Money in Ptolemaic Egypt

This book explores the impact of Alexander the Great's introduction of coined money on the economy and society of Egypt and its political implications for the formation of the Ptolemaic state. It argues that the introduction of coinage happened slowly, spreading gradually from Alexandria into the chora. Under Ptolemy II, however, Egypt was aggressively monetised. Using both numismatic and papyrological evidence, the workings of a rural monetary economy are reconstructed where coinage was in high demand, but in short supply. It is argued that by the middle of the third century BC Egypt was much more thoroughly monetised than is usually assumed, but that the degree of monetisation was sustained only by an extensive credit economy as well as ad hoc commutation of monetary payments into kind. Contextualising the complexities of credit and banking in rural Egypt, the book offers a fresh picture of their function in the ancient economy.

ISBN 0521130549   Pages 380 ISBN13 9780521130547 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 560 Publisher Cambridge University Press   Published in Cambridge Imprint Cambridge University Press   Height (mm) 229 Format Paperback   Width (mm) 152 Publication date 11 Feb 2010   Spine width (mm) 21 DEWEY 332.4932   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

Introduction; 1. Questions and issues; 2. The historical background; Part I. Money and Coinage: 1. The money of the King; 2. Monetising the countryside; Part II. Cash and Kind: 3. Taxes; 4. Bronze and silver; 5. Rents; 6. Wages; Part III. Debt and Credit: 7. Formal loans (List 1-2); 8. Extending the credit economy (Lists 3-5); 9. Leases and labour contracts; 10. Credit in a social context; Part IV. Banking: 11. Banks and money supply; 12. Banking and business; Conclusion; Appendices.

'Sitta von Reden's book deals with a well defined topic and combines numismatic and papyrological evidence in an interesting and illuminating way. ... This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the economy of third century BC Ptolemaic Egypt.' De novis libris iudicia

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