I love news articles and stories like this. Finding something in that condition from that long ago is really cool. The excellent preservation shows you why man has had an affinity for the noble metals especially gold. If you want to leave something that will stand the test of time, just stamp it into your piece of gold and bury it in the backyard. In 2000 years, someone will dig it up and think you were something special
Ptolemy II and Ptolemy III lived in some of the very best of times and the Port of Alexandria was a capital of culture and wealth. They were Greeks too, not a drop of native Egyptian blood.
I would like to see a picture of it before it was "curated."
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@BillDugan1959 .....Not sure about the '..not a drop of Egyptian blood'....Without a DNA test, you never know who may have been slipping in when no one was looking.... Cheers, RickO
The Ptolemaic dynasty was fairly new at that point in time as it had been established in Egypt about 320 AD by Ptolemy, a Greek general who had faithfully served Alexander the Great. When Alexander's Generals divided up the World after the death of Alexander's young son, Ptolemy chose Egypt because he felt it would be easy to defend. It was all Greek Greek Greek for the first 150 years, only later did some chance enter in those bloodlines. Ptolemy II especially was the paragon of Greek civilization and he founded the Library in Alexandria, an institution of learning that would last for about 600 years.
The paraphernalia worn by Ptolemy III on that gold coin is Greek, not anything Egyptian.
@yosclimber Indeed, you are correct. The Ptolemaic dynasty ran 320 BC to 30 BC, with the most famous Cleopatra (the Seventh) as the last independent ruler.
ricko
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He does not look like under nourished....it must be time of plenty then
Interesting article...Thank you for sharing
Much like today, the people in charge always ate well.....Cheers, RickO
Cleaned
Looks like it was struck last week, i am not an ancient guy but looks to be a very high grade coin.
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Old money's better than new.
yup, I found it with my metal detector.
I asked them to keep my name out of the news.
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Very interesting !!!
I can't believe the amount of gold the Egyptians had without toning.
why?
how?
were they really refining that well back then?
anyway, that does not have a denomination. fake!
TY, didn't want to click the Russian fake news link. Very nice coin.
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
Nice photo @Paradisefound.
I wonder why I never seen a coin like that before.
I love news articles and stories like this. Finding something in that condition from that long ago is really cool. The excellent preservation shows you why man has had an affinity for the noble metals especially gold. If you want to leave something that will stand the test of time, just stamp it into your piece of gold and bury it in the backyard. In 2000 years, someone will dig it up and think you were something special
Thanks for sharing.
It's an Octadrachm, probably worth $10,000 or a bit more.
They do come even nicer and with different portraits.
They are hefty, weighing almost as much as a double eagle, but smaller diameter and thicker.
Heck, the owner where it was found might have been a coin collector?
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I think the dry or arid climate may have aided in the lack of toning.
Donato
Edited to add: With the amount of gold they had their refining skills were probably the best at that time.
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Any lack of tarnish on this coin is likely the result of cleaning it when found.... and the fact that gold does not tarnish. Cheers, RickO
Yeah on gold not tarnishing, but huh on impurities not tarnishing.
I like it a lot!
rainbowroosie April 1, 2003
Ptolemy II and Ptolemy III lived in some of the very best of times and the Port of Alexandria was a capital of culture and wealth. They were Greeks too, not a drop of native Egyptian blood.
I would like to see a picture of it before it was "curated."
The craftsmanship and artistry on some ancient coins is amazing.
@BillDugan1959 .....Not sure about the '..not a drop of Egyptian blood'....Without a DNA test, you never know who may have been slipping in when no one was looking....
Cheers, RickO
The Ptolemaic dynasty was fairly new at that point in time as it had been established in Egypt about 320 AD by Ptolemy, a Greek general who had faithfully served Alexander the Great. When Alexander's Generals divided up the World after the death of Alexander's young son, Ptolemy chose Egypt because he felt it would be easy to defend. It was all Greek Greek Greek for the first 150 years, only later did some chance enter in those bloodlines. Ptolemy II especially was the paragon of Greek civilization and he founded the Library in Alexandria, an institution of learning that would last for about 600 years.
The paraphernalia worn by Ptolemy III on that gold coin is Greek, not anything Egyptian.
Cleopatra was a Ptolemy.
Here, she is on the right:
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
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@BillDugan1959, I think you meant to say 320 BC. (Alexander died in 323 BC).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemaic_dynasty
@yosclimber Indeed, you are correct. The Ptolemaic dynasty ran 320 BC to 30 BC, with the most famous Cleopatra (the Seventh) as the last independent ruler.