ing left holding branch and cornucopia. BM 1528. Strack 678. Cohen 1016 (4 Fr.). RIC 769. From a medallic obverse die in high relief, sometimes attributed to Seltman’s “Alphaeus Master”. This coin is struck from the same dies as the famous sestertius of Hadrian from the Hunt Collection that brought two million Swiss francs several years ago. Flan crack at 5h. VF $35,000 Ex NAC 54, 24 March 2010, lot 432. Toynbee, Roman Medallions, p. 32, cited two sestertii from the same dies as ours as typical examples of a “medallic coin”, which she defined as a coin struck from an obverse die meant for medallions or in medallic style but an ordinary reverse die. Our obverse die is indeed very similar to (Toynbee mistakenly thought the same as) the die used to strike two large bronze medallions of Hadrian, one with reverse eagle, peacock, and owl, the other with reverse “Pons Aelius”: see Gnecchi II, pl. 42.2-3 = Mittag, Römische Medaillons, Caesar bis Hadrian, nos. Hadr. 83 and 94, pl. 52 and 56. Our coin may be one of only five specimens of this famous medallic coin, all from the same pair of dies, that have appeared on the market over the past century or so, the other four being: (1) Numismatica Genevensis 5, 2-3 December 2008, lot 233 = Sotheby’s, New York, Nelson Bunker Hunt, lot 134 = M & M Basel 52, 19-20 June 1975, lot 617. (2) Glendining, 2 April 1952, Ryan, Fifth Part, lot 2548 = Naville II, 12-14 June 1922, Vautier-Collignon, lot 732 = J. Hirsch XXXI, 6 May 1912, lot 1325. (3) M & M XVII, 2-4 December 1957, lot 451 = Hess, Vienna, 22 May 1935, Trau, lot 1267 = Toynbee, Roman Medallions, pl. I.4, now in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Roman Medallions, 2nd ed., 1975, no. 24. (4) Lanz 94, 22 November 1999, lot 498 = M & M Basel, 12-13 November 1970, lot 343..
488. Hadrian and Sabina. 117-138 AD. AE 21, 8.42g (6h). Aelia Capitolina, Judaea, 130-138 AD. Obv: IMP CAE TR - HAD AVG Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Hadrian right. Rx: SABIN - AVGVS Draped bust of Sabina right with hair piled atop head. Meshorer (Aelia) 7. Rosenberger 7. One of the earliest coins of the Jerusalem mint. Good Fine $200 Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.
Exquisite High Relief Aureus
489. Antoninus Pius. 138-161 AD. Aureus, 7.35g (7h). Rome, 153 AD. Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVI Bust draped and cuirassed left, with head bare. Rx: COS IIII Togate, bareheaded emperor standing l. holding globe and roll.. BM 798, pl. 16.19 (same obverse. die). Calicó 1523 (same dies). RIC 226e. Cohen 308 (40 Fr.). An exceptionally beautiful aureus of Pius. Mint State $12,000
Enlargement Enlargement
99