This genuine Ancient Greek coin has been
mounted in a modern 18 karat gold ring.
Following the death of Alexander the Great, his
empire was divided between his three generals,
each of whom set up their own kingdoms. One of
them, Ptolemy, took Egypt as his share and made
Alexandria his capital. Ruling as Ptolemy I Soter,
he established the last dynasty to rule Egypt with
the title of Pharaoh. For the next two and a half
centuries, the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Greeks
controlled Egypt, mingling Hellenic traditions
with the mighty legacy of the Pharaohs. Ptolemy
XII Neos Dionysos was the illegitimate son of
Lathyros (Ptolemy IX Soter II) and fled to the
court of Mithradates VI of Pontus following the
death of his father. Having deposed Ptolemy XI
Alexander II, the people of Egypt remembered
the illegitimate son of their previous ruler and he
ascended the throne as Ptolemy XII, although he
referred to himself as “Theos Philopator
Philadelphos Neos Dionysos.” He was married to
his sister, Cleopatra V Tryphaena but is perhaps
best known as the father of the celebrated,
ambitious Cleopatra VII, destined to be the last
of the Ptolemies.
The glories of antiquity shine again with renewed
brilliance and luster. The legend surrounding
Ptolemy XII, and his notorious daughter
Cleopatra, becomes reality when this ring is
worn. The past literally comes alive. This ancient
coin is a shining vestige of the ancient glory of
Egypt under Greek rule passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation. However, unlike much of antiquity, it
is not a relic of the past displayed behind glass
in a museum; but mounted in this ring, the coin
is a stunning centerpiece appreciated for its age
as much as its beauty and superior
craftsmanship.
