PTOLEMY V SILVER TETRADRACHM – ISSUE OF UNCERTAIN PHOENICIAN MINT – XF NGC GRADED GREEK PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM COIN (Inv. 20839)

$2,750.00

20839. PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM. PTOLEMY V EPIPHANES, 205/4-180 BC.
Silver Stater or Tetradrachm, 14.00 g, 27 mm. Uncertain military mint in Phoenicia, ca. 202-200 BC.
Obv. Draped bust of young Ptolemy V right, wearing diadem with barley ear. Rev. ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; M in left field, NI between legs.
CPE 2, 1064; Svoronos 1284.
NGC graded XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, light colorful toning, scarce emission, with only 14 other specimens appearing on CoinArchives.

This coin belongs to a series struck to finance the defense of Ptolemaic-controlled Phoenicia against the incursions of the Seleucid king Antiochus III during the Fifth Syrian War (202-195 BC). The young Ptolemy V is depicted wearing a Macedonian chlamys to illustrate his command of the army, while the grain ear on his diadem, a highly unusual feature, is thought to identify him with the god Triptolemos, whose Egyptian counterpart, Harpokrates, grew up to become Horus, the savior king of Egypt. Unfortunately, despite the inspirational character of the portrait, the coinage of Ptolemy V was not enough to save Phoenicia. By 195 BC the region had completely fallen to the forces of Antiochos III and was destined never to return to the Ptolemaic kingdom.