Hum Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 (CNN) -- A rare gold coin dating back 2,200 years was discovered by a combined university research team in Israel, a top Israeli antiquities official said Thursday. Dr. Donald T. Ariel, head of the Coin Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said the coin ranked in the top five of the rarest finds in that country's history. "Intrinsically, for coin research, it's a very exciting find," Ariel told CNN. "This is an amazing numismatic find. The coin is beautiful and in excellent preservation. It is the heaviest gold coin with the highest contemporary value of any coin ever found in an excavation in Israel." Ariel said the coin weighs almost one ounce (27.71 grams), while most ancient gold coins weighed about 4.5 grams. It was minted in Alexandria, Egypt, by Ptolemy V and dates to 191 BCE. It is only the second gold Ptolemaic coin ever found in Israel. The obverse, or 'head' of the coin, portrays Queen Arsinoe II Philadelphus. The reverse, or 'tail,' illustrates two "overlapping cornucopias decorated with fillets," according to the IAA. more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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