Unnumbered pageScan 35 of 54
Continued from p. 3
… was the author of The life of Alexander which became Arrian's [handwritten: a life] principle source in his own history. If, as we are told, we are told [handwritten: ops] X Ptolemy was the first among the successes to strike coins bearing his own portrait, it was certainly an event of some importance and one to which he must have given considerable thought and attention. Previously only portraits of Alexander had appeared on the coinage. It is reasonable to conclude that at least he saw and approved beforehand the representation of himself that was to appear on the new royal coinage. This official portrait travelled far and wide, not only through his own realm, but throughout Alexander's empire. The propaganda value was undoubtedly great. It would appear to be more than likely, therefore, that Ptolemy, ruler and patron of the Arts, set to this first coin portrait of himself as the first among the successors to place his diadem head upon his coinage, and that the die-cutter faithfully reproduced the outstanding and more memorable features of the king.
The coin (Fig. [handwritten: ?]) belongs to one of the finest issues ever struck in Ptolemy. Egypt. The hair of Ptolemy's portrait is highly stylized as we see. It falls on all sides from the crown of the head in wavy strands. It will be noticed that the die-cutter shows us the far side of the head which, of course, should not be seen, but there is nothing naturalistic about this portrait. The artist is careful not to conceal what, judging from other coins, must have been one of the outstanding features of the king: the baldness over his brow.
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain