2015-12-14 Mon

Since the time coins were first minted, a variety of images have been depicted on them. A range of animals and birds can be seen on coins. Kings, queens, gods, and goddesses have also been portrayed. Women, however, are rarely depicted on coins on their own. Queens may, occasionally, appear alongside kings on coins; but they are seldom shown on their own. So who was the first woman to be portrayed on a coin? The answer is a little complicated.
Berenike I, a Macedonian woman, was the second wife of the Egyptian ruler, Ptolemy I. She is posthumously portrayed on coins along with her husband which were struck by her sons. The reason we know that these issues are posthumous is because of the veil on her head which was common in the ancient times to signify those who have died. Similar to coins depicting Berenike, her son, Ptolemy II’s wife also appears on coins which are possibly posthumous issues.
The first woman to issue coins in her own name was Amastris, a Persian princess. She was born in 340 BCE and was the daughter of Oxyathres, brother of the Persian ruler Darius III. Amastris was a major contender after Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BCE in Babylon. Many coins issued under her carry her name.
Berenike II of Egypt, daughter of Magas who ruled Cyrene on the coast of Libya, is depicted on coins. Her veiled portraits on coins are rare and beautiful and may have been issued before her death. Some historians argue that the coin may depict a different royal, Berenike Syra, Ptolemy III’s sister and Antiochos II’s widow. These coins were issued sometime between 244 and 221 BCE. It is generally believed that one of the Berenikes is the first woman to have been portrayed on coins.