First women appeared in a coin

While searching for some coins I found one with a face of a woman engraved in one side. Then this question tickled me: Who was the first woman to appear in a coin, and what was that coin? Anyone knows?

I'm sure some of the ancients had women's portraits on them. Then of course there's Britannia, who is on coins dating back to roman times.

Don't forget Roman Empresses, as the Emperor's wifes

The Greeks used women goddess portrait (Like Athena) Long back than Romans. Also in some cases The emperor had join issue with his wife on coins.

Here is one example of Indo-Greek King Hermaios with his wife Calliope (90-70 BC)

http://coinindia.com/galleries-hermaios-calliope.html

One of the websites states that Berenice I, a Greek Macedonian women, who is said to be the Queen of Egypt, was the first woman to appear in a coin. This woman was born about 340 BC. And yes, she appeared paired with her husband Ptolemy I, who was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, and he became ruler of Egypt and founder of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and dynasty.



Pic. from ngccoin.com

I think of La Syrcacusa on Drachmae of Syracuse of around 410BC.

These are very beautiful pieces and the design was used on Italian definitive stamps of the 1950s - 1970s

When did the first man appear on a coin, I ask this because I know the first coins had simple geometric patterns and pictures of animals. Did it take long to progress from portraits of men to women?