Speaker
Description
The reign of Cleopatra VII, essentially told from the point of view of the victor, has certainly been the subject of a myriad studies but has not been subjected to a complete numismatic analysis. The coins remain, however, the most tangible sources, given the scarcity of documentary data and the biased nature of literary sources. Thirteen cities minted coins for Cleopatra and/or in her effigy; an iconographic analysis (choice of portraits/types according to metal and context) coupled with a technical study (metrology/die study) reveal the aims and logic behind each issue and the means the sovereign employed to govern her kingdom. The insertion of these coins into the broader field of Hellenistic and Roman female coinage (3rd c. B.C. - 1st c. A.D.), demonstrates the respective influences/divergences and the way women appear on coins over the centuries, as legitimizing or individualized figures.
