Gold (hieroglyph)

The ancient Egyptian Gold hieroglyph is a member of the crowns, dress, staves hieroglyphs. Its major importance is as one of the Fivefold Titulary names of the Egyptian pharaoh, the Horus of Gold name.

The gold hieroglyph is used as a determinative in the names of precious metals, and as an ideogram in the Egyptian word nbw "gold", likely pronounced *nábu, which later became Coptic ⲛⲟⲩⲃ nūb. The hieroglyph is an Egyptian language biliteral with the value of nb.

The hieroglyph is a large gold and pearl necklace.Old Kingdom scenes show dwarfs metalworking the gold, and "stringing the pearls of gold".

The meaning of this particular title has been disputed. One belief is that it represents the triumph of Horus over his uncle Seth, as the symbol for gold can be taken to mean that Horus was "superior to his foes". Gold also was strongly associated in the ancient Egyptian mind with eternity, so this may have been intended to convey the pharaoh's eternal Horus name.

In the 2392 BC (24th to 23rd century BC) Palermo Stone, one use of the gold hieroglyph is for the "first counting of gold". The sign is used for more than one year-event record.

Also, a referenced naming using the "collar of gold" is found on the stone. The stone exists with the remains of 7 pieces (2 major sized). The common large often-pictured piece is the Palermo piece (at the Palermo Museum, Italy). The Palermo piece shows 6 rows (I-VI) of year-events. Above some specific surviving sections (only 2-places on the Palermo piece), is the name/title designation of the King (Pharaoh) discussed below it, in the row.

King Nynetjer is referenced above Row IV, using the following hieroglyphs, (it ends with the broken top edge of a cartouche).

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