Antoninus Pius, Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria drachm, RY 12 (148/9 CE)

Egypt, Alexandria

Antoninus Pius, 138 – 161 CE, struck 148/9 (regnal year, RY 12)

Æ drachm – 24.96 g, 33.5 x 33.8 mm, 12h

Alexandria mint

Obv: Laureate head of Pius right, ΑΥΤ Κ Τ ΑΙ(Λ) ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ ΕΥϹ(ΕΒ) around

Rev: Isis Pharia (protector of sailors), holding billowing sail and sistrum, standing right before the Pharos of Alexandria, which is surmounted by a statue and two Tritons, L ΔωΔЄKATOV (date) around (ἔτους δωδεκάτου)

References: RPC IV.4 Online 1106; Dattari (Savio) 8569–71, 8573, 8575–6

Notes on the coin: The pharos (lighthouse) first appears on Alexandrian coinage under Domitian but begins to be paired with Isis Pharia under Trajan, continuing under Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. This particular coin, and its related types from Alexandria, provides some of our best visual evidence for the appearance of the famous lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The lighthouse stood for well over a millennium, from roughly 280 BCE until the 14th century CE, making it one of the longest-surviving of the seven wonders, after the Great Pyramid. The pairing of Isis Pharia (divine protector of navigation) and the pharos (physical protector and guide for navigation) effectively represents Alexandria as the safe gateway between Egypt and the Mediterranean.

please add $10 for USPS shipping