November 28, 2009
Instead of asking “Heads or Tails?” when you toss a coin the next time, you should be asking “Antony or Cleopatra?” if you have the silver denarius featuring the head of Marc Antony on the obverse and the head of Cleopatra on the reverse. It’s truly rare that you get a coin with two heads, much less two heads of state! Let’s take a closer look at this curious silver Marc Antony/Cleopatra denarius.
In the discussion of the most beautiful woman in the world, Cleopatra is always mentioned as a legendary beauty. Well, she charmed the great Julius Caesar and formed one of the greatest romances in the world with Marc Antony, Caesar’s friend and most loyal supporter. According to some accounts, Cleopatra and Antony committed suicide, Romeo and Juliet style. The Antony and Cleopatra silver denarius certainly bear testimony to their love and devotion.
Measuring 18mm in diameter, this special silver coin is dated back to 32 B.C. Issued by Marc Antony’s mint, it’s value was equivalent to 1/300th of the wages of a Roman soldier. As mentioned earlier, Antony’s head is featured on the obverse with the words “Antoni Armenia devicta” which means “For Antony, Armenia having been vanquished.” Then, the head of Cleopatra is featured on the reverse with the caption “Cleopatra Reginae regum filiorumque regum” which is translated as “For Cleopatra, Queen of kings and of the children of kings.” Judging from the crude portraits, both Antony and Cleopatra were far from being handsome and beautiful, but it’s no doubt that they belong on the same coin, all the same.
The Marc Antony/Cleopatra silver denarius has been displayed in the Shefton Museum in Newcastle University since Valentine’s Day in 2007. Now, you should be glad to know that you can sell silver and get instant cash for silver. To find out more, just give this silver buyer a call!