Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. 1st century BC. Æ Tetrachalkon. Countermark of Cleopatra VII.

Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. Pseudo-autonomous issue. 1st century BC. Æ Tetrachalkon 25 mm. 12.0 gm. Dated year 19 of the Pompeian Era (48/7 BC). Laureate head of Zeus right; c/m: head of Cleopatra VII right within oval incuse / Zeus Nikephoros seated left; IΘ (date) in exergue; all within laurel wreath. McAlee 43; RPC I 4216; DCA 384; HGC 9, 1366. For c/m: McAlee p. 74, note 25. Rare.
From McAlee, The Coins of Roman Antioch (p. 74, note 25): “The coins of this year (Pompeian Era 19 = 48/7 BC) and year 3 of the Caesarean era are frequently seen with a countermark on the obverse which was previously described as “head of Apollo r.”…it now seems likely that the countermark portrays Cleopatra, and was used to mark coins circulating in the Syro-Phoenician territories which were given to her by Mark Antony.” These are known as the “Donations of Alexandria”