Obverse: Veiled Bust of the Arsinoe II Crowned
with a Diadem
Reverse: Double Cornucopia Bound with a Fillet
Following the death of Alexander the Great, the
great empire he had conquered was divided
among his generals. Egypt became the domain of
Ptolemy, a Macedonian with enough sense to
occupy this choice property and stay out of most
of the struggles that took place over the lands to
the north. Perhaps this good sense explains why
Ptolemy was able to die of old age and establish
a dynasty that ruled Egypt until the last ruler of
his line (Cleopatra VII) lost it to Rome in 33 BC.
Male heirs in this family were all named Ptolemy
so separating the coins of one from another can
present problems. This coin was either minted
under the rule of Ptolemy VI (also called Ptolemy
Philometor) or his brother, Ptolemy VIII (also
known as Ptolemy Physcon). Ptolemy Physcon
ruled over Cyrene while Ptolemy Philometor
controlled Egypt; trouble between the brothers
ultimately caused the intervention of Rome.
Ptolemy VI aided Demetrius II to gain the throne
of Syria and was killed in battle with the rival
claimant, Alexander Balas. Upon news of his
death, Ptolemy Physcon returned to Egypt and
seized the throne from Philometor’s son,
Ptolemy VII.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether
contemporary currencies or artifacts of long
forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck
coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and
intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies. This
coin is a shining vestige of the ancient glory of
Egypt under Greek rule passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation.
- (C.2273)
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