Head of Ptolemy V
Coin (Tetradrachm)
3rd century - 2nd century BC (made)
3rd century - 2nd century BC (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ancient Greek coin is a tetradrachm of Ptolemy V, Epiphanes, who was King of Egypt from 204-181 BC. A drachm is the basic monetary unit in ancient Greece (and still today), originating from the word 'dragma', which means 'handful'. A drachm is a medium sized coin, weighing around 4 grams and with a diameter of about 1.6 to 1.9 cm. A Tetradrachm (four-drachm) is a large silver coin, which weighs around 17 grams and has a diameter of a bout 2.4 to 3 cm. Greek coins were made by a crude form of striking, the rough blank of metal being placed between two dies engraved with the required image and the whole assemblage being hit with a hammer, thus obverse and reverse were impressed simultaneously, sometimes with uneven results.
The coins bequeathed to the V&A by George Salting include examples of silver coins from Syracuse of the 4th century BC, a set of gold imperial coins of Rome, and some fine specimens of bronze denarii of the Roman Empire.
The coins bequeathed to the V&A by George Salting include examples of silver coins from Syracuse of the 4th century BC, a set of gold imperial coins of Rome, and some fine specimens of bronze denarii of the Roman Empire.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Head of Ptolemy V (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Coin, tetradrachm of Ptolemy V, silver, head of Ptolemy V / eagle, Greek, 3rd to 2nd century BC |
| Physical description | Obverse: youthful head of Ptolemy V, wearing chlamys and diadem adorned with ear of corn. Reverse: Greek Inscription. Eagle standing on thunderbolt, with wings closed. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | From the Salting bequest. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This ancient Greek coin is a tetradrachm of Ptolemy V, Epiphanes, who was King of Egypt from 204-181 BC. A drachm is the basic monetary unit in ancient Greece (and still today), originating from the word 'dragma', which means 'handful'. A drachm is a medium sized coin, weighing around 4 grams and with a diameter of about 1.6 to 1.9 cm. A Tetradrachm (four-drachm) is a large silver coin, which weighs around 17 grams and has a diameter of a bout 2.4 to 3 cm. Greek coins were made by a crude form of striking, the rough blank of metal being placed between two dies engraved with the required image and the whole assemblage being hit with a hammer, thus obverse and reverse were impressed simultaneously, sometimes with uneven results. The coins bequeathed to the V&A by George Salting include examples of silver coins from Syracuse of the 4th century BC, a set of gold imperial coins of Rome, and some fine specimens of bronze denarii of the Roman Empire. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.666-1910 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
