Egypt 50 Pounds 1994

History

50 Pounds 1994, KM# 778, Egypt, Pharaonic Treasure / Ancient Egyptian Art, God Horus as Falcon

Obverse. Image Courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS.com)

Description

Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Roman Egypt. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history, and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists. These various forms may be different manifestations of the same multi-layered deity in which certain attributes or syncretic relationships are emphasized, not necessarily in opposition but complementary to one another, consistent with how the Ancient Egyptians viewed the multiple facets of reality. He was most often depicted as a falcon, most likely a lanner falcon or peregrine falcon, or as a man with a falcon head.

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Falcon Crown, jewelry Pschent (Double Crown of Egypt) Deity (god, goddess etc.) Horus Depicts the silver statue of Horus as a falcon wearing the Double Crown of Egypt (27th dynasty, State Museum of Egyptian Art, Munich). Horus was often the ancient Egyptians' national tutelary deity. He was usually depicted as a falcon wearing the pschent, or a red and white crown, as a symbol of kingship over the entire kingdom of Egypt. The pschent was the double crown worn by rulers in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians generally referred to it as sekhemty (sḫm.ty), the Two Powerful Ones. It combined the White Hedjet Crown of Upper Egypt and the Red Deshret Crown of Lower Egypt. The pschent was the double crown worn by rulers in ancient Egypt. It combined the White Hedjet Crown of Upper Egypt and the Red Deshret Crown of Lower Egypt.
Reverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Vulture Stylized state name (Arab Republic of Egypt) divides denomination in Arabic and English and abbreviation of state name (A.R.E.) below, the date in Arabic (Hijri) and Western (Georgian) divides by a vulture with open wings. Engraver's initials (ECC) below. In Ancient Egypt, the vulture hieroglyph was the uniliteral sign used for the glottal sound (/ɑː/). The bird was held sacred to Isis in ancient Egyptian religion. The use of the vulture as a symbol of royalty in Egyptian culture and their protection by Pharaonic law made the species common on the streets of Egypt and gave rise to the name "pharaoh's chicken". 50 ٥٠ جمهورية مصر العربية LE جـ A.R.E. 1415 1994 ECC ١٤١٥ ١٩٩٤
Edge	Reeded (milled)