, sharper, the eye a mere dot and not so deeply sunk as before. Only the projecting chin is still that of [Ptolemy I] Soter and enables us to see, though perhaps with difficulty, that the less able die-cutters of the second century B.C. were still attempting to reproduce the features of the first Ptolemy." Of second century tetradrachms, Morkholm writes in Paphos I, "Although it must be borne in mind that the head does not represent the reigning king, but is a free variation over the portrait of Ptolemy I, founder of the dynasty, the change may reflect the change of ruler." Or were they? Perhaps the Cypriot tetradrachm portrait which Newell tries so hard to tie to Ptolemy I Soter is simply that of the Ptolemy VI. The portrait changes noted by Morkholm may actually reflect changes in portraits of the current ruler. Similar portraits attributed to Ptolemy VI appear on hemidrachms of Alexandria and tetradrachms of Akko (Svor. 1486) about which R. R. R. Smith notes, "Most distinctive are the thrusting forward of the lower part of the long face, and the prominent chin, unmistakable on small coins and sculpture." It seems logical that the descendants of Ptolemy I Soter would have inherited a portion of his outstanding chin. The portraits on tetradrachms of Ptolemy VI's brother, Ptolemy VIII are similar to those of Ptolemy VI. The tetradrachms of Ptolemy VIII's son-nephew, Ptolemy IX; and those of Ptolemy VIII's other son-nephew, Ptolemy X are similar to those on coins of Ptolemy VI. With no new genetic material entering the royal bloodline, all of their portraits would be similar. However, Ptolemy VIII, was quite heavy, indeed he was known as Pot-Belly. The tetradrachms of Ptolemy VIII do resemble those of Ptolemy VI more than the few certain portrait coins of this ruler. Ancient sculpture is of little aid to attribution of coins, for in general it has been attributed from coin portraits. Without certain portraits of the kings, this argument has real limits. It seems plausible that the portraits following the restoration of Ptolemy XII represent that of the Ptolemy XII himself, the father of Cleopatra. A contemporary crude tetradrachm from Askalon, has long been considered to be his portrait. A small issue of drachms of style identical to the "restored Ptolemy XII" tetradrachms (Svoronos 1838) is also sometimes (Newell, R. G. P. C., p.91; Hazzard, p. 12) considered a portrait of the King. He was a middle-aged man, with less of the strong chin that characterized Ptolemy Soter portraits. Since Ptolemy IV portraits on silver tetradrachms show a ruler whose genetic contribution from big-chinned Ptolemy I Soter was twice that of Ptolemy XII, the comparison of chin strength between Ptolemy IV and Ptolemy XII is similar, while at some distance from the really big chin of Ptolemy I Soter. Indeed the tetradrachms of Ptolemy XII bear a strong resemblance to the known coin portraits of his daughter Cleopatra, who had nearly the same genetic make-up over generations as her father-uncle. The portrait on tetradrachms of Ptolemy XII, that has been called Ptolemy I Soter is a bit feminized, and bears a much stronger resemblance to that on bronze coins bearing the name of Cleopatra. This style portrait was continued during the reign of Cleopatra, with the date revised for the year of her reign. If the portrait on the tetradrachms is not Ptolemy XII, XIII, XIV and Cleopatra VII, then the coins are the only silver coinage of a significant monarch of their era, without the portrait of the current ruler. The rulers of Bithynia, Pontus, Pergamum, Syria, and Macedonia struck portrait silver prior to their conquest by Rome. The contemporary rulers of Mauritania, Cappadocia, Parthia, and Armenia struck portrait silver while generally maintaining varying levels of independence from Rome. By the time of Cleopatra, even Rome had begun to strike portrait silver coins. The largest silver coinage of this time without a portrait would be traditional type tetradrachms from the city-state of Tyre. The mint for the issue is assigned by BMC (in 1882) and Svoronos (working in 1904-1908) to Alexandria, with "the immobilized mintmark of Paphos." The obverse dies are not shared. While there are indeed stylistic and flan variations indicating that two mints may have struck tetradrachms using the Paphos mintmark 100 years earlier. The c. 97 BC Paphos I hoard contains 2484 tetradrachms from both mints. Half the coins found were from the second Paphos Mint, called "Alexandria," by Nicolauou and Morkholm. The obverse die study in Paphos I shows that the two RA mintmark-using mints did not share dies, or die-cutters. Each mint had its own style. The only evidence suggesting that Paphos was not the primary (if not only) mint for the period is the apparent lack of tetradrachms with a clear Cypriot provenance. The Paphos I hoard of tetradrachms breaks this rule. Newell (in 1941) also accepted that the second mint was Alexandria noting, "Just what the reason for this may have been we cannot be certain." Morkholm in Paphos I accepts this, noting, "No satisfactory explanation has ever been given of this Alexandrian practice. . . ." Other recent sources such as Sear and Hazzard have accepted this creative mint attribution, of an apparently purposeless ancient lie told on millions of coins struck over a period of several decades. Why? While most of these tetradrachms are indeed found in Egypt and Phoenicia, for decades Paphos had produced tetradrachms with the mintmark RA, part of a larger Cypriot coinage alongside Kition (mintmark KI, or K) and Salamis (mintmark SA). Kition acted as a branch or overflow mint for Salamis, with similar style, but less frequent issues. Smaller Cypriot mints at Amathos (AMAØ monogram) and Soli (SW) also briefly struck some tetradrachms. The Cypriot silver tetradrachms must have been used for payments in Egypt and Ptolemaic holdings in Phoenicia. Svoronos makes a similar Egypt-centered mistake in assigning the common K gold octodrachms of Ptolemy V, VI and VIII to an Egyptian mint, though they have a clear K for Kition Mint, following earlier dated coins marked KI and K. While K could have meant 20 silver tetradrachms, the value of this coin, the existence of similar style gold K tetradrachms (BMC p. 45, #40, plate viii #10) shows K had another meaning. During the time of Ptolemy VIII to XII, the mint at Paphos produced many bronze coins, with mintmarks including lotus flower and cornucopia, of all denominations. The variety and number of bronze types vastly exceeds production at the smaller Alexandria Mint, as it had for decades before. Some of the bronze types attributed by Svoronos to Egypt are now considered to be from Cyprus. The Egyptian-centered attributions of Svoronos in gold, silver and bronze, away from Cypriot mints are not surprising considering that he was working almost 100 years ago, with far less data, and that the precious metal find-sites were rarely located in Cyprus. No sound reason to date has been proposed to suggest that the Paphos mintmark means anything other than "struck at Paphos." The RA mintmark means Paphos. Precious metal coinage of this period does not appear very often in Cypriot finds. Neither Cyprus nor Egypt had many silver mines. At Paphos, silver were accepted in trade, alloyed with the correct amount of local copper, and made into tetradrachms. Local forests provided wood for fuel. Alexandria, by comparison, had little fuel and almost no smelting and metal-working. While Paphos was not the capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, its proximity to copper, fuel, trade (and the silver that trade brought in) and its previous minting talent pool may well have meant that almost all silver tetradrachms were coined there. Hundreds of years earlier, Carthage had struck most of its silver in Sicily, far from the capital, for similar practical reasons. Precious metal coins sometimes traveled far from its origin. Silver coined at Athens from 460 to 300 BC is found today in Syria and Egypt, almost never near Athens. Silver Pegasi staters coined at Corinth are found primarily in Sicily, rarely near Corinth. In the time of Tiberius, the Roman gold and silver mint, was at Lugdunum only, though the coins circulated, fairly evenly, throughout the Empire. The precious metal coinage with mintmark RA was produced at Paphos for immediate or ultimate export to other places in the Ptolemaic holdings. Paphos mintmark meant struck at Paphos. Weak-minded and much indebted, Ptolemy XII was squarely under the control of the Romans. Like some modern debtor nations, much of the considerable production of Egypt, was taxed for repayment of debt to the Romans, including a large bribe to Julius Caesar, who was then consul. The debt to Julius Caesar was 6000 talents, and Ptolemy owed money to many others Romans and to Rome. Like a modern debtor nation, the conspicuous consumption of the ruling family, heavy taxes and other austerity measures supported by the government drove up interest rates, and created enormous economic hardship. The Romans boldly seized Cyprus and its treasury. A mob drove Ptolemy XII from Alexandria in 58 BC. He fled to Cyprus, and his allies, the Romans. In his absence, he left as co-regents his wife-sister Cleopatra V Tryphaena and their eldest daughter, Berenike IV. Cleopatra Tryphaena died about a year later and Berenice IV ruled as sole regent. She was made to marry Seleucus Kybiosaktes, but after a few days she had him strangled. Berenice ruled again as sole regent and was expected to marry again. The second man she chose was Archelaus. While Ptolemy XII did not control Egypt, the tetradrachm coinage in his name was continued from Paphos, while the island was under the "control" of the Romans. Roman rule in Syria during the same period, used the name and types of the late Seleukid king, Philip II. The "free city" of Tyre struck the traditional dated silver with the head of Melqart and the eagle on the reverse, even after the "freedom" was removed in 20 BC. Like its sister city Tyre, Sidon issued coins as a "free city" for decades afterward it was no longer free. Aradus, Laodicea, and Seleucia, also struck silver coins during this time. In Asia Minor, the city of Pergamum continued issue of cistophoric tetradrachm for eight decades after the city was willed to Rome in 133 BC. Similar cistophoric tetradrachms were issued by Ephesus and several smaller cities in Asia Minor, while under Roman "control." Why would the Romans allow the striking of "foreign" silver coins? Roman rule was not absolute control of the regions she conquered. Part of the military success that the Romans enjoyed, was that their "rule" allowed for the "conquered" people to maintain much of their own culture, religion, and local rule. Indeed the empire prospered with a mix of cultures, enabled to trade under Local and Roman law. At the same time, the Romans regularly collected taxes, and controlled the military. Issue of coinage familiar to Egypt, Cyprus and Phoenicia was acceptable to the Roman occupiers of Cyprus. The eldest daughter of Ptolemy XII, Berenike IV, ruled Egypt from 58-55, striking no known coinage. Her regnal years 1, 2 and 3 appear on papyri, but not coins. Why? Because she did not control the main mint at Paphos, which was under control of the Roman allies of her father. If the mint were at Alexandria, a tetradrachm coinage for Berenike IV might be expected. Meanwhile, the mint at Paphos may have continued issues of tetradrachms for her exiled father. Apparently, the tetradrachms dated Year 24 and 25 of his rule had been attributed to Ptolemy X by Svoronos, (as Svoronos 1685, 1686, 90-88 BC) based on there being a date for dies marked Paphos at a mint in Alexandria, from which Ptolemy XII had just been expelled. Newell notes of Ptolemy XII tetradrachms, "His issues, while still of fairly good quality of silver, are distinguishable from those of his predecessors by their somewhat smaller diameter and the roughness and poorness of their style." An examination of obverse dies could help to differentiate these similar issues. For the promise of 10,000 talents of additional money, the Roman military under Aulus Gabinus returned Ptolemy XII to the throne of Egypt in 55 BC. Archelaus' army was defeated by the Romans. Ptolemy XII continued to pay old and new debts to the Romans. The Roman creditor Rabirius Postumus served as his chief minister briefly. Rabirius Postumus served the interests of Roman creditors over those of Egypt, by collecting taxes with zeal. He was driven out of Egypt in 54 BC. However, Ptolemy XII, aided by Roman military influence, clung to power. He ruled until his death in 51 BC. The tetradrachms after 55 BC have a transverse palm branch of Victory on the reverse, behind the eagle, and the headdress of Isis before. Flans are broader than the squat, earlier issues of Ptolemy XII. An important minting change occurs as well. The post-Restoration tetradrachms are struck on flans which were cast en chapelete, with the larger weight variation that this implies. The coins show few flan cracks, and the rims show casting sprues. In 52 BC, the tetradrachms of Ptolemy XII underwent a substantial debasement. From a standard of c. 90% silver, coins were struck with 67% silver, falling soon to only about 33% silver. Hazzard firmly notes 33%, though RPC suggests 40-45% may have been intended. The king of Egypt kept his main financial accounts in silver, not gold or bronze. In JSSEA XX Hazzard notes, "this was true even when the chora depended almost solely on copper for day to day business. Penalty clauses [on legal documents] in the second and first centuries required payment . . . in silver for the Crown." The wealth of Ptolemy XII was calculated in silver talents by Cicero (Strab. XVII.i.13). Royal debts and ongoing obligations such as salaries inside the kingdom were due in tetradrachms. The reduced silver tetradrachms, valued as the earlier ones, were used to pay the ongoing internal expenses of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, yet another austerity measure. Striking the cast planchets while hot, brought silver, the lower melting point metal, to the surface, making the visible surface of silver metal. (Almost three hundred years later, denarii of the Severans appear silver, though struck of a similar metal mix). Coins of Ptolemy XII's children Ptolemy XIII, Ptolemy XIV and Cleopatra were also struck at this reduced silver standard. A graph of actual silver content of 141 dated tetradrachms, noting the abrupt debasement, but listing coins of Ptolemy XIII and XIV together, taken from Hazzard, is included. This chart includes data collected in two different ways. Only the final four points, at 33%, were collected by Wet (destructive) Analysis by Hazzard. These should be considered the most reliable. before you bid, if you have a question about this item. to see ALL the wonderful items in this week's eBay sale and our terms of sale [Image] Visit OldRomanCoins today! The eBay Way to Pay - Enjoy Full Purchase Protection! [Image] [Image] -------------------------------------------------- [Image] Checkout ORC5133 Ptolemy XII tetr. 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