Bronze Tetradrachm

Aberlight

Recently I have picked up a few of these and really like them. Any suggestions where I can pick up more? They seem hard to come by, but then again I may be just bee looking in the wrong places. Not into any particular rulers.

Also Exactly how do you pronounce Tetradrachm? and what is the significance of many of the eagles on the reverses?

stainless

I assume you're talking about the Alexandrian Provincals.

I'll Quote Doug Smit on another site:



<< <i>Roman Egypt coins are very different from other Provincial issues. The economy was closed since Egypt was more or less the private property of the Emperor. Money from outside did not circulate in Eqypt and Egyptian money did not circulate elsewhere. As a result they never bothered to write the place of issue on the coins. Most coins have no legend on the reverse except for a date using the regnal year of the current emperor following the symbol (L) for 'year'. Sometimes they used Greek numerals and sometimes (as on this example) they used the word written out (TPITOU = third).

As time passed the amount of silver in the tetradrachms got so low that they look like copper. In the late period, tetradrachms often show a distinct pebbled surface to the edge from the techniques used to produce the flans. This Probus shows the typical look of that period for Alexandria

Alexandrian coins of whatever period used different minting techniques than most cities making their coins distinctive looking.


>>




For buying more..I recommend:

bargainbins


vcoins

forvm



for more info:

check this


Eagle




Also, I advise that you get the reference book for these. It will help you and is worth every penny of $40


stainless

Sapyx

<< <i>Exactly how do you pronounce Tetradrachm? and what is the significance of many of the eagles on the reverses? >>


Tetra is derived from the Greek word for "four"; it rhymes with "Petra".

"Drachm" derives from the Greek word for "handful". "Ch" is the usual translation for the Greek letter chi. It was normally pronounced like the fricative sound "ch" is in modern German or Scottish; there isn't a common English equivalent. Given that English speakers have difficulty wrapping their vocal chords around it, we should at least be consistent; I'd say it should be pronounced the same as the ch in "Christ" or "Bach", not like in "church". Saying it like "drakkem" is acceptably close; I have also heard people pronounce it the same as the apothecary weight, "dram".

Sapyx

I forgot to add: "tetradrachms" weren't normally made of bronze. They're supposed to be silver. Even the late Romano-Egyptian tetradrachms were nominally a tiny fraction of silver, though they rarely look like it.

And the Eagle is symbolic of Zeus and/or Jupiter, king of the gods under both pantheons.

Aethelred

I have always been told that the correct way to say it is "tet-ra-dram," but I have also always been told that a fat man in a red suit lives at the North Pole, so who knows.

Aberlight

Thanks. This is all good info. Completely new to Roman ancients. Liked the Tetradrachms due to the thickness and relatively low priced.

Did find one at barginbins too.

Thanks