★ Cleopatra VII on countermark ★

Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch circa 100-0 BC. Dated year 3 of the Caesarian Era=47/46 BC
Tetrachalkon Æ

23 mm, 12,89 g

Laureate head of Zeus right; c/m: female head right (Cleopatra VII?) within circular incuse, all within dotted border / [ΑΝ]ΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ ΤΗ[Σ Μ]ΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩΣ [ΙΕΡ]ΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜ[ΟΥ], Zeus seated left on low-backed throne, right leg drawn back, holding long scepter in his left hand and, in his right, Nike holding wreath, headdress of Isis to inner left, Γ (date) in exergue, all within wreath.

nearly very fine

RPC I 4219; BMC Galatia pg. 154, 26; for c/m: McAlee p. 74, note 25.

McAlee (p. 74, note 25) notes that tetrachalkoi of this time "... are frequently seen with a countermark on the obverse which was previously described as 'head of Apollo r. in an oval...it now seems likely that the countermark portrays Cleopatra, and was used to mark coins circulating in the Syro-Phoenician territories which were given to her by Mark Antony."