Egypt 5 Pounds 1994

History

5 Pounds 1994, KM# 785, Egypt, Pharaonic Treasure / Ancient Egyptian Art, Cranes

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

Description

The mastaba of Ti in Saqqara is one of the most famous tomb of the Old Kingdom, remarkable for the diversity and relevance of topics, as well as for the quality of execution of its reliefs and their state of conservation.

Ti lived under the reigns of several pharaohs, the last of whom was Niouserre, at the end of the 25th - beginning of the 24th century BC. He was the husband of Nefer-hetep-es (Neferhetepes). He was the Director of the hairdressers of the Great House, which made him close to the king.

A mastaba (meaning "house of stability", "house of eternity" or "eternal house" in Ancient Egyptian) is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward sloping sides, constructed out of mudbricks.

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Crane Art (sculpture, painting etc.) Painting Depicts a detail of a wall carving "A farmer leading tame cranes" from the Mastaba of Ti, Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty, ca. 2494-2345 BC. Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
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". 5 ٥ جمهورية مصر العربية LE جـ A.R.E. 1415 1994 ECC ١٤١٥ ١٩٩٤
Edge	Reeded (milled)