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Mnaeion - Ptolemy VIII Physcon Alexandreia
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 134 BC |
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| Composition | Gold |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A double cornucopiae (dikeras) tied at the center with a decorative fillet, the twin horns curving outward and upward, abundantly filled with fruits and topped with grape clusters. The design is boldly rendered in high relief characteristic of Ptolemaic gold coinage. The Greek dynastic legend ΑΡΣΙΝΟΗΣ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΟΥ is inscribed around the field, and the entire design is enclosed within a border of dots. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Ptolemy VIII — nicknamed "Physcon," meaning potbelly — was one of the more divisive rulers of the dynasty, twice expelled from Alexandria by popular revolt and by his own sister-wife Cleopatra II. This mnaeion, equivalent to a mina and among the largest-denomination gold issues of the Ptolemaic series, was struck during his second reign following a bloody civil war that ended in a negotiated co-regency. The Alexandrian mint produced these at irregular intervals, tied to specific ceremonial or military financial demands rather than routine monetary need.