60
Coin circulation and Coin production at Herakleion and in the Delta region in the Late Period Andrew Meadows The American Numismatic Society
Coin circulation and Coin production at Herakleion and in the Delta region in the Late Period
Andrew MeadowsThe American Numismatic Society
Herakleion 2004 Hoard
The Ptolemaic Gold Hoard, c. 295-285 BC
Herakleion 2010 Hoard
Herakleion 2006 Hoard
Herakleion 2006 Hoard
Series 9, beginning c. 115 BC?
Herakleion Hoard
The 4 Hoards
All identified coins
Dramatis Personae
GreekPtolemaic
RomanByzantine
Herakleion: the big picture
11%
45%
4%4%
36%
GreekPtolemaicRomanByzantineIslamicUnidentifiable
Identifiable coins
18%
70%
6%6%
GreekPtolemaicRomanByzantineIslamic
Herakleion and Naucratis Compared
5th century 4th century Ptolemaic Roman Byzantine Islamic0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
HerakleionNaucratis
Greek period: Mints represented by more than one coin
15%
4%
43%4%
4%2%2%
1%
26%
AlexanderAthensKitionKosMacedonRhodesSidonNaucratisOther
Greek Gold
Pumiathon, c. 354 BC, SCA 287
Pixodarus, 340-335 BC H 10717
Herakleion and Naucratis Compared
5th century 4th century Ptolemaic Roman Byzantine Islamic0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
HerakleionNaucratis
Identifiable Roman coins
Claudius Trajan Hadrian Pius Faustina II Gordian0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Herakleion and Naucratis Compared
5th century 4th century Ptolemaic Roman Byzantine Islamic0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
HerakleionNaucratis
Ptolemaic Bronze SeriesSeries No. of
Denominations
Reigns Approx Dates
1 2 Ptol. 1 315-301 BC
2 4 Ptol. 1 and 2 301-261 BC
3 6 Ptol. 2 and 3 261-240 BC
4 7 Ptol. 3 and 4 240-220 BC
5 8 Ptol. 4 and 5 220-197 BC
6 8 Ptol. 5 and 6 197-163 BC
7 6 Ptol. 6 and 8, Cleo. 2 163-115 BC
8 2 Ptol. 9 115-113 BC
9 2 Ptol. 10-14 113-44 BC
10 2 Cleo. 7 44-30 BC
Ptolemaic bronze finds by period (uncertain coins distributed proportionately)
315-301 BC 301-261 BC 261-240 BC 240-220 BC 220-197 BC 197-163 BC 163-115 BC 113-44 BC 44-30 BC0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Ptolemaic Bronze finds compared for Alexandria, Naucratis and Herakleion
Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 Series 5 Series 6 Series 7 Series 9 Series 100
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Percentage of coins found by by period
NaucratisAlexandriaHerakleion
Bronze series
% o
f Pto
lem
aic s
ite fi
nds
Ptolemaic Bronze finds compared for Alexandria, Naucratis and Herakleion
Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 Series 5 Series 6 Series 7 Series 9 Series 100
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Percentage divided by length of period
NaucratisAlexandriaHerakleion
Years
% p
er a
nnum
Greek Coinage
Ptolemaic Period 1
Ptolemaic Periods 1-2
Ptolemaic Groups 1-5
Ptolemaic Groups 1-7
Ptolemaic Periods 9-10
Ptolemaic Bronze finds compared for Alexandria, Naucratis and Herakleion
Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 Series 5 Series 6 Series 7 Series 9 Series 100
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Percentage divided by length of period
NaucratisAlexandriaHerakleion
Years
% p
er a
nnum
Ptolemaic 9-10And Roman
Claudius
Trajan
Hadria
nPius
Fausti
na II
Gordian
02468
Byzantine
Byzantine
Artaxerxes III (‘Artaxerxes Pharaoh’)
Sabakes and Mazakes
Silver and Bronze of Naucratis
1
32
Herakleion Dies 30mm
1
32
Herakleion Dies 30mm
Herakleion 1
Herakleion 2
Herakleion 3
Sabaces types from the Syria 1989 hoard
Herakleion 2 & 3
Sabaces types from the Syria 1989 hoard
Athribis hoard die
Hill’s ‘Sais’ Dies
Herakleion
Sais
Athribis
?‘Delta’
Provenanced Athenian Coin Dies from Egypt
Naucratis
‘Athenian’ tetradrachms, 4th cent. BC
Greek period: Mints represented by more than one coin
15%
4%
43%4%
4%2%2%
1%
26%
AlexanderAthensKitionKosMacedonRhodesSidonNaucratisOther
Lion/Horse Bronze Distribution
Lion/Horse Bronze Distribution
Kition
(ANS 0000.999.25173)
‘Tanit’ mark on the gold of Pumiathon
Barbarous?
H 10825_3(die axis 330°)
Die axes of Lion/Horse bronzes
0, 90, 180Other axes
0, 90, 180Other axes
Kition-Bamboula(Callot 1992)
Herakleion
Envoi…
• Where is the 5th century?• Where is the earlier 4th century?• Why so much coinage from the early 3rd
century?• What happens c. 170-160 BC?• What happens in the late 1stc century AD?• What coinage was produced at Herakleion?
Thank you
Ptolemaic bronze finds by period (raw)
Period 1 Period 1-2
Period 2 Period 2-3
Period 3 Period 3-4
Period 4 Period 4-5
Period 5 Period 6 Period 6-7
Period 7 Period 9 Period 100
50
100
150
200
250