Letting you know ahead of time, and right from the start, this next woman spotlighting our blog series covering Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women on Coins Series has a not only checkered past, but quite a confusing one. Now we are not here to judge, but bear with us as we, along with help from author Ron Guth, weave our way through her story and ultimately her influence on coinage and numismatics as a whole.
#64 – Queen Arsinoe II
An early member of the Ptolemaic line from Egypt, Arsinoe II lived from around 316 BC to around 260-268 BC. Her life involved multiple marriages, the tragic murder of her sons, political conspiracies, threats on her life, and more. Despite the rocky nature of her younger years, she would, according to Guth, eventually become a goddess to her people.
The daughter of one of Alexander the Great’s generals, Ptolemy I, and Berenice I, his third wife, Arsinoe was an Egyptian princess with a life map out for her long before she was born. She entered an arranged marriage for political reasons, a common theme from that time and beyond. Only 15 when she married Lysimachus, the king of Thrace, Asia Minor, and Macedonia, the couple would go on to have three children together before his death in 281 BC.
Arsinoe would continue her political marriages by marrying her half-brother, Ptolemy Keraunos. However, he would end up killing two of her sons, causing her to run away to Alexandria, Egypt. There, her other brother, Ptolemy II Philadelphos, and her stepdaughter, Arsinoe I, were the rulers. Ptolemy II ended up exiling Arsinoe I and marrying Arsinoe II. This was the first direct sibling marriage of the Ptolemaic Egypt. She would pass on before Ptolemy II, with him idolizing her as a goddess. He lived until 246 BC.
In the time between her passing and his, he would have several coins and medals issues honoring Arsinoe II. Gold octodrachms were the most common coin she was featured on where she is depicted facing right with a veil and diadem. The reverse showcases two cornucopias with Arsinoe Wife of Philadelphos written in Greek. There were also a handful of silver decadrachms with similar designs.
According to Guth, coins featuring Queen Arsinoe II are difficult. While they are considered “plentiful,” they are expensive.