Coins and Historical Medals

Roman Provincial Coinage, Domitian, Æ Hemidrachm, Alexandria, yr 11 [91-2], laureate buist right, rev. Pharos lighthouse, decorated with a statue of Ptolemy Soter (?) at the summit and figures of Triton on lower stage, 16.42g (RPC 2617; cf. BMC 343). Fine, rare
£200-£260

The lighthouse of Alexandria a masterpiece of Greek architecture which pioneered the architectural form of these structures, came to be considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Constructed on the island of Pharos during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphos, it was designed to help guide merchants and travellers into Alexandria’s two harbours, away from the shallows and reefs that ran along the nearby coastline. Unfortunately, the structure is now lost, having been destroyed by several earthquakes. Reconstructions, based on surviving literary evidence and artistic depictions such as that seen on this coin, indicate that it originally stood around 115 metres above sea level and that its light was visible from some 34 miles distant