Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246-222 BC, Tetrobol

Ptolemy III Euergetes, tetrobol, AE, 246–222 BC, Alexandria mint, 32.66 g, 40 mm. Obverse with head of Zeus-Ammon right, the ram’s horn curling behind the ear. Reverse with eagle standing left on thunderbolt, surrounded by the Greek legend ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ. Struck on a large flan; devices and legend preserved in the metal. Svoronos 975.

Issued under Ptolemy III, these large bronze denominations formed part of the Ptolemaic monetary system centered on Alexandria, serving local circulation in Egypt alongside silver and gold. The Zeus-Ammon portrait reflects the dynasty’s use of syncretic religious imagery, combining Greek Zeus with the Libyan-Egyptian Ammon to support royal legitimacy, while the eagle on thunderbolt is the standard Ptolemaic dynastic emblem derived from Macedonian royal iconography.