★ A beautifully toned tetradrachm of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony ★

Cleopatra VII of Egypt, 51-30 BC, with Mark Antony. Tetradrachm (Silver, 26 mm, 14.86 g, 1 h), Antiochia on the Orontes or a mint further to the South, circa 36. BACIΛICCA KΛЄOΠATPA ΘЄA NЄⲰTЄPA Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right, wearing earring and necklace. Rev. ANTⲰNIOC AYTOKPATⲰP TRITON TPIⲰN ANΔPⲰN Bare head of Mark Antony to right. BMC 53. McAlee 174. Prieur 27. RPC I 4094. Beautifully toned and with two attractive portraits. Somewhat rough and the reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, very fine.

Ex Leu 10, 24 October 2021, 2292.

The tragic romance between Cleopatra and Mark Antony has inspired generations of artists and poets, and the tetradrachms depicting the Queen of Egypt and the Roman general are, unsurprisingly, among the most famous and sought-after coins from the Imperatorial era. The exact location where these coins were struck remains a matter of debate. While they were traditionally attributed to Antiochia on the Orontes, this attribution has been questioned based on stylistic comparisons and the fact that Antiochia was never part of Cleopatra's possessions. Die links reveal that Cleopatra’s portrait forms the obverse type, and the use of Greek legends and titles further supports the argument for a mint under her control, likely somewhere in the Levant.

What is clear, however, is that minting coins with the portrait of a Hellenistic queen on one side and a Roman general on the other was unprecedented - especially given that Mark Antony was still married to Octavia at the time. This offense undoubtedly played into the hands of Octavian, Octavia's brother, who leveraged Antony's affair with the foreign queen and the alleged betrayal of Roman interests in his political propaganda leading up to and during the civil war.