| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 144 with CNG & NGSA | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 1083 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: The Geoffrey Cope Collection of Ancient Greek and Roman Bronzes. The Roman Empire. Antoninus Pius augustus, 138 –161. Description Drachm, Alexandria 148-149 (year 12), Æ 34 mm, 23.78 g. ΑΥΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΕΙΝΟ? ECB ΕΥ? Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust r. Rev. L ΔΕΚΑΤΟΥ Isis Pharia, holding billowing sail, standing r. before the Pharos of Alexandria, which is surmounted by a statue and two Tritons. Reference Dattari-Savio 8569 Geissen 1604 RPC 1106.125 (this coin) Condition Wonderful brown tone and good very fine Provenance NFA-Leu sale 16 May 1984, Garrett I, 806 CNA sale 13, 1990, Wetterstrom, 111 The reverse of this bronze drachm celebrates the Pharos lighthouse that guided sailors safely to the safety of Alexandria's bustling harbour. This impressive building was erected on the island of Pharos at the western edge of the Nile Delta during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphos (280- 247 BC) and was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World. Consisting of four stories with a total height of something between 338 and 387 feet, the Pharos lighthouse remained the tallest manmade structure for many centuries. A large mirror was used to create a beacon in the daytime by reflecting the Mediterranean sun while a great fire provided a guiding light at night. In addition, the lighthouse was adorned with decorative statues, including Tritons at its four corners. A statue was also placed at its pinnacle, but its true identity is open to dispute. Zeus Soter or Poseidon are often proposed, but the figure at the top of the light house on this coin appears to hold a phiale and a cornucopia, attributes that seem inappropriate for both of these gods. These are the usual attributes of Homonoia (Unity) on Alexandrian provincial coins, but they would also be appropriate for the Tyche of Alexandria. The Pharos lighthouse stood until earthquake damage over the centuries led to structural collapse during a powerful earthquake in AD 956. What remained standing was destroyed later during earthquakes in the fourteenth century. Its submerged remains were rediscovered by underwater archaeologists in 1968 and additional exploration of the ruins was made in 1994 with plans to develop the site as an underwater museum. Before the lighthouse on this coin, the goddess Isis Pharia is shown sailing to right. She was the Egyptian deity associated with Pharos, but she came to be widely worshipped as a patron of sailors. The ritual launching of the ship of Isis, which seems to be represented here, marked the opening of the sailing season on the Mediterranean Sea and especially the maritime export of Egypt's grain crops to important urban centres of the empire, most notably to Rome itself. Estimate: 750 CHF |  |
