Ptolemy II Philadelphos AR Tetradrachm, Sidon, Eagle on thunderbolt

Ptolemy II Philadelphos. Tetradrachm, silver, 285–246 BC, Sidon mint. 14.20 g; 27 mm. Anepigraphic obverse with diademed head of Ptolemy I Soter right, wearing the aegis. Reverse ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ; eagle standing left on thunderbolt; in left field a monogram with city abbreviation above and year above; additional control marks in fields. Struck on a broad flan and well centered with complete reverse legend; light cabinet tone and minor high-point softness. References: Lorber, CPE 545; Svoronos 755; SNG Cop. —. This Sidon issue belongs to the network of Levantine Ptolemaic mints that supplied silver for fleets and garrisons during the early Syrian Wars. The posthumous portrait of Ptolemy I on coins of Ptolemy II served dynastic propaganda and continuity, while the eagle on thunderbolt became the standard badge of the Ptolemaic royal coinage. Local control marks and dating reflect Sidon’s administrative role within the kingdom’s coastal possessions and its importance in eastern Mediterranean trade.