To the Point
Coin Shows Antony and Cleopatra in Plain Light
Antony and Cleopatra has long been regarded as one of history's most romantic couples. Shakespeare portrayed them as both powerful and seductive. Hollywood cast Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to play the roles. Today, at the Shefton Museum , a 2000-year-old coin went on display, revealing the ugly truth.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readAntony and Cleopatra has long been regarded as one of history's most romantic couples. Shakespeare portrayed them as both powerful and seductive. Hollywood cast Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to play the roles. Today, at the Shefton Museum, a 2000-year-old coin went on display, revealing the ugly truth. One side of the coin captures the image of Antony, one of the Roman triumvirate. The other side shows Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen. Lindsay Allason-Jones is Director of Archeological Museums for the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
