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Denarius - Ptolemy Caesarea
| Issuer | Mauretania |
|---|---|
| Year | 25-27 |
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| Value | 1 Denarius |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and draped bust of King Ptolemy of Mauretania facing right, wearing a diadem adorned with elaborate ornamentation and a decorative element atop the head, possibly a radiate crown or feathered ornament. The portrait is rendered in a Hellenistic style characteristic of the Mauretanian royal coinage, with fine hair detail visible beneath the diadem. The Latin legend REX PTOLEMAEVS is inscribed around the periphery of the flan, affirming the king's royal title. The coin is struck on a small, irregular hammered flan typical of Mauretanian silver issues of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Ptolemy of Mauretania was the son of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene II — daughter of the famous Cleopatra VII — making him one of the last living descendants of the Ptolemaic dynasty when these coins were struck. His kingdom existed entirely at Roman sufferance, a client state ruled by a man who was simultaneously a Berber king and a Roman citizen. The early years of his reign, roughly when this denarius was issued, represent a period of careful political positioning under Tiberius.
Ptolemy was eventually summoned to Rome by Caligula and executed around 40 AD, reportedly because his cloak drew more admiring attention than the emperor's at a gladiatorial game.