EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (32mm, 22.78 g, 12h). Zodiac Series. Dated RY 8 (AD 144/5). Good Fine.

Triton XXIX
Lot: 585. Estimated: $ 2 000

The Beniak Collection of Alexandrian Coinage, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 1 300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (32mm, 22.78 g, 12h). Zodiac Series. Dated RY 8 (AD 144/5). AYT K T AIΛ A∆P ANTω[NINOC] CЄB ЄYC, laureate head right / Zodiac wheel counterclockwise with “Aries” at the top; the inner circle contains conjoined busts left of Helios, radiate, and Selene, wearing lunar crown; H/L (date) to left. Köln –; Dattari (Savio); K&G –; RPC IV.4 830/1 (for obv./rev.); Emmett 1705.8 (R5). Green-brown surfaces, roughness. Good Fine. Extremely rare die combination, unpublished as such.

From the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection, purchased from Nilus Coins, April 2006.

Alexandria saw an immense output of coinage during the eighth year of Antoninus Pius’s reign. The Zodiac drachms, mythological types, and a host of issues for the nomes appeared that year. One explanation for this activity centers on the celebration of the renewal of the Great Sothic cycle, the point when the star Sothis (Sirius) rises on the same point on the horizon as the sun. This cycle of 1461 years began early in the reign of Pius in AD 139, and apparently prompted a renewal in the ancient Egyptian religion, while the coin types also stressed the connections to the Greco-Roman Pantheon.

The final winners of all Triton XXIX lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 13-14 January 2026.

Triton XXIX – Session Two – Lot 302-613 will be held Tuesday afternoon, 13 January 2026 beginning at 2:00 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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