

Egypt. Alexandria. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Drachm (Bronze, 31.10 mm, 21.78 g). Dated RY 24 (= 160/1). [AYT K TI AI AΔPI] - ANTωN[INOC CEB EYC] Laureate and draped bust of Antoninus Pius to right. Rev. Ram standing right, wearing the hemhem crown, above bust of Serapis to right, wearing taenia and kalathos; before ram Egyptian altar; L K-Δ across field. Dattari-Savio 2835. RPC IV.4, 2210. Geissen 1857. Milne 2418. Emmett 1654. Rough surface but a bold reverse. Near Very Fine. Very Rare, only three examples cited by the RPC.
Ex Italo Vecchi, Zürich, October 1993.
Very rare drachm issued in the last reign's months of Antoninus Pius, portrayed on obverse already decrepit. The reverse splendidly preserved, shows a slightly different version of the Serapis bust-Aries combination from the one described to drachm no. 138 of the collection, whose reference we suggest. In fact, the ram that moves to the right wears the pharaonic crown hemhem over its head, a symbol as royal as it is of divinity.