Ptolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy II 285-246 BC Gold Octodrachm NGC CHVF RARE Dynastic Portrait

SOLDPtolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy II 285-246 BC Gold Octodrachm NGC CHVF RARE Dynastic Portrait. When Alexander died in Babylon on 10 June 323 BCE, his corpse, embalmed by a team of Egyptian  morticians, was placed in an elaborate mule cart for travel back to Macedon in northern Greece for burial with his ancestors.  Ptolemy (born 367, died 283 BCE), one of Alexander's boyhood companions, trusted bodyguards, and Generals  seized the body and diverted it to Memphis, capital of Egypt, where he had been appointed /satrap/  (governor). Moved to a splendid tomb in the newly founded city of Alexandria, Alexander's body  became a trophy and symbol of legitimacy for Ptolemy's dynasty.  This gold octodrachm was struck at the mint in Alexandria in Egypt, under Ptolemy II . The obverse jugate portrait busts are that of Ptolemy II and his sister-wife Arsinoë II (philadelphoi). Both heads are diademed, with that of Arsinoë probably veiled (it is a little difficult to tell). Both busts have a chlamys.