Octodrachm: Head of Arsinoe II (obverse); Double Cornucopia (Cleveland Museum of Art 1965.552)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
205–145 BCE
On this long-lived series of coinage, Arsinoe II, a divinized Hellenistic queen, wears the crown and veil associated with Hera; a scepter may be just visible beside her neck.
The daughter of Ptolemy I, founder of the Hellenistic Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries, Arsinoe married Lysimachos, king of Thrace, at the age of fifteen. After his death, she married first her half-brother and then her full brother, Ptolemy II, beginning a long-lasting Ptolemaic dynastic tradition of sibling marriage. Twin cornucopias on the reverse of this coin likely refer to the divine ruling couple, presaged in Egypt by Isis and Osiris, and in Greece by Zeus and Hera.
Cleveland Museum of Art object 1965.552: Octodrachm: Head of Arsinoe II (obverse); Double Cornucopia (reverse), 205–145 BCE. Greek, Ptolemaic, minted at Alexandreia (Egypt), reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes or Ptolemy VI Philometor. Gold; diameter: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.). Inscribed: ΑΡΣΙΝΟΗΣ | ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΟΥ (Of father-loving Arsinoe). Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 3
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The small horn around Arsinoe’s ear, referencing the Egyptian god Amon-Re, marks her divine status.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.)
- Measurements
- Diameter: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.)
- Material and technique
- gold
Design
- Inscription
- ΑΡΣΙΝΟΗΣ | ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΟΥ (Of father-loving Arsinoe)
Identification
- Date recorded
- 205–145 BCE
- Culture period
- Greek, Ptolemaic, minted at Alexandreia (Egypt), reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes or Ptolemy VI Philometor
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1965.552
- Published references
- Research required Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999. Reproduced: p.459; Mentioned: p. 459-60, cat. no. 354
- Museum classification
- Coins
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider coin type and standard catalogue references (e.g. SNG, RPC, RIC) against numismatic literature.