ORC3244 Cleopatra denarius Cyprus VG
$300.00  
Seller oldromancoins


   ORC3244 Cleopatra denarius Cyprus VG

Cleopatra & Marc Antony, AR denarius, (3.36g) struck 34-31 BC, Paphos Mint
(?), [CLEOPATRAE REGINAE REGVM FILIORVM REGVM] Diademed and draped bust of
Cleopatra right. / ANTON[I AR]MENIA [DEVICTA] Bare head of Antony right,
Armenian tier behind. Vagi 209; C 543/1. G-VG / Near F, banker's mark.

An important issue of denarii features the obverse portrait of Cleopatra
with a small prow before, and the reverse portrait of Antony (Crawford
543). The clumsy style obverse Latin legend translates as, "of Cleopatra,
Queen of Kings, (and) of (her) sons, who are Kings." Unlike most
Imperatorial denarii, the coin has 12:00 die axis. Both sides have a dotted
border. The reverse Latin legend translates as, "of Antony, since Armenia
has been defeated." Of all Cleopatra's coinage, this issue most clearly
proclaims the dynastic ambitions set forth by Antony in the "Donations of
Alexandria". Antony's "Donations of Alexandria" listed a number of
provinces as the kingdoms of Cleopatra and her children. This is the only
issue of denarii for Cleopatra, and her only issue with Latin legends, not
Greek. The preferential placement of Cleopatra's portrait on this issue
suggests the mint officials placed their Queen above her consort, Mark
Antony. Sear writes, "careless engraving and shoddy execution. . . together
with the imprecise form of the Latin, is consistent with their production
by a mint which was unaccustomed to striking Roman coinage (i.e.
Alexandria)," connected to Antony's triumph in 34 BC.

While Alexandria was the larger city,
Paphos was a ship-building center, and the main port of the Ptolemaic navy.
The prow could be a symbol of either port. To Crawford, this issue
immediately preceded the legionary denarii, in 32 BC. Like the legionary
denarii, it is also found plated and with banker's marks. The frequency of
the banker's marks indicate that ancient merchants were aware that this
issue was often plated. However, the issue is generally not of base silver,
and should be considered as separate from the legionary denarii.