Ptolemy III Euergetes, bronze drachm, reign 246-222 BC, struck 246-222 BC

Ptolemy III Euergetes, bronze drachm, reign 246-222 BC, struck 246-222 BC, weight 42.5 g, diameter 41 mm. Obverse: diademed and aegis-clad bust of Ptolemy III facing right; legend BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY encircling. Reverse: eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopia in left field; control mark between the eagle’s legs; otherwise anepigraphic. Strike: well-centered, full flan, minor die fatigue at highest relief points. Toning: uniform dark brown patina with lighter olive highlights on exposed relief. References: Svoronos 964; Weiser 71; SNG Copenhagen 171; standard Ptolemaic corpus. The coin belongs to the post-reform bronze series issued from Alexandria under Ptolemy III, the third ruler of the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt. The large bronze drachm served in place of silver for everyday transactions as silver supplies were diverted to military and building projects during his reign. The obverse portrait promotes continuity with his predecessors while asserting Macedonian royal authority in Egypt. The eagle on thunderbolt, long used by the dynasty, alludes to Zeus and to Lagid control of maritime trade. The accompanying cornucopia underscores the agricultural wealth of the Nile Valley, a central pillar of the kingdom’s power. These coins circulated widely across the eastern Mediterranean, illustrating the extensive economic reach of Ptolemaic Egypt during the mid-third century BC.