348, Lot: 73. Estimate $150. Sold for $360. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy V Epiphanes. 204-180 BC. Æ Tetrobol (37mm, 44.64 g, 12h). Cyprus mint. Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right / Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; lotus flower in left field. Svoronos 1636 var. (with scepter on rev.); Lorber, Lotus Series V.1 var. (same); Weiser –; SNG Copenhagen –; Noeske 298 var. (same–Ptolemy VIII). VF, dark gray-brown patina, some cleaning and smoothing scratches.

From the J. P. Righetti Collection, 101; Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 239 (25 August 2010), lot 247.

This type, where the bottom of the eagle’s legs are devoid of feathers, is more like Svoronos 1636 than Svoronos 1404, where the eagle’s legs have feathers down to their feet. See Cathy Lorber’s article “The Lotus of Aphrodite on Ptolemaic Bronzes” in SNR 80 (2001), p. 48, for further discussion on these two issues.

CNG is pleased to offer a large selection of Ptolemaic coins from the J. P. Righetti Collection. This group of coins is mostly comprised of diverse varieties of bronze issues from the beginning to the end of the Ptolemaic kingdom. The classification of many Ptolemaic bronze issues has been highly debated among numismatists, often with researchers publishing highly divergent attributions to various kings, and also in the naming of the denominations used. For this selection, we generally followed the attributions and denominations given on Dan Wolf’s website, www.ptolemybronze.com, who has been closely working with noted numismatic scholar, Catharine Lorber. The first of Cathy’s books on the Ptolemaic coinage, which will supplant the long outdated Svoronos, is imminently forthcoming, and we would like to thank her for reviewing this special offering. Her conclusions regarding each coin’s issuer, denomination, and mint are followed herein.