AR Tetradrachm 27mm. 12.07g. Alexandria Mint RY17 (36/35 B.C.)

Diademed head of idealized king r., aegis around neck; dotted border around.

Eagle standing l. on thunderbolt, palm branch over shoulder; LI (chi) (regnal year 17) - (pi)A across fields, headdress of Isis below to l.
BASILEWS PTOLEMAIOU

CPE 1709; Svoronos 1831; SNG Copenhagen 413

VF. Gray toning. Attractive despite issues. Some light porosity and minor roughness. Obverse shows some light smoothing, particularly along profile. This series has long been attributed to a joint reign between Cleopatra VII and her son with Julius Caesar, Ptolemy XV Caesarion, but as Cleopatra was the 'real' ruler during this period and regnal dates on the coins are hers alone, Lorber considers them sole issues of Cleopatra VII Thea Neotera.

While this coin's date is shared by those of her predecessor, Ptolemy XII, the longer flowing hair on the bust is a stylistic change dated to RY12 of Cleopatra VII and continued until her death.