Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246-222 BC, Tetrobol

Ptolemy III Euergetes, tetrobol, AE, reign 246–222 BC, Alexandria mint, 34.33 g, 40 mm. Obverse with the head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing the ram’s horn; border of dots. Reverse with eagle standing on thunderbolt, accompanied by the Greek legend ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ around; Ptolemaic bronze fabric on a thick, large flan typical of the Alexandria series. Reference: Svoronos 975.

Large-module bronzes of Ptolemy III belong to the mature phase of Ptolemaic monetary production at Alexandria, pairing the syncretic Zeus-Ammon portrait with the dynastic eagle emblem and royal titulature. Issued during a reign marked by extensive military activity and consolidation of Ptolemaic influence in the eastern Mediterranean, these bronzes reflect the state’s need for substantial fiduciary coinage for domestic circulation alongside the kingdom’s silver issues.