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1⁄16 Mnaïeion - Berenike II Seleukeia in Piereia[?]
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom (Ptolemaic Kingdom (305 BC - 30 BC)) |
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| Year | 246 BC - 222 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.54 g |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and veiled draped bust of Berenice II facing right, adorned with a necklace. A lotus scepter rises in the background, its tip visible above the bust. The portrait is rendered in the refined Hellenistic court style characteristic of Ptolemaic royal portraiture. The field is bordered by a dotted (beaded) circle. |
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| Reverse description | A fillet-bound cornucopia (horn of plenty) shown upright and centrally placed in the field, richly laden with fruits and foliage, its base tied with a decorative fillet. The royal legend ΒΕΡΕΝΙΚΗΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ('of Queen Berenice') is disposed in two lines around the device, identifying the coin as a dynastic issue of the Ptolemaic queen. The design is typical of Berenice II's coinage, associating the queen with themes of royal abundance and divine favor. |
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| Additional information |
Berenike II came to the Ptolemaic court through the violent resolution of the Third Syrian War — her first husband Demetrios the Fair was murdered, reportedly at her own instigation, before she married Ptolemy III. The attribution to Seleukeia in Pieria reflects Ptolemaic occupation of that Seleucid port city following Ptolemy III's deep campaign into Syria after 246 BC, one of the furthest extensions of Ptolemaic military reach into rival territory.
The fractional mnaïeion denomination is rare in gold at this weight class, and pieces attributed to this mint remain contested — Weber 4495 and Svoronos 983 do not fully agree on provenance.