Ptolemy II Philadelphos, 285-246 BC, Tetrobol

Ptolemy II Philadelphos, tetrobol, AE, 285–246 BC, Alexandria, 34.33 g, 36 mm. Obverse with head of Zeus-Ammon to right, wearing ram’s horn and fillet. Reverse with eagle standing on thunderbolt; Greek legend ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ. Struck on a broad, thick flan characteristic of the Ptolemaic bronze series, with the principal devices in high relief. Reference: Svoronos 1167.

The large bronze coinage of Ptolemy II formed an important component of the closed-currency system operating in Ptolemaic Egypt, facilitating local payments and market exchange alongside the kingdom’s silver. The obverse type of Zeus-Ammon reflects the dynasty’s promotion of a syncretic divine imagery linking Greek and Egyptian religious concepts, while the eagle on thunderbolt served as a long-running dynastic emblem used across Ptolemaic issues struck at Alexandria.