PTOLEMY OF MAURETANIA SILVER DENARIUS – CURULE CHAIR ISSUE OF YEAR 6 or 7 STRUCK BY THE GRANDSON OF CLEOPATRA – XF NGC GRADED MAURETANIAN KINGDOM COIN (Inv. 18884)

$2,750.00

18884. KINGDOM OF MAURETANIA. PTOLEMY, ca. AD 21-40.
Silver Denarius, 1.97 g, 15 mm. Issue of Caesarea, Mauretania, dated year 6 or 7 (AD 28–30).
Obv. REX PTOLEMAE[VS], diademed and draped bust of Ptolemy right. Rev. R A V[I…or II], curule chair with wreath above and scepter.
Mazard 441 (unillustrated) or 442.
NGC graded XF, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5, extremely rare, an issue of either year 6 or 7 (VII), the only years where the date is arranged horizontally across the field as on this specimen.
Although Juba I of Numidia was defeated by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, his son Juba II was brought to Rome where he was raised by Caesar and later Octavian. After spending decades being educated in Rome and even obtaining Roman citizenship, Juba II was appointed client–king of Numidia by Octavian in 30 BC. In order to increase Juba’s royal prestige, Octavian also arranged for his marriage to Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of the recently defeated Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony. Although eastern Numidia was annexed to Roman Africa in 25 BC, Juba II and Cleopatra Selene were given the kingdom of Mauritania, which was enlarged by the addition of western Numidia. Together they successfully ruled their new kingdom on behalf of Rome, and Juba II was ultimately able to pass it on to their son, Ptolemy in AD 21. Proud of their heritage, Juba II and Ptolemy gave their names on the coinage in Latin to indicate their Roman citizenship, while Cleopatra gave hers in Greek to allude to her descent from the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.