Ptolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy II AR Tetradrachm Sidon 285–246 BC Eagle on bolt

Ptolemy II Philadelphos, Tetradrachm, silver, reign 285–246 BC, struck 285–246 BC, 14.10 g, 27 mm, Sidon mint. Anepigraphic obverse; diademed head of Ptolemy I Soter right, wearing aegis. Reverse: ΠTOΛEMAIOY ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ; eagle standing left on thunderbolt; in left field ΣI above monogram with date above. Struck on the Ptolemaic weight standard; broad flan with 12h die axis typical for the series. References: Lorber, CPE 545; Svoronos 755; SNG Cop. —.

Under Ptolemy II, tetradrachms honoring his father Ptolemy I were issued across the Ptolemaic mints to reinforce dynastic legitimacy and continuity. The Sidon issues, marked by the city abbreviation ΣI and local control symbols, reflect the kingdom’s administrative reach along the Phoenician coast and its reliance on maritime trade and naval power. The eagle on thunderbolt, long the emblem of Ptolemaic authority, signaled continuity of rule while facilitating a unified silver currency in the eastern Mediterranean.