TCV Roundtable Blog

100 Greatest Women On Coins Series: Queen Arsinoe II

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...read more