Egypt 5 Pounds 1994

History

5 Pounds 1994, KM# 799, Egypt, Pharaonic Treasure / Ancient Egyptian Art, Pharaoh Akhenaten

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

Description

Akhenaten also spelled Echnaton, Akhenaton, (Ancient Egyptian: meaning "Effective for the Aten"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning c. 1353–1336 or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Before the fifth year of his reign, he was known as Amenhotep IV (Ancient Egyptian: meaning "Amun is satisfied", Hellenized as Amenophis IV).

As a pharaoh, Akhenaten is noted for abandoning Egypt's traditional polytheism and introducing Atenism, or worship centered around Aten. The views of Egyptologists differ as to whether the religious policy was absolutely monotheistic, or whether it was monolatry, syncretistic, or henotheistic. This culture shift away from traditional religion was reversed after his death. Akhenaten's monuments were dismantled and hidden, his statues were destroyed, and his name excluded from lists of rulers compiled by later pharaohs. Traditional religious practice was gradually restored, notably under his close successor Tutankhamun, who changed his name from Tutankhaten early in his reign. When some dozen years later, rulers without clear rights of succession from the Eighteenth Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors and referred to Akhenaten as "the enemy" or "that criminal" in archival records.

Obverse	Art (sculpture, painting etc.) Statue Crown, jewelry Pschent (Double Crown of Egypt) Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Akhenaten Depicts a statue of standing Akhenaten (ca. 1353-1336 BC, sandstone, from the Temple of Aten, Karnak, now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo) wearing the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, as well as the Khat-headdress with a royal uraeus. In his hands, he holds symbols of power and authority (mace and ankh). His features are presented in the typical style of the period, with narrow slanting eyes, a long thin face, and thick lips. The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used in Egyptian art and writing to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself. The Uraeus or Ouraeus is the stylized, upright form of an Egyptian cobra, used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity and divine authority in ancient 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". 5 ٥ جمهورية مصر العربية LE جـ A.R.E. 1415 1994 ECC ١٤١٥ ١٩٩٤
Edge	Reeded (milled)