Decadrachm of Ptolemy II, for his wife Arsinoe II, Alexandria c. 260

Editor: This is a silver Decadrachm of Ptolemy II, made for his wife Arsinoe II in Alexandria. I find it remarkable how a coin could be used to elevate a woman to such a high status. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's fascinating to consider this coin not just as currency, but as a carefully constructed piece of propaganda. Ptolemy II's deification of Arsinoe II, his sister and wife, was a bold political move. Can we see it as an early example of a ruler leveraging the image of a woman to reinforce their own power? Editor: I see your point. So, the coin is less about Arsinoe herself and more about Ptolemy’s political strategy? Curator: Precisely. It challenges us to consider how women's images have historically been used – and sometimes manipulated – within patriarchal power structures. It makes me wonder about the agency Arsinoe truly had. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thank you!