I'm interested in thoughts on the attribution of the tiny bronze with the (assumed) head of Ptolemaic Queen Arsinoe II. Wildwinds has this one attributed to Ptolemy Keraunos whose amazing story has been told in several recent threads. Others have this coin's authority attributed to his half-brother Ptolemy II Philadelphus. It is listed in Svoronos as a Ptolemaic coin). Both Ptolemies were married to Arsinoe II (who was sister to both). Arsinoe was previously married to Lysamachus, King of Thrace, but the legend is clearly King Ptolemy. The coin is attributed to a Northern mint, probably Byzantium. Ptolemy Keraunos was King of Macedon for a very short time and a few Macedonian bronzes are attributable to him. Keraunos's relationship with Arsinoe was also extremely volatile and , though he claimed kingship of Thrace, it was never demonstrated in real terms (though Arsinoe also apparently laid a personal claim to the monarchy of Thrace owing to her marriage to Lysamachus) so I cant understand why a Keraunos coin, showing Arsinoe would be minted in Byzantium. On the other hand so I don't see why it would be attributed to a King of Egypt like Philadelphus, who had no authority north of Syria, (though I note that a Thracian coin (Svoronos 929) is attributed to Ptolemy III. http://ptolemybronze.com/ptolemy_series.html identifies ) My question is- which Ptolemy is the coin referring to, Keraunos or Philadelphus? Im not sure why a Byzantium coin would be minted in the name of either of the Ptolemy brothers. Any thoughts? Ptolemy Keraunos, King of Macedonia, 281-279 BC. AE12, 1.99 gr. Diademed, veiled and draped bust of Arsinöe II right / BAΣY ΠTOΛ, eagle standing left. Arslan & Ozen 29-55; Klein 814. (from wildwinds.com)
Awesome find! That is, the concensus, Ptolemy Keraunos. Who was known as a playboy and not "up to snuff" to rule Egypt, despite being the first child, so his kid brother got the gig. Though may have been under estimated as he killed Seleucis I!!! Here's CNGs take, "Ptolemy Keraunos, the eldest son of Ptolemy I, was originally chosen as heir to the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, but that title eventually fell unto his younger half-brother. Attempting to establish power elsewhere, Keraunos arrived at the court of Lysimachos, king of Thrace, Macedon, and parts of Asia Minor as well as the husband of his half-sister, Arsinöe II, with whom Keraunos later traveled east seeking the aid of Seleukos. This opportunity was then seized by Seleukos and he later defeated Lysimachos, only to be murdered in turn by Keraunos shortly thereafter. Having married Arsinöe and forged an alliance with Pyrrhos of Epiros, Keraunos ruled for two years until his death fighting against the Gauls." And they also said of your coin type, " Seldom Offered Ptolemy Keraunos 803240." https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=113715 Noice Here's my Keraunos: Ptolemy Keraunos 281-279 BC Uncertain mint. (Formerly thought to be civic issues of Paroreia Circa 185-168 BC.) Laureate head of Zeus right / Eagle standing left, head right, on thunderbolt; monograms flanking. SNG Copenhagen 253-254var; BMC 60. 8.43g, 21mm. Fine. Purchased from Savoca Sept 2021 Here's his little brother, better known as Ptolemy II: And a very rare AR Seleucis I MSC:
I remember researching this coin earlier and it is not from Ptolemy Keraunos. I can't find the paper that discusses it, but the argument is strong. My understanding is this is not a coin of Thrace, but elsewhere (again, need the paper to specify where). The primary argument is the marriage between Ptolemy and Arsinoe was very brief and hostile. Keraunos eventually killed her two youngest children, and he would not have been motivated at all to create a coin depicting her. @Ryro's coin, though, with the head of Zeus, is attributed to Keraunos. For what it's worth here's my Ptolemy Keraunos. KINGS of MACEDON. Ptolemy Keraunos. 281-279 BCEAR Tetradrachm In the name and types of Alexander III. Amphipolis mint. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; monograms in left field and below throne. Price 537; Mathisen, Administrative –. Here's my Arsinoe II. Most of her coins are posthumous, but this was when Ephesus was briefly named for her. Ionien, Ephesos als ArsinoeAE Dichalkon 287-281 BCE under Aristagoras 4.23g Vs.: verschleierter Kopf der Arsinoe II. n. r. Rs.: Hirsch lagert n. l., Kopf n. r." SNG v. Aulock 1840; Svoronos 134, 883 Taf. 26, 13 ex Kölner Münzkabinett Here's the "sibling-lover" Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy II PhiladelphosAR Tetradrachm. Tyre, dated RY 30 = 256/5 BCE 14.01g, 25mm, 12h. Diademed head of Ptolemy I to right, wearing aegis around neck / ΠΤΟΛEΜΑΙOΥ [BAΣΙΛEΩΣ], eagle standing to left; monogram of Tyre above club to left; Λ (date) above monogram to right; A between legs. CPE 577; Svoronos 657; SNG Copenhagen 488; DCA 20 Ex collection of R. N. Draskowski; Ex Ephesus Numismatics, North Carolina, USA Finally, here's the son of Arsinoe II Keraunos didn't get (though it may have been posthumous) Chr. KINGDOM OF EGYPT - PTOLEMAIOS III EUERGETESdichalkon 3,36gr. | bronze Ø 17mm. Minted in Telmessos (Lycia) by Ptolemy Epigonos or Lysimachos 246-221 BCE Svoronos 118,793 (Plate 25, 23) | SNG.Copenhagen- | Weiser 80 | Lorber B437 weight 3,36gr. | bronze Ø 17mm. obv. Horned head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing taenia rev. Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt, tripod in left field, BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right, ΠTOΛEMAIOY on left Ex Henzen
Do you happen to recall who the paper assigns the coin to? Ps, I just found the OP coin in an 08 auction of theirs where they describe it as Keraunos. One of at least 3 that they've sold as him .Good provenance. https://www.acsearch.info/search.ht...de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1¤cy=usd&order=0
Found the paper. Psoma, Selene. “Numismatic Evidence on the Ptolemaic Involvement in Thrace During the Second Syrian War.” American Journal of Numismatics (1989-), vol. 20, American Numismatic Society, 2008, pp. 257–63, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43580314. It attributes the coin to Ptolemy II Philadelphos. It was minted in Byzantion, which was allied to Ptolemy during the second Syrian War and was besieged by Antiochos II Theos but saved by Ptolemy's navy. It was minted somewhere between 255-253 BCE, after Arsinoe II's death. Her brother founded a cult surrounding her after her death.
In your link, look at the details for the CNG coin that sold in 2010. It references the above article.
Interesting! I might be dense, though compelling and making a good case for Ptoly 2 in Byzantium, that doesn't seem conclusive. I'd love some kind of find data. Maybe @Barry Murphy could shed light on if the coin type is still considered to be Ptolemy Keraunos?
FWIW, CNG seemed pretty convinced: PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy II Philadelphos. 285-246 BC. Æ Chalkous(?) (10mm, 1.58 g, 12h). Uncertain mint in eastern Thrace. Struck circa 254-253 BC. Diademed and draped bust of Arsinöe II right / Eagle standing left. Svoronos -; Arslan & Ozen 29-55 (OD6/RD9); SNG Copenhagen -. VF, brown patina. Very rare. This type had previously been given to Ptolemy Keraunos, but S. Psoma (“Numismatic Evidence on the Ptolemaic Involvement in Thrace During the Second Syrian War,” AJN 20 [2009]) has persuasively argued for their attribution to the forces of Ptolemy II that were campaigning in Thrace during the Second Syrian War.
