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Banner Astarte XXIII
Lot # 348
Egypt. Alexandria. Hadrian, 117-138. Drachm (Bronze, 33.41 mm, 22.54 g). Dated RY 21 (= 136/7). ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ [ΤΡ]ΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟ[Ϲ ϹΕΒ] Laureate draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev. Harpocrates of Mendes riding on ram to left; L-Κ[Α] (date) across field. K&G 32.706 (incorrect year). Dattari 1737 (incorrect year). Geissen -. Emmett 977. RPC III, 6099 (incorrect year) = RPC III, 6176. SNG Paris 1845. Pierced twice, otherwise, Good Fine. Very rare. Ex Numismatic Fine Arts, lot 2385. The specimens Dattari 1737, Dattari-Savio 7677 and Paris 1845 are apparently struck with the same reverse die. In the piece of Paris, the one of the year can only be guessed at, but the illustrations by Dattari-Savio (with images of the two pieces swapped, see Dattari Tav. XIV) shown the letter alpha. Therefore the present piece also refers to the same year, even if the letter alpha is not visible. This very rare drachm suffered "ab antiquo" a double perforation without damages to the figures both on obverse and on revers, in particular to the Harpokrates of Mendes, riding a ram with the solar disc on its head, representing a local form of Osiris.