EGYPT, Alexandria. Severus Alexander. As Caesar, AD 222. Potin Tetradrachm (23mm, 10.77 g, 12h). Dated RY 5 (AD 221/2). Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front / Nilus reclining left, holding a cornucopia, from which emerges a genius, and a reed; to left, a Nilometer as an obelisk with two genii attendants; two additional genii by the reed; L Є (date) in exergue. Köln 2397; Dattari (Savio) 4245; K&G 62.10; RPC VI Online 10223; Emmett 3080.5. Brown patina, roughness. VF. Rare.
From the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection, purchased from Frank L. Kovacs, 12 October 2009.
The Nilometer, in this case a stone obelisk that measured the inundation of the Nile, was a prominent landmark in Egyptian culture. It was vital as a calendar to mark the passing of the seasons and for assessing the fertility of the land, which depended on the annual Nile flood. It occurs frequently in Egyptian art, surrounded by attendants and the fruits of the fertile river.
CNG 560, LOT 515, 1096 pc, 2024
