As we continue our blog series covering the 100 Greatest Women on Coins from Whitman Publishing, we look all the way back to the 18th dynasty in Egypt. However, what makes this next woman different than most of the women we have covered so far and those yet to come, is the attempt at erasing her existence from history. While not surprising that a woman of such stature would enrage those under her rule, her impact could ultimately not be diminished or her memory faded.
#41 – Queen Hatshepsut
The daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose, Hatshepsut was estimated to have three or four stepbrothers. All her brothers were in line to be pharaoh, however all but one brother passed before their father. Thutmose II was the only surviving half-brother of Hatshepsut, and they would marry (very common among royal families) and bear a son, Thutmose III. However, Thutmose II would also pass, and Hatshepsut would become the regent for their young son. By the year seven of her regency, she was recognized as king of Egypt.
Ruling from approximately 1479-1458 BC, Hatshepsut was the fifth ruler of the 18th dynasty where she oversaw 22 years of wealth and peace. She reestablished trade routes that oversaw brining goods and prosperity to Egypt. She had built monuments, buildings, and obelisks (stone pillars), including the tallest one still in existence today from the ancient world. Her temple at Deir el-Bahri in the Valley of the Kings is what inspired subsequent pharaohs to build monuments next to hers. She was looked at more like a king than a queen and even went as far as wearing male clothing and a fake beard.
A lot of the information on Hatshepsut is, unfortunately, speculative. Years after her reign, there was a major attempt at ridding her from memory and Egyptian existence. Archaeologists were able to uncover more and more about her as years went on, confirming that not all records of her existence were found. She appears on numerous modern coins, including a 1994 5 Pound Silver Coin from Egypt. It features a limestone statue head of Hatshepsut that was found in 1926 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is now found in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt. The island of Fiji also issued a colorized silver $50 and $300 coin in 2012 depicting the head of Hatshepsut wearing a striped Nemes headdress. A raised cartouche of hers is made of red jasper gemstone and is glued to the coin.
According to author Ron Guth, collecting difficulty of those modern coins is considered easy. The Fiji coin is often available online at a price generally exceeding $250. The coin issued by Egypt is rarer despite its large mintage and less expensive nature.