It has been suggested that the type K coins produced between the reigns of Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VIII feature a deliberately concealed image of Cleopatra II, sister and later consort of both rulers. From this perspective, the letter K behind the head could allude to Cleopatra's name. In the original issues of Ptolemy II and III, which served as a model for subsequent series, K was in fact one of the letters used to identify the obverse dies.

It is clear, however, that the face depicted on these later issues differs significantly from the likeness of Arsinoe II as it appears on gold coins closer to her time. Regardless of whether or not portraits of contemporary figures were actually present, one incontrovertible historical fact remains: in the final phases of the Ptolemaic dynasty, royal power was exercised predominantly by female figures, culminating with the accession of Cleopatra VII, the last and perhaps most famous of them.