Ptolemy III Euergetes AE Tetrobol, Alexandria, Zeus-Ammon/Eagle 246-222 BC

Ptolemy III Euergetes, Tetrobol, bronze; reign 246–222 BC, struck 246–222 BC; 18.65 g; 27 mm.

Alexandria mint. Obverse anepigraphic: horned head of Zeus Ammon right, wearing taenia with basileion; dotted border. Reverse: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ; eagle with closed wing standing left on thunderbolt, head reverted; cornucopiae bound with royal diadem on shoulder; dotted border. Struck on a broad flan, well centered with complete legends; even, heavy circulation wear; granular surfaces with scattered earthen/cuprous deposits and minor edge marks. References: CPE B359; Svoronos 1166. Historical significance: Issued under Ptolemy III during the Third Syrian War era, this bronze belongs to the domestic currency system of the Ptolemaic Kingdom centered at Alexandria. The Zeus-Ammon portrait links the dynasty to the Libyan-Egyptian oracle at Siwa, while the eagle on thunderbolt and cornucopia serve as standard Ptolemaic emblems of royal authority and abundance. Such bronzes facilitated everyday transactions within Egypt, complementing the silver coinage used in external payments and reflecting the administration and iconography of the early Hellenistic state.