Hoard of 2300-year-old coins found in Egypt

Archaeologists excavating the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt have uncovered a large hoard of 383 bronze coins from the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes in the 3rd century B.C.

The coins have the combined Greek-Egyptian deity Zeus-Amun on the obverse and the Ptolemaic eagle on the reverse with “Ptolemy” and “king” inscribed around it. Ptolemy III did not issue any coins with his own face on them, although his son stamped some commemorative ones after his father died.

The coins are in good condition and are the first large stash of Ptolemaic coins found. Archaeologists also found three necklaces made of ostrich eggshells at the site, a pot of kohl eyeliner from the Ottoman era, and, in randomly awesome news, the remains of an ancient prehistoric whale.

Obverse of Amun-Zeus on 3rd century bronze coins Some of the 383 3rd c. bronze coins