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Token with an Egyptian Obelisk and a Temple (front, post-cons.)

Unknown

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

This circular token probably served as a game counter. The obverse shows an obelisk next to a building that can be identified as a temple. It has a curvilinear roof and club-shaped columns of Egyptian style. The doorway is decorated with rectangular blocks in two rows. In the pediment, a circular ornament likely represents the sun disk. The reverse is inscribed in Greek with the name Nikopolis, along with the Roman numeral IIII and the Greek letter delta. The inscription identifies the location of the obelisk and building as Nikopolis, a suburb of Alexandria in Egypt.

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  • Title: Token with an Egyptian Obelisk and a Temple (front, post-cons.)
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: early 1st century A.D.
  • Physical Dimensions: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.)
  • Type: Tessera
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Cattle bone
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 79.AI.169
  • Culture: Roman
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, Gift of Marshall and Ruth Goldberg
  • Creator Display Name: Unknown
  • Classification: Implements (Object Genre)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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