Catalog
Denarius - Ptolemy Caesarea
| Issuer | Mauretania |
|---|---|
| Year | 24-25 |
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| Currency | Denarius (25BC-40AD) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and draped bust of Ptolemy of Mauretania facing right, rendered in a Hellenistic portrait style with fine engraving detail. The royal diadem is visible above the brow, and the drapery falls over the left shoulder. The encircling legend REX PTOLEMAEVS appears in Latin characters distributed around the bust in the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Ptolemy of Mauretania was the son of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene II — herself the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII — making him the last ruling descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty. His coinage reflects a kingdom that was nominally client to Rome but cultivated a distinctly Hellenistic royal identity. He was executed by Caligula in 40 AD, reportedly out of jealousy over the reception Ptolemy received during a visit to Rome, after which Mauretania was absorbed directly into the empire as two provinces.