Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246-222 BC, Obol

Ptolemy III Euergetes, obol, bronze, 246–222 BC, 13.94 g, 23 mm. Alexandria mint. Obverse: head of Zeus-Ammon right. Reverse: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ; eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings closed. Struck at Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy III. Reference: Svoronos 791.

Ptolemaic bronze issues formed the backbone of everyday transactions in Egypt, and under Ptolemy III they were produced in large quantities as the kingdom expanded during the Third Syrian War. The Zeus-Ammon portrait reflects the syncretism of Greek and Egyptian cults promoted by the dynasty, while the eagle on thunderbolt served as the standard Ptolemaic emblem derived from the iconography of Zeus and Alexander. Coins of this type illustrate the centralized Alexandrian mint’s role in supplying a uniform bronze currency across the Nile valley and Ptolemaic maritime networks.