Denarius - Juba II and Cleopatra Selene Caesarea

Juba II was no typical client king. Captured as an infant during his father's defeat at Thapsus in 46 BC, he was raised in Rome as part of Caesar's household, educated alongside the Roman elite, and became one of the most prolific scholarly writers of the ancient world — none of whose works survive. Augustus installed him in Mauretania in 25 BC partly because he was genuinely trusted, partly because his Roman upbringing made him a reliable proxy on a difficult frontier.

His queen, Cleopatra Selene, was the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra VII, also raised in Rome after being paraded in Octavian's triumph of 29 BC. Their paired coinage is unusual for a western client kingdom of this period.