Hellenistic Copper Coin of Egypt Issued by Ptolemaeus IV, Philopater I

222 BCE-204 BCE

1 7/16 in. (diameter) x 1/4 in. (3.7 cm x 0.6 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Animalia - Kingdom containing multicellular organisms having cells bound by a plasma membrane and organized into tissue and specialized tissue systems that permit them to either move about in search of food or to draw food toward themselves. Unable to make their own food within themselves, as photosynthetic plants do, they rely on consuming preformed food. They possess a nervous system with sensory and motor nerves, enabling them to receive environmental stimuli and to respond with specialized movements.
• coins - Pieces of metal stamped by government authority for use as money.
• copper - Pure metallic element having the symbol Cu and atomic number 29; a reddish brown, ductile metal that is present in the earth's crust, occurring as a native metal and as ores of sulfide, sulfate and carbonate (azurite, malachite, etc.). It was the first metal used by humans, probably from about 8000 BCE, in the regions of Mesopotamia and India. By about 3800 BCE copper was made into bronze for weapons and knives. Today, copper is one of the most widely used metals because it has high electrical and thermal conductivity, can be easily fabricated, is ductile and polishes well. In moist air, copper forms a protective green film of basic carbonate. Metallic copper combines well with other metals to form alloys, most commonly brass and bronze. Copper and its alloys are used for wire, electrical devices, pipes, cooking vessels, ammunition, ornamental trim, roofing, grillwork, coins, musical instruments, jewelry, and sculptures.
• eagles - General term referring to several species in diverse genera of the family Accipitridae, that are not all closely related to each other, but having in common that they are large, powerful hunters, heavy-beaked, and have a fully feathered head and strong feet equipped with great curved talons. Because of their strength and agressive nature, eagles have been a symbol of war and imperial power since Babylonian times.
• Egyptian - Refers to the styles and culture that developed in antiquity in the Nile Valley in the area of modern-day Egypt and southwards. For the cultures and styles of the modern nation of Egypt, use "Egypt (modern)."
• Hellenistic - Refers to the ancient Greek period, culture, and art of ancient Greece that lasted from about 330 BCE to 31 BCE, when Augustus defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony. It is characterized by an international culture that was ushered in by Alexander the Great's conquest of India, Egypt, and the Near East. In architecture and art, the style is marked by greater sophistication, complexity, and diversity than was known in earlier Greek styles. Architecture diverges from strict rules of earlier periods. Sculptors emphasized more realistic figures in a greater variety of poses than in earlier Greek art.