Catalog
Mnaieion - Arsinoe II
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 252 BC - 249 BC |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Lorber 1.1#390, PCO#cpe.1_1.390, SvoronosPt#475 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Issued posthumously — Arsinoe II died around 270 BC — this heavyweight gold piece was struck under Ptolemy III as part of a sustained dynastic cult built around his deified predecessor and aunt-turned-stepmother. The Ptolemaic court had invested heavily in her apotheosis, and these large gold pieces functioned as instruments of that religious-political program, circulating as proof of divine favor rather than as everyday transactional currency.
The mnaieion denomination, equivalent to a full gold mina, was among the largest gold coins produced in the Hellenistic world by weight.