Egypt, Period of Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VIII, c. 180 - 116 BC.
Oktadrachm in the name of Arsinoe, c. 134 BC, Alexandria. (Gold, 27.69g., 28.8mm). Head of Arsinoë II (?) to right, wearing diadem and stephane, and with a lotos-tipped scepter behind her head; in field to left, Κ / ΑΡΣΙΝΟΗΣ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΟΥ Double cornucopiae bound with fillet; border of dots. Du Chastel 298 (there dated to 134 BC). SNG Copenhagen 322. Svoronos 1498.

The head on the obverse of this coin, and the legend on the reverse, imply that what we have here is merely a re-issue of the famous coinage of Arsinoe II, begun during her lifetime by Ptolemy II. Given the fact that the Ptolemies retained the head of Ptolemy I for virtually all the silver coins issued by the dynasty this seems reasonable. However, the prominent Κ (ostensibly standing for year 20) on the obverse has lead to the belief that the portrait is actually that of either Cleopatra II or her daughter Cleopatra III; the first was the wife of both Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VIII, the second was the wife of Ptolemy VIII. It seems unlikely that we can ever be certain. In any case, the style of the head is so different from those earlier issues of the third century BC that it seems quite clear that a different person is actually being portrayed. In fact, an extremely similar portrait is that of Cleopatra Thea Eueteria, the daughter of Cleopatra II and the sister of Cleopatra III, the wife of a number of Seleucid rulers (from 150 until her death in 121 BC, when she was forced to drink poison by her son and husband Antiochos VIII).

Grading/Status: A wonderful, lustrous, beautifully struck example in high relief. Virtually as struck.

Notes
Provenance:
Triton V, 15 January 2002, 1544.