v28_0099 - CYRENAICA - CYRENE - SATRAP PTOLEMY Statère d’or décalitre

CYRENAICA - CYRENE - SATRAP PTOLEMY Statère d’or décalitre AU

MONNAIES 28 (2007)
Starting price : 3 800.00 €
Estimate : 6 500.00 €
Realised price : 3 800.00 €
Number of bids : 1
Maximum bid : 4 127.00 €

Type : Statère d’or décalitre

Date: c. 322-313 AC

Mint name / Town : Cyrène

Metal : gold

Diameter : 19 mm

Orientation dies : 6 h.

Weight : 8,63 g.

Rarity : R2

Coments on the condition:

Exemplaire sur un flan régulier, parfaitement centré et complet des deux côtés. Très joli style. Revers de haut relief. Une infime petite rayure dans le champ du revers

Catalogue references :

BMC.117 - GC.6301 (2500£) - Cop.1210 - P.3271 - B. traité1844 - Du Chastel302

Obverse

Obverse description : Quadrige au pas passant à gauche, conduit par Niké, vêtu du chiton, tenant le kentron de la main droite.

Obverse legend : KURANAION.

Reverse

Reverse description : Zeus Ammon debout à gauche, à demi-nu, tenant une patère de la main droite et un sceptre long de la gauche et sacrifiant au-dessus d’un thymiaterion.

Reverse legend : POLIANQEUS.

Historical background

CYRENAICA - CYRENE - SATRAP PTOLEMY

(323-306 BC)

Cyrene, a port city located in Cyrenaica, was founded by Dorian settlers from the island of Thera around 630 BC. They were headed by Battus, the mythical ancestor of the Battides who reigned over Cyrene for two centuries. The city was famous for the cultivation and harvesting of silphium, one of the most sought-after medicinal plants of antiquity, now extinct. The city, although independent, was in Egyptian orbit. When Alexander captured Egypt in 332/331 BC, he signed a peace treaty with Cyrene guaranteeing him relative autonomy. After the death of the conqueror, the region of Cyrene fell under Lagid rule. In 322 BC, the Cyreneans appealed to Ptolemy to rid them of the tyrant Tibron. The satrap sent his general Ophellas who conquered the country, put the tyrant to death and installed himself as a strategist in Cyrene. Ophellas was in turn overthrown in 313 BC. Ptolemy recovered Cyrene in 308 BC and installed his son-in-law Magas there (308-277 AC.).