ORC1706 Cleopatra VII / Antony, tetr. VF
$1,046.67
Sep-13-01
Seller oldromancoins.com
           
 ORC1706 Cleopatra VII / Antony, tetr. VF

Cleopatra & Marc Antony, AR tetradrachm, (13.92g) Syrian Mint, c. 36-33 BC,
BACILICCA KLEORATPA ŘEA NEW[TE]PA Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra
right. / ANTWNIOC AY[T]OKPTWP TPITON TRIWN ANDPW[N] Bare head of Antony
right. BMC 56; RPC 4094. VF detail, nicely centered and struck, toning
masks obverse porosity and light pitting, test scrape at reverse 10:00, but
still well above average for this issue, which RPC notes is "usually poorly
preserved, and weakly struck from lightly engraved dies [on planchets of]
rather rougher fabric".

RPC notes that this issue is 81% silver, and that the Cleopatra side is the
obverse. This translates to about 12 grams of pure silver (for the full
14.8g weight listed in RPC). The tetradrachm was produced at the same
weight standard and fineness as tetradrachms of Antioch, perhaps at a mint
outside of Antioch. Antioch itself was not part of Cleopatra's kingdom. The
use of 21 obverse dies on the 44 examples known to RPC suggests that this
was a large issue. An example is known overstruck over a Parthian
tetradrachm of September 33 BC.