Coin of Berenice II excavated in Givati Parking Lot

NUMISMATICS: Rare gold coin of Queen Berenice II unearthed in Jerusalem. Dating to 246-221 BCE, it is the first of its kind found outside Egypt, offering new insight into Jerusalem’s revival under Ptolemaic rule (Yaron Drukman, Ynet News).

A rare gold coin bearing the portrait of Egyptian Queen Berenice II was discovered during an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation at the Givati parking lot in the City of David archaeological excavation site, within Jerusalem Walls National Park.

The tiny coin, valued at a quarter drachma and crafted from 99.3% pure gold, dates to 246-221 BCE during the reign of her husband, Ptolemy III. The Israel Antiquities Authority and City of David hailed it as the first of its kind found in a clear archaeological context, one of only about 20 known worldwide.

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For more on the Ptolemaic Queen Benenice (Berenike) II and her coins, see here.

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