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Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying King Ptolemy I

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

Ptolemaic Period (53–52 BCE), issued by King Ptolemy XII Auletes, Reign of Ptolemy XII Auletes (80–51 BCE)

Artist:

Greek, Ptolemaic; minted in Egypt

About this artwork

The Ptolemaic bloodline was running thin when Ptolemy XII bought his way onto the throne. His bribes, paid to Julius Caesar and other Roman generals, opened Egypt to Rome’s ambitions of empire. He was a weak leader, a drunkard, and no match for his Roman allies. At his death he insisted that his son share the rule with his sister, the legendary Queen Cleopatra VII, but she soon disposed of her brother in order to rule alone.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying King Ptolemy I

Place

Egypt (Minted in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

53 BCE–52 BCE

Medium

Silver

Dimensions

Diam.: 2.6 cm (1 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of William F. Dunham

Reference Number

1920.699

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/139857/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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