(See our website for complete terms of sale and bibliographical information regarding abbreviations used.)
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We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of all our coins, whether they are encapsulated or not. A coin may be returned for any reason within 10 days, but we ask that you first contact us and ship the piece back fully insured. Upon receipt of the return and providing it is in the same condition as originally sent out, we will issue a refund, minus any shipping and credit card charges. This guarantee does not apply if slabbed coins are removed from encapsulation.
NGC ENCAPSULATION AND RAW COINS
We offer a mix of NGC graded ancients as well as raw (unencapsulated) coins. NGC encapsulation provides a third–party opinion that the coins are genuine but does not financially guarantee them. In the event you wish to have any of our raw coins encapsulated, they may be submitted to NGC at your cost and with the understanding that we cannot guarantee specific grades or notations. In very few cases raw coins are marked as “not eligible for encapsulation,” and here we note the reason why NGC would not encapsulate them.
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ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS CATALOGUE
Coins are illustrated 1:1 and in various enlargements. In certain cases, we have also included images of older catalogues or publications wherein the specific piece is documented.
CREDITS
We are grateful to Oliver Hoover for his assistance in cataloguing and providing the historical notes, and to Mary Lannin for her editorial help. Photography and catalogue layout are the work of Alex Marinescu of Marinescu Designs, LLC.
WE WILL BE AT THE FOLLOWING COIN SHOWS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE
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Great American Coins and Collectibles Show, September 23–27, 2025, Rosemont, IL
The three coins below appear to have been produced by the same ancient mint, located somewhere in the Danubian area. Two of the tetradrachms share the same obverse dies, while the third is related to the pair through the use of the unusual “eyeglass” control symbol. It is interesting to note that despite the same workshop producing these coins, the degree of abstraction from the original, especially Alexander’s name, varies considerably.
10864.
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 16.46 g, 26 mm.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. CΠTCEOVVV (in garbled letters), Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, ΛI control monogram in left field, V below throne.
OTA 570/2 (same obverse die), also see coin below for another variety using the same obverse die.
NGC graded VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5, exceptionally interesting variety that is seemingly unpublished.
15799.
$ 850
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 16.79 g, 24 mm.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΛΛΕΞΩΣ (in garbled letters), Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, “eyeglass” shaped control monogram (possibly a rotated B) at left, V below throne.
OTA 570/2 (same obverse die); CNG Electronic Auction 549, 11/1/2023, lot 1 (a drachm of the same type).
NGC graded VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5.
10856. CELTS OF THE DANUBIAN REGION. Ca. 3rd–2nd CENTURIES BC.
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 16.82 g, 25 mm.
$ 550
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΣCΛEΛKNΔU (in garbled letters), Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, H control monogram in left field, “eyeglass” shaped control monogram (possibly a rotated B) below throne. CNG Electronic Auction 538, 5/10/2023, lot 1 (same dies); cf. OTA 566.
NGC graded VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5. An extremely interesting imitation with Alexander’s name totally garbled. The presence of the very unusual “eyeglass” control below the throne suggests this emission is related to the one above.
$ 750
CELTS OF THE DANUBIAN REGION. Ca. 3rd–2nd CENTURIES BC.
CELTS OF THE DANUBIAN REGION. Ca. 3rd–2nd CENTURIES BC.
20048. CELTS, MIDDLE DANUBE AREA. KROISBACH MIT REITERSTUMPF TYPE. Ca. 2nd CENTURY BC.
Silver Tetradrachm imitating a Philip II tetradrachm, 12.50 g, 23 mm. “Kroisbach mit Reiterstumpf” type.
Obv. Diademed head right. Rev. Rider on horse left, wearing elaborate diadem and hairdo.
Kostial, Sammlung Lanz, 743–5; OTA 469; CCCBM I, 152–4; KMW 1391.
NGC graded CHOICE AU STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, FINE STYLE, with a dark old cabinet patina animated by lavender highlights. $ 6500
AN OBVERSE BROCKAGE ERROR FROM MASSALIA
20156. GAUL. MASSALIA. 2nd–1st CENTURIES BC.
Silver Brockage Drachm, 2.80 g, 19 mm.
Obv. Bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder. Rev. Incuse of obverse type. Cf. Depeyrot, Marseille, 44; cf. SNG Copenhagen 766.
NGC graded AU, Strike 3/5, surface 5/5, “brockage.” An attractive and seldom–seen ancient error.
$ 850
17411. CALABRIA. TARENTUM. Ca. 281–240 BC.
Silver Didrachm (nomos), 6.31 g, 20 mm. Issue ca. 272–240 BC.
Obv. Warrior on horse right, preparing to cast spear, ΔI in left field, APIΣTO/KΛHΣ below. Rev. TAPAΣ, dolphin rider left, holding cantharus and trident, head of nymph in right field.
HGC 1, 890; Vlasto 877–81; HN Italy 1033.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5.
$ 675
20002. BRUTTIUM. CAULONIA. Ca. 475–410 BC.
Silver Stater, 7.97 g, 20 mm.
Obv. KAVΛ (retrograde), Apollo striding right, holding olive branch in raised right hand, a small daimon running on his extended arm, stag in right field. Rev. KAV (retrograde), stag right, laurel branch in right field.
Noe, The Coinage of Caulonia, Group F, 83 (these dies); HN Italy 2046; HGC 1, 1419.
Ex Phidias with Jean Vinchon Numismatique, June 14, 2018, lot 2.
NGC graded XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, “overstruck,” an absolutely superb coin, well struck with full details and a captivating golden toning throughout. $ 3250
FROM THE ARS CLASSICA V 1923 SALE
20139. BRUTTIUM. CROTON. Ca. 350–300 BC.
Silver Stater, 7.28 g, 21 mm.
Obv. Laureate head of Apollo right. Rev. KPO, tripod with ornamentation, filleted branch in right field. SNG ANS 3, 392 (same dies); HGC 1, 1497 var. (branch to left); HN Italy 2177; SNG Lockett 632. Ex Frankfurter Münzhandlung 157, 11/3/2023, lot 44 (lacking earlier provenance info) = Ars Classica V, 6/18/1923, lot 720 (this sale contained duplicates from the British Museum collection, as well as material from other collectors. It is not clear if this coin is from the British Museum holdings as earlier provenance was not recorded).
NGC graded VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, FINE STYLE, “edge filing,” “scuff,” Naville provenance noted on label, pleasant golden iridescence around the devices. $ 2500
20169. BRUTTIUM. CROTON. Ca. 350–300 BC.
Silver Stater, 8.28 g, 21 mm.
Obv. [ΚΡΟ]ΤΩΝ[ΙΑΤΩΝ], eagle with spread wings standing left, holding laurel branch in its talons. Rev. Decorated tripod with lion feet, barley ear in left field, snake in right field.
HN Italy 2149; HGC 1, 1465; SNG ANS 355–356.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5, “flan flaws,” a particularly rare variety with the snake symbol, with only eight specimens on CoinArchives. $ 1350
20069. SICILY. LEONTINI. Ca. 450–430 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 17.04 g, 25 mm.
Obv. Laureate head of Apollo right. Rev. ΛEONTINON, lion’s head right, surrounded by four barley grains. Boehringer, Leontini, 46 (same dies); HGC 2, 667; SNG ANS 245 (same dies); SNG Lockett 798 (same dies); Gulbenkian 218 (same dies); Rizzo pl. XXIII, 7 (same dies).
Ex Salton Collection, Stack’s Bowers, 1/14/2022, lot 4119 and possibly from Salton–Schlessinger FPL 16 (ca. 1950s), lot 36.
NGC graded XF STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, FINE STYLE, a coin with great eye appeal, struck from exceptionally realized dies and bearing the coveted NGC star and double 5/5 ratings. $ 7850
20122. SICILY. SYRACUSE. Ca. 465–450 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 17.25 g, 25 mm.
Obv. Charioteer driving biga right, Nike, above, flying left, crowning him, ketos swimming right in exergue. Rev.
diademed head of Arethusa right, four dolphins around. Boehringer, Syrakus, 436 (V233/R312); HGC 2, 1310.
Ex Jonathan K. Kern Collection.
NGC graded VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, FINE STYLE. $ 3800
8984. THRACE. MESAMBRIA. CIVIC ISSUE IN THE NAME AND TYPES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ca. 175–125 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 16.53 g, 30 mm.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, Corinthian helmet right above ΔA monogram in left field, ΠPO monogram below throne.
Price 1062; Karayotov, Coinage of Mesambria, 516 (O635/R211), this coin published and illustrated.
Ex Stack’s Bowers Ponterio 185, 8/12/2014, lot 30052 = Coin Galleries, 4/14/1993, lot 220.
NGC graded XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5, “graffito,” with a pleasing dark gray cabinet patina.
$ 1800
The graffito on the reverse of this coin is exceptional as it names a certain Apollonius, likely the owner of this piece at some time during its circulating life. It is clearly engraved in reverse upper field on two lines: AΠOΛΛO–NIOY (“belonging to Apollonius).
FROM MESAMBRIA TO ODESSUS – JOURNEY OF A RECUT DIE
13526. THRACE. ODESSUS. CIVIC ISSUE IN THE NAME AND TYPES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ca. 125–70 BC. Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 16.67 g, 32 mm.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, ΔH monogram (recut over an earlier one) in left field, ΟΔH monogram below throne. Price 1180; HGC 3, 1587.
Ex CNG 108, 5/16/2018, lot 31, ex Colin Pitchfork Collection and originally acquired from CNG on 11/10/2001. NGC graded AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “brushed.” $ 1200
The reverse die used to strike this specimen seems to originally have been one employed for Price 1178 (Corinthian helmet and ΔH in left field with no marking on throne), although the “helmet” on the British Museum specimen Price cites is not clear and may itself have been largely removed in the die. Here, there are traces of the original ΔH lower in left field and “the helmet,” although there may well be some remnants of letters as well. The die was updated by moving the ΔH upward and cutting it in larger script while at the same time adding Odessus’ ethnic in the exergue. Therefore, it appears that the die may have been originally intended for Mesambria where the helmet symbol represents the city (cf. Price 1039 where a ΔA control is above the helmet), then used to strike Price 1178 after removing the control and the helmet, and finally recut once again to create a die for 1180 where the city is clearly identified as Odessus by the addition of the ethnic monogram under the throne. None of the six specimens listed in the Pella database under Price 1180 show the recut die seen here, which appears to be known on only one other specimen (Gorny & Mosch 138, 3/7/2005, lot 1243).
Ex Peus 433, 11/1/2022, lot 1139 = Ex Hermann Weber Collection = seemingly ex Edward Wigan Collection, Sotheby, Wilkinson, Hodge, 5/6/1895, lot 72 (unillustrated, but likely this coin although weight is slightly off at 253 grains/16.39 g) = ex Ferdinand Bompois Collection, H.M. Hoffmann, 1/6/1882, lot 698 (citing ex Wigan and with weight of 17.20 g).
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5, “scratches,” the illustrious pedigree noted in full on the label. $ 12500
The pedigree of this piece may be traced to the middle of the nineteenth century, when it was sold as part of the Ferdinand Bompois collection. The extensive introduction in the Hoffmann catalogue described Bompois as a scientist and collector, a man who very much hoped to write a book on the coinage of Macedonia, which he never completed. Bompois has numerous numismatic contributions to his credit and amassed a remarkable collection, beginning in the 1860s. This Acanthus tetradrachm is lot 698, noting the Wigan collection as an earlier provenance. Presumably this is the collection of Mr. Edward Wigan, who died in 1871 and whose collection was purchased by Rollin & Feuardent. Portions of the collection were purchased by the British Museum, but other coins must have been sold privately to collectors, this piece among them. It is uncertain whether this is the same piece as one offered in the Sotheby sale of 1895 which contained material from the Wigan collection since its weight is slightly different. In Weber’s catalogue both the Wigan and Bompois collections are dutifully cited, so it seems that this coin was likely in the numismatic market by the middle of the 19th century
20073. KINGDOM OF THRACE. LYSIMACHUS, 305–281 BC.
Gold Stater, 8.50 g, 17 mm. Lifetime emission of Alexandria Troas, ca. 297/6–282/1 BC.
Obv. Head of the deified Alexander the Great right, with the horn of Ammon. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ, Athena enthroned left, holding Nike crowning Lysimachus’ name, ΠY monogram in left field, EM control monogram in exergue.
Andrew Meadows, “The Earliest Coinage of Alexandria Troas,” Numismatic Chronicle 2004, 43b, dies A10/P27 [this coin cited]; Thompson, 146 = American Numismatic Society 1919.108.4 (same dies); Rhousopoulos 696 (same dies); HGC 3, 1743e. Ex Lanz 34, 11/25/1985, lot 118.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, FINE STYLE, “brushed,” “marks,” Meadows’ publication data note on label. Extremely rare, Meadows lists five specimens including this one and there is only one other piece (in lesser grade) listed on CoinArchives. $ 7800
20060. KINGDOM OF THRACE. LYSIMACHUS, 305–281 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 16.95 g, 31 mm. Lifetime issue of Lampsacus, ca. 297–281 BC. Obv. Head of deified Alexander the Great right, with the horn of Ammon. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΛΥΣIMAXOΥ, Athena enthroned left, holding Nike crowning Lysimachus’ name, K above crescent in inner left field. Thompson 60; Müller 396; HGC 3, 1750b.
NGC graded AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “FINE STYLE,” traces of another symbol in outer left field, perhaps the Pegasus forepart of Thompson 51. A spectacular specimen, with a remarkably expressive portrait of Alexander, showing golden iridescent highlights around the devices. $ 4700
THREE ALEXANDERS FROM THE MINT OF “BABYLON”
20220. MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT, 336–323 BC.
Gold Stater, 8.55 g, 18 mm. Early posthumous issue of “Babylon” (Babylon I), ca. 311–300 BC, minted under Seleucus I, 312–281 BC. Obv. Head of Athena right, wearing large Corinthian helmet with snake ornament below the plume. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ
Nike standing, looking left, holding wreath in right hand and stylis over left shoulder, MI in outer left field, MTP monogram in wreath below left wing, HP monogram below right wing.
Price 3716 var. (Price describes this variety as having a sphinx ornament on the helmet and does not list the more common variety that uses the coiled snake as here); SC 81.9 var. (snake not sphinx).
NGC graded as AU, Strike 4/5, Surface4/5, FINE STYLE, “flan flaw,” minor encrustation on reverse. $ 9500
20219. MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT, 336–323 BC.
Gold Stater, 8.53 g, 19 mm. Early posthumous issue of “Babylon” (Babylon I), ca. 311–300 BC, minted under Seleucus I, 312–281 BC. Obv. Head of Athena right, wearing large Corinthian helmet with griffin ornament below the plume. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ
Nike standing, looking left, holding wreath in right hand and stylis over left shoulder, MI in outer left field, MTP monogram in wreath below left wing.
Price 3749 corr. (Price describes this variety as having a sphinx ornament on the helmet – however, nearly all of the specimens in the Pella database depict the griffin, and only one piece with the snake, so he was likely mistaken in his cataloguing); SC 81.3 corr. (griffin not sphinx); Münzkabinett Berlin 18207734 (same obverse die).
NGC graded as AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, FINE STYLE. $ 11000
20014. KINGDOM OF MACEDON. ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT, 336–323 BC. Silver Tetradrachm, 17.06 g, 28 mm. Early posthumous issue of Babylon, ca. 317–311 BC. Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, MYTP monogram in wreath in left field, H below throne.
NGC graded AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, FINE STYLE, an absolutely stunning piece, struck from high relief dies of exemplary style, light golden toning throughout. $ 2450
20218. KINGDOM OF MACEDON. ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT, 336–323 BC.
Gold Stater, 8.57 g, 19 mm. Early posthumous issue of Sardes, ca. 322–319 BC.
Obv. Head of Athena right, wearing large Corinthian helmet with snake ornament below the plume. Rev. AΛEΞANΔPOY, Nike standing, looking left, holding wreath in right hand and stylis over left shoulder, torch below left wing, ΛΘ control monogram below right wing. Price 2633.
Ex Gorny & Mosch 269, 3/9/2020, lot 257 = ex Dr. G.W. collection, Lanz 60, 6/11/1992, lot 121.
NGC graded as MINT STATE, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “brushed,” Lanz provenance noted on label, high relief strike, with an exceptional full–head Nike.
ALEXANDER AS APOLLO ON THE GOLD ISSUES OF COLOPHON
20033. MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. PHILIP II, 359–336 BC.
$ 12500
Gold Stater, 8.60 g, 17 mm. Posthumous issue of Colophon under Philip III, ca. 322–319 BC, featuring the portrait of Alexander the Great as Apollo.
Obv. Laureate head of Apollo right, with the features of Alexander the Great. Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ, charioteer driving biga to right, tripod to right below the horses’ rearing forelegs. Thompson, Philip, p. 58, pl. VI, 12 = Jameson 978 (struck using the same obverse die); ANS 309. Ex Hirsch 309, 5/7/2015, lot 98.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Stike 5/5, Surface 4/5, FINE STYLE, “brushed, Hirsch sale noted on the label. $ 42500
The Apollo and biga stater types of Philip II remained the preferred coins for Thracian and other northern mercenaries even after his death in 336 BC. Staters with these types continued in production through the reigns of Alexander the Great (332–323 BC) and into that of his half–brother Philip III Arrhidaeus (323–317 BC). This particular example, struck under Philip III, is remarkable for the treatment of the head on the obverse, which deviates from the idealized young god of the original issues and instead travels down the path of expressive portraiture. Here Apollo has the piercing gaze, hairstyle and facial features often found on Alexander’s deified portraits under Lysimachus as well as on the famed Azara Herm in the Louvre. If so, this very limited issue may well be one of the earliest numismatic portraits of Alexander the Great.
ATTIC PERFECTION: NGC MINT STATE, STAR AND DOUBLE 5/5 RATINGS
20206. ATTICA. ATHENS. Ca. 440–404 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 17.20 g, 27 mm.
Obv. Helmeted head of Athena right. Rev. AΘE, owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent in left field, all within incuse square.
NGC graded MINT STATE STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, exceptionally lustrous, with most of the helmet’s crest struck on the slightly elongated planchet, a coin truly worthy of NGC’s cherished trifecta of MS grade, star designation, and the perfect 5/5 ratings for both strike and surface. $ 6500
FROM THE EDWARD GANS 1960 SALE AND PUBLISHED IN THOMPSON
20166. ATTICA. ATHENS. 2nd–1st CENTURY BC.
Silver “NEW STYLE” Tetradrachm, 16.52 g, 32 mm. Issue of ca. 137/6 BC, under magistrates Miki–, and Theofra–, with control symbol Nike driving quadriga.
Obv. Helmeted head of Athena right. Rev. AΘE, owl standing right, head facing, magistrates’ names (MIKI/ΘΕΟΦΡΑ) in fields, Nike driving quadriga right in right field, Λ (month) on amphora, ME in exergue, all within wreath. Thompson 323b (this coin listed).
Ex CNG 100, 10/7/2015, lot 1385 = ex George Bauer Collection, Edward Gans MBS 16, 4/19/1960, lot 311.
NGC graded CHOICE XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “sl. die shift,” Thompson publication noted on label. $ 4500
20074. ISLAND OF AEGINA. Ca. 457–350 BC.
Silver Stater, 12.31 g, 18 mm. Issue of 456/45–431 BC.
Obv. Tortoise with segmented shell, flippers with scales. Rev. Skew pattern in incuse square. HGC 6, 437, Meadows, Aegina, Group IIIb; Milbank, Period IV, pl. II, 12.
Although the longstanding obverse type of Aegina had been the sea turtle, this attractive piece, which even preserves the details of the scaly legs, features a land tortoise. The shift from turtle to tortoise has sometimes been associated with the eclipse of Aeginetan maritime trade by the Athenians in the fifth century BC. Athens already targeted Aegina in the 480s by supporting a failed democratic coup in the island city. In 457/6 BC the Athenians forced Aegina to join the Delian League, which was essentially growing into an Athenian empire. A few decades later, in 430 BC, the Athenians permanently destroyed Aegina as a trade competitor by expelling the city’s population and replacing it with Athenian colonists.
20124. ACHAEAN LEAGUE. LACONIA. SPARTA. Ca. 2nd CENTURY BC.
Silver Hemidrachm, 2.39 g, 16mm. Issue of ca. 175–168 BC.
Obv. Laureate head of Zeus right. Rev. Achaean League monogram within wreath, a pileus on either side, ΛA above, ME below, all within laurel wreath.
HGC 5, 642.
NGC graded VF STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, FINE STYLE, a gently circulated specimen with exceptional eye appeal. $ 1250
EXTREMELY RARE SICYON ALEXANDER ISSUE WITH FEEDING DOVE AND YOUTH HOLDING TAENIA
19830. SICYONIA, SICYON. CIVIC ISSUE IN THE NAME AND TYPES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ca. 225–215 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 29 mm.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. [ΑΛΕ]ΞΑΝΔΡ[ΟΥ], Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, dove feeding left standing on his knee, boy holding taenia over head in left field, EY control monogram below throne. Price 720.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, an extremely rare variety of which there are seemingly only three specimens: Kress 11/13/1973, lot 308 (referenced by Price), another in CNG 108, lot 149 and this specimen. $ 975
HIGHEST
20029. CRETE. LYTTUS. Ca. 330–270 BC.
Silver Stater, 10.87 g, 24 mm.
Obv. Eagle flying left. Rev. ΛYΤTION, boar’s head right surrounded by dotted border within incuse square. Svoronos, Numismatique, 31; Le Rider, Crétoises, pl. VII, 20 (same dies); BMC 13.
NGC graded AU Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, superbly struck and with high luster, the highest graded specimen currently in the NGC population (this is the only one graded at the AU level, all others are lower grades). $ 5500
A RARE ISSUE FROM HELLENISTIC TROY
20085. TROAS. ILIUM (TROY). Ca. 188–133 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 16.52 g, 35 mm.
Obv. Head of Athena right, wearing laureate Attic helmet with three crests. Rev. AΘHNAΣ IΛIAΔOΣ, Athena Ilias striding right, holding a filleted spear on her shoulder and a distaff; facing owl at her feet, MYΔ control monogram in left field, AKKOY in exergue. Ellis–Evans, “The Koinon of Athena Ilias and its Coinage,” AJN 28 (2016), 10 (O4/R–); Bellinger 45 corr. (listing one specimen but with name misread).
NGC graded CHOICE AU, Strike 3/5, Surface 3/5, “die shift,” “flan flaw.” A very rare variety, there are three other specimens on CoinArchives. Bellinger, in his volume on the coins from Troy, cites one specimen, misreading the magistrate’s name. A historically important coin, this piece was minted in Ilium, the ancient city of Troy of Homeric legend during the Hellenistic period. The types feature Athena Ilias, the protective patroness of the city. $ 3800
19835. AEOLIS, CYME. CIVIC ISSUE IN THE NAME AND TYPES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ca. 215–200 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander type, 17.01 g, 30 mm. Issue of ca. 215–200 BC.
Obv. Head of young Heracles right in lion skin headdress. Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter, cup above AP control monogram in left field.
Price 1615.
NGC graded AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, lustrous and very attractive; extremely rare issue of which there are seemingly only three specimens: British Museum 1978,0917.2 (referenced by Price and cited in the Pella database), another in cgb.fr 12/6/2022, lot 39 and this specimen. All specimens are struck using the same reverse die, but on this piece Zeus’ right foot has either worn off or more likely was intentionally removed from the die. $ 2500
20120. IONIA. EPHESUS. Ca. 394–325 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 15.15 g, 23 mm. Issue of magistrate Simalion, ca. 370–360 BC.
Obv. E–Φ, bee seen from above. Rev. Forepart of stag right, head reverted, palm tree at left, ΣIMAΛIΩN (magistrate) in right field. Kinns, “Pixodarus Hoard,” in Coin Hoards IX (2002), Class D, p. 202.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5, “light marks.” Simalion is a rarely encountered magistrate with five other specimens in market records and six pieces cited by Kinns.
20045. LYDIA. ALYATTES OR WALWET, ca. 610–546 BC.
Electrum Trite (1/3 stater), 4.64 g, 12 mm. Uninscribed issue of Sardes.
$ 2950
Obv. Head of roaring lion left, “sun disk” on forehead. Rev. Incuse punch with two sections. Linzalone LN1090; Weidauer Group XVI, 86–87; Kurth G24–G25. FINE, an unusual number of small countermarks (or “banker’s marks”) applied on the surface. $ 1750
Obv. Forepart of roaring lion right confronting forepart of bull left. Rev. Two incuse punches.
Berk 9.23; SNG Kayhan 1025; SNG von Aulock 2877–2879.
NGC graded XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5.
$ 1500
FROM THE WEBER COLLECTION AND THE OCTOBER 1926 ARS CLASSICA SALE
20017. PSIDIA. SELGE. Ca. 325–250 BC. Silver Stater, 5.67, g, 24 mm.
Obv. Two wrestlers in combat, B in left field, H in lower center field, Δ in right field. Rev. ΣΕΛΓΕΩΝ, slinger right, preparing to shoot, K between legs, triskeles, club and filleted cornucopia in right field. Weber Collection 7432 (this coin); SNG France 1944. Ex Hermann Weber 7432 = Naville, Ars Classica XII, 10/18/1926, lot 1907 (this sale included collections of Bissen, Wertheim, Arthur Evans and Petrowicz) .
NGC graded CHOICE FINE, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, the prestigious Weber and Ars Classica provenance noted on label, rare variety with only four specimens appearing on CoinArchives. $ 1900
The wrestler staters of Aspendus and Selge have long been a source of interest to numismatic scholars. G. F. Hill originally suggested that the wrestlers represented a statuary group erected in Aspendus honoring two wrestlers named Menetos and Elupsa. He based his view on an issue (SNG von Aulock 4568) bearing the inscription MENETΥΣ EΛΥΨA, which he took to be personal names. This seems improbable since issues struck before the emission with this legend show the wrestlers in a wide variety of different poses. More likely, the type serves to celebrate a wrestler from Aspendus who was victorious in the Olympic games or perhaps in some other, less famous contest. It was not uncommon for cities and rulers to celebrate such triumphs on their coinage, as in the case of the mule chariot on coins of Messana, the biga on Macedonian staters of Philip II, and the pancratiast’s gloves on bronzes of Smyrna. In the fifth century BC, Aspendian coinage had become very influential in Pamphylia and Pisidia, leading Selge to produce its own series of staters with the same types.
20024. SELEUCID KINGDOM. SELEUCUS I, 312–281 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 17.07 g, 27 mm. Issue of an “Uncertain Mint” in Persis, possibly Persepolis, ca. 305–295 BC. Obv. Head of Seleucus (or Alexander) right, wearing helmet with panther skin covering and bull’s ears and horns. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY, Nike standing right, crowning trophy, H below left wing, DW (?) (in Aramaic) below right wing. SC 195; HGC 9, 21.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5, FINE STYLE, “overstruck.”
$ 5000
It is now generally believed that the helmeted head on the obverse is probably a lifetime portrait of Seleucus I with attributes to identify him as a conqueror of the East, while the representation of Nike erecting a trophy celebrates his victory over Antigonus Monophthalmus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. While the bulk of the trophy coinage was struck at Susa, hoard evidence suggests that it was intended for circulation in Persis.
This particular variant was initially considered a rare imitation of the official Susa trophy series by Houghton and Lorber due to style and the unexpected presence of an Aramaic inscription. However, the fact that they are now known to have been produced in conjunction with emissions of related drachms and obols with the same Aramaic letters (Marest–Caffey Group 6, A1; Group 8) may perhaps indicate a more official character. The coin offered here adds an important new dimension to our knowledge of this fascinating series as it shows evidence of having been overstruck on earlier tetradrachms featuring the Heracles and Zeus types popularized by Alexander the Great. The fact that such widely recognized types were overstruck illustrates the great popularity of the trophy tetradrachms in Persis. The overstrike is clearly visible on this specimen, with the mandible of Heracles’ lion skin headdress visible on the reverse and a small section of Zeus’ throne on the obverse.
20168. SELEUCID KINGDOM. ANTIOCHUS III, 222–187 BC
Silver Tetradrachm, 16.92 g, 30 mm. “Unattributed Issue,” formerly considered by Newell and Houghton to be Nisibis, ca. 192/0–187 BC.
Obv. Diademed head of Antiochus III right within a fillet border. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY, elephant right, ΘE control monogram in left field, K– control monogram in right field.
SC 1067 (portrait type E); Arthur Houghton, “The elephants of Nisibis,” in ANSMN 31 (1986), 100–102 (obverse die A6). VF, overstruck on uncertain type, extremely rare, one of four specimens on record and the only example struck on a flan large enough to reveal the fillet border on the obverse (this feature was previously unknown as the other pieces are struck on short flans). Traces of the overstrike appear on Antiochus’ neck and at the outer perimeter of the coin. 8500
From the very foundation of the Seleucid dynasty by Seleucus I Nicator it was famous for its use of war elephants brought from India. Seleucus I had defeated his great rival, Antigonus Monophthalmus at the Battle of Issus in 301 BC thanks to 500 war elephants he had received from the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta. Ever since then, the “elephant corps” became a staple component of the Seleucid army and a widely recognized symbol of the dynasty. This tetradrachm of Antiochus III reinforces the tradition of the war elephant as a Seleucid symbol and may also have been intended to compare him to Seleucus I and Alexander the Great. As part of his great eastern campaign (212–206 BC), Antiochus III marched as far east as India, where he was given 150 elephants by a ruler named Sophagasenus, before returning to the West, making him only the third Greco–Macedonian king to reach India with an army. Comparison to Alexander may be implied by the fact that when he returned with his elephants, Antiochus III began to include Megas (“the Great”) among his titles.
The use of Antiochus’ elephant corps against Ptolemy IV at the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC is described by Polybius 5.84.1–6 as follows: “1 When Ptolemy and his sister after their progress had reached the extremity of his left wing and Antiochus with his horse–guards had reached his extreme right, they gave the signal for battle and brought the elephants first into action. 2 A few only of Ptolemy’s elephants ventured to close with those of the enemy, and now the men in the towers on the back of these beasts made a gallant fight of it, striking with their pikes at close quarters and wounding each other, while the elephants themselves fought still better, putting forth their whole strength and meeting forehead to forehead. 3 The way in which these animals fight is as follows. With their tusks firmly interlocked they shove with all their might, each trying to force the other to give ground, until the one who proves strongest pushes aside the other’s trunk, 4 and then, when he has once made him turn and has him in the flank, he gores him with his tusks as a bull does with his horns. 5 Most of Ptolemy’s elephants, however, declined the combat, as is the habit of African elephants; 6 for unable to stand the smell and the trumpeting of the Indian elephants, and terrified, I suppose, also by their great size and strength, they at once turn tail and take to flight before they get near them.”
20077. EGYPT. PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM. PTOLEMY I (as SATRAP), 323–282 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 15.55 g, 27 mm. Issue of Uncertain Mint 1, Egyptian, perhaps Pelusium, ca. 306–305 BC.
Obv. Diademed head of Alexander the Great wearing elephant skin cap, aegis around the neck, countermark on cheek. Rev. AΛEΞANΔPOY, Athena Alkidemos striding right, with raised spear and shield, MY control monogram and eagle on thunderbolt in right field. CPE 77; Svoronos 107; Zervos Issue 55, dies 583/b (this coin referenced).
Ex Chiliomodi 1932 Hoard (IGCH 85), published by O. Ravel, “Corinthian Hoard from Chiliomodi” in Transactions of the International Numismatic Congress 1936 (London, 1938), 7 and pl. VIII, 2 (this coin illustrated). NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “countermark,” Chiliomodi Hoard provenance noted on label. The tiny countermark applied to the obverse seems to show a lotus blossom. $ 8500
This tetradrachm belongs to a transitional series struck by Ptolemy I as he developed his own numismatic iconography. The obverse type is one of the earliest numismatic portraits of the deified Alexander the Great, who was an important element in Ptolemy’s early attempts to establish himself as an independent ruler in Egypt. In 322/1 BC, he hijacked the body of Alexander as it made its long journey from Babylon towards Macedon and gave it a magnificent burial in Memphis. His possession of Alexander’s corpse, which was considered to have talismanic qualities, gave him a prestige that none of the rival Successors could match. Here Ptolemy advertises his special status by presenting Alexander as a god. Alexander is shown wearing the diadem, the traditional symbol of Macedonian kingship, which Ptolemy would claim for himself in 305 BC, the year in which the Alexander/Athena tetradrachm coinage ceased. He also wears an elephant headdress to symbolize his conquest of the East as far as India and perhaps also to call to mind the fact that Ptolemy I had saved Alexander’s life during the Indian campaign. A small ram’s horn, the attribute of Zeus Ammon, curls from beneath the elephant headdress to draw attention to the divinity of Alexander. He had been addressed as the “Son of Ammon” by the Egyptian priests during his visit to the Oracle of Siwah in 332 BC, and for the remainder of his reign claimed that the god, rather than Philip II, was his true father and worked to normalize his own treatment as a living god.
20078. EGYPT. PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM. PTOLEMY II, 285/4–246 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 14.08 g, 28 mm. Issue of Alexandria, possibly in 282 BC, the first year of Ptolemy II’s sole reign. Obv. Diademed bust of Ptolemy I right, with aegis around neck. Rev. ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, Σ control monogram in left field. CPE 277; Svoronos 548.
Ex WTR Collection, Heritage 3094, 8/19/2021, lot 34145; Heritage 3038, 1/13/2015, lot 33141; Stack’s, 8/24/1976, lot 1603.
NGC graded AU STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, colorful iridescent highlights on the obverse, with a high–relief expressive portrait of Ptolemy I. $ 5400
19773. ROMAN REPUBLIC. ANONYMOUS ISSUE, ca. 211–208 BC.
Silver Victoriatus, 3.13 g, 18 mm. Issue of Luceria.
Obv. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Rev. ROMA, Victory standing right, crowning trophy, L (for mint of Luceria) in center field.
Crawford 97/1a; Sydenham 121.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 5/4, Surface 4/5, FINE STYLE, with a simply marvelous rendering of Jupiter. $ 1250
The Romans introduced the victoriatus alongside the denarius around 211 BC. It was intended to be compatible with the Greek drachm and gained its name from the depiction of Victory crowning a trophy of arms on the reverse (perhaps an allusion to the fall of Syracuse to the Romans in the preceding year). Interestingly, in Greek, the denomination was known as the tropaikon, after the trophy, rather than the figure of Victory. The victoriatus continued to circulate until it ceased production in the mid–second century.
19776. ROMAN REPUBLIC. A. POSTUMIUS ALBINUS. Ca. 81 BC.
Silver Serrate Denarius, 3.96 g, 19 mm. Issue of Rome.
Obv. HISPAN, veiled bust of Hispania right. Rev. S N / A / ALBIN (AL ligate), Togate figure standing left raising hand in adlocutio (gesture of speaking), aquila at left and fasces at right, POST A F in exergue.
Crawford 372/2; Sydenham 746.
NGC graded CHOICE XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5, spectacular strike with golden highlights.
$ 1500
This denarius advertises the glorious ancestors of the moneyer A. Postumius Albinus at a time when the importance of his family in Roman politics was on the decline. The obverse features the personification of the province of Hispania, where his ancestor, the proconsul L. Postumius Albinus, campaigned against the Celtiberian Vaccaei and Lusitani in 180 BC. He was awarded a triumph in Rome for his Spanish victories. The togate figure giving a speech on the reverse is probably intended to represent the moneyer’s grandfather, Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus, who held the consulship in 148 BC (indicated by the fasces) and was respected by Cicero as a skilled orator.
20188. L.C. LENTULUS AND C. MARCELLUS. Ca. 49 BC.
Silver Denarius, 3.86 g, 19 mm. Issue of military mint moving with Pompey, ca. April–June 49 BC. Obverse. Medusa within triskeles, ears of grain between legs. Rev. LENT MAR COS, Jupiter standing left, holding eagle and thunderbolt, harpa in right field.
Crawford 445/1a; Sydenham 1029a.
NGC graded VF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5. $ 1100
This denarius was struck for L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus at a mobile military mint operating in the east in support of Pompey, however, the obverse type refers to Sicily, probably as an allusion to the capture of Syracuse by Marcellus’ homonymous ancestor in 211 BC. The triskeles was a common Roman symbol for the three–cornered shape of Sicily while the grain ears refer to the island as the breadbasket of Italy.
PORTRAITS OF CAESAR
20115. ROMAN IMPERATORIAL. JULIUS CAESAR, d. 44 BC. Silver Denarius, 3.78 g, 19 mm. Lifetime issue struck by moneyer P. Sepullius Macer at Rome, February–March 44 BC. Obv. CAESAR DICT PERPETVO, laureate and veiled head of Caesar right, banker’s mark on cheek. Rev. P SEPVLLIVS MACER, Venus standing left, holding Victoria and scepter with star at bottom. Alföldi Type VI, 7 (A24/R19 – this coin illustrated); Crawford, 480/11; Sydenham, 1072. Ex Robert W. Hubel Collection, (acquired from Cahn 75, 5/30/1932, lot 778). NGC graded VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 2/5, “banker’s marks,” “graffito,” Alföldi publication noted on label. $ 6750
This coin, with its articulated rendition of Julius Caesar, showing aspects of the “verism” (hyper realism) so characteristic of late Republican portraiture, was minted about one month prior to Caesar’s murder. Caesar’s use of the title DICT PEPETVO (“Dictator Forever”) likely fueled the conspiracy to murder him.
This denarius, struck in March 44 BC, shortly before the fatal Ides, presents portrait of Julius Caesar in a veristic style (hyperrealism) and wearing a laurel wreath—the Roman corona triumphalis. Although he was permitted by the Senate to wear this wreath on all public occasions due to his many victories and his new status as “dictator for life” (as indicated in the legend DICT PERPETVO), it was believed in antiquity that he regularly wore it out of embarrassment at his receding hairline. The reverse type illustrates the repression of the traditional personal influence of the moneyer on Roman Republican coinage in favor of Caesarean iconography. While the legend names the moneyer P. Sepullius Macer, the type depicts Venus Victrix, a goddess closely associated with the gens Iulia and with the personal successes of Julius Caesar. The Julian family claimed its descent from Aeneas and Venus and Caesar had vowed a temple to Venus Victrix in return for victory over Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus on 9 August 48 BC. However, in the aftermath of his victory over the Pompeians, Cesar instead opted to build the temple in honor of Venus as Genetrix, the originator of the gens Iulia. The temple was dedicated at the conclusion of Caesar’s great triumph on 26 September 46 BC. Unfortunately, Julius Caesar did not live to see the temple and its associated forum completed. It remained unfinished at the time of assassination and was only finished by Octavian as an act of filial piety.
19231. ROMAN IMPERATORIAL. JULIUS CAESAR, d. 44 BC.
Silver Denarius, 3.92 g, 19 mm. Posthumous issue struck by L. Livineius Regulus at Rome, 42 BC. Obv. Laureate head of Caesar right, laurel branch to left, winged caduceus at right. Rev. L LIVINEI[VS] R[EGVLVS], bull charging right.
Crawford 494/24; Sydenham 1106. Ex Vilmar FPL VII, Fall 2024, p. 36. NGC graded CHOICE XF, Strike 3/5, Surface 3/5, the depiction of Julius Caesar showing accentuated aspects of “verism” (hyperrealism), a feature characteristic of late Republican portraiture. $ 6800
The veristic portrait of Julius Caesar on this denarius, struck in 42 BC, two years after his murder, is perhaps based on the previous laureate portrait used while the Dictator still lived. The heavy folds of skin on the neck of the portrait give the illusion that Caesar was older than the 55 years he had lived before he was struck down by his assassins. The image of the dead dictator appears on the coinage in 42 BC to maintain public outrage against Brutus, Cassius and the rest of Caesar’s killers, as they and the Caesarean triumvirs, Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus armed for the final showdown that came at the Battle of Philippi in October 42 BC. The charging bull on the reverse is thought to refer to an incident that took place prior to Caesar’s victory over the Pompeians at the Battle of Thapsus (46 BC). According to Suetonius, before the battle a sacrificial bull broke loose and escaped, but Caesar ignored this ill omen and pressed on to win the day. The moneyer, L. Livineius Regulus is known to have been present as praetor with Caesar’s forces for the African campaign that came to an end at Thapus.
20100. ROMAN EMPIRE. TIBERIUS, AD 14–37.
Silver Denarius (“Tribute Penny”), 3.74 g, 18 mm. Issue of Lugdunum.
Obv. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head of Tiberius right. Rev. PONTIF MAXIM, female figure (Livia as Pax) enthroned right, holding scepter and olive branch.
RIC I rev, 30.
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5, dark gray old cabinet toning and with a particularly attractive portrait of the emperor. $ 1350
This coin type is widely believed to be the “tribute penny” of the Bible, the very coin handed to Jesus when he was questioned by the Pharisees and Herodians about the legitimacy of paying taxes to Rome. Although their intention was to get him to speak against the Romans and thereby obtain an excuse for his arrest, Matthew 22:19–21 reports that Christ responded to his questioners by saying, “‘Show Me the coin used for the poll–tax.’ And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.’ And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.”
20144. ROMAN EMPIRE. CLAUDIUS, AD 41–54. Gold Aureus, 7.67 g, 19 mm. Issue of Rome, AD 46–47.
Obv. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TRP VI IMP XI, laureate head of Claudius right. Rev. PACI AVGVSTAE, Pax–Nemesis standing right, raising drapery to chin, and holding winged caduceus downward toward snake right.
RIC I rev, 38; Calicó 367.
NGC graded CHOICE FINE, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5.
$ 5750
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE BROCKAGE FROM ROMAN MESSENE EX BCD COLLECTION
20065. MESSENIA. MESSENE. PSEUDO–AUTONOMOUS ISSUE, 1st CENTURY AD. Bronze Brockage Hemiobol or Hexachalkon, 7.18 g, 20 mm. Issue probably struck during the reign of Nero, AD 54–68. Obv. ΜЄϹϹΗΝΙωΝ, veiled and draped bust of Tyche right. Rev. Incuse of the obverse design. Cf. C. Grandjean, Les Messéniens de 370/369 au 1er siècle de notre ère (2003), 686. Ex BCD Collection, Leu 96, 5/8/2006, lot 764 = H. W. Müller 42, 6/24/1983, lot 62. XF, very well struck for this type of error. $ 1450
Messenian civic issues of the first century AD featuring the turreted head of the Tyche of Messene on the reverse are known to feature three distinct obverse types: Zeus Ithomatas brandishing his thunderbolt, Zeus Ithomatas holding a scepter, and Asclepius. The die used to strike this piece is Grandjean’s R606, which was regularly paired with a Zeus Ithomatas with his scepter die (Grandjean 686). Presumably, this type would have appeared on the other side had the brockage not occurred. There appears to be some disagreement over whether the Tyche die served as the obverse or reverse. According to Grandjean it was the reverse die while the BCD catalogue treats it as the obverse. If the Tyche die did indeed serve as the obverse, it would make it easier to understand how this brockage error took place.
20143. ROMAN EMPIRE. TITUS, AD 79–81.
Silver Denarius, 3.51 g, 18 mm. Issue of Rome after July 1, AD 79.
Obv. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, laureate head of Titus right. Rev. TR P VIIII IMP XIIII COS VII P P, capricorn left, over globe.
RIC II.1 rev, 37.
NGC graded XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, a coin minted at the time when Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum.
$ 1400
20101. ROMAN EMPIRE. DOMITIAN, AD 81–96. PROVINCIAL ISSUE OF TARSUS, CILICIA.
Silver Tetradrachm, 14.00 g, 26 mm.
Obv. AYTO KAI ΘE YI ΔOMITIANOΣ ΣE ΓEP, laureate head of Domitian right. Rev. ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩΣ, Tyche of Tarsus seated right on rock, holding palm branch, river god Cydnus swimming right below, TAP monogram in right field.
RPC 1727; Prieur 750.
NGC graded XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5, “graffito,” golden highlights, with a particularly well–rendered and elegant portrait of Domitian. $ 1250
15587. ROMAN EMPIRE. HADRIAN, AD 117–138.
Silver Cistophorus, 11.17 g, 27 mm. Issue of Ephesus, ca. AD 138.
Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP, head of Hadrian right. Rev. DIANA EPHESIA, cult statue of Diana Ephesia facing, flanked by stags.
Metcalf type 5; RIC 474.
Near VF, surface a bit rough, Θ graffitto in right field, overstruck on a cistophorus of Mark Antony, traces of the cista and snakes visible on the obverse.
$ 575
20149. ROMAN EMPIRE. MARCUS AURELIUS, AD 161–180.
Bronze Sestertius, 21.71 g, 29 mm. Issue of Rome, Summer –December, AD 166.
Obv. M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, head of Marcus Aurelius right. Rev. TR P[OT XX] IMP IIII COS III / S – C, Victoria standing, holding palm and resting hand on shield inscribed VIC PAR set on palm tree with arms below. RIC III 931; Cohen 807.
Ex William C. Boyd Collection, Baldwin’s Auctions 42, 9/26/2005, lot 446 = ex Calvert Collection, Sotheby’s 3/26/1897, lot 49 (with old ticket listing Calvert provenance).
NGC graded CHOICE VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 5/5. $ 3500
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD’S FIRST KNOWN PANDEMIC
20203. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. JUSTINIAN I, AD 527–565.
Bronze Follis/40 Nummi, 40 mm. Issue of Constantinople, officina A, struck Regnal Year 15 (AD 541/42).
Obv. D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC, helmeted and cuirassed facing bust, holding globus cruciger and shield, cross in right field. Rev. M between A/N/N/O and X/V, cross above, A below, CON in exergue. Sear 163.
NGC graded XF, nicely struck on a broad planchet. $ 650
The year AD 541 saw the beginning of the great “Justinianic Plague,” often considered the world’s first recorded pandemic. The bubonic plague apparently arrived in Egypt at the port of Pelusium in the fall of 541 and quickly spread via ships throughout the empire and beyond. It continued in waves until 549 and recurred sporadically for the next two centuries. The death toll remains unclear, although Procopius, a Byzantine source, indicates that up to 10,000 died each day in Constantinople at the very height of the plague.
20134. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. MAURICE TIBERIUS, AD 582–602.
Gold Solidus, 4.49 g, 22 mm. Issue of Constantinople, officina B.
Obv. O N MAVRC TIB PP AVC, helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger. Rev. VICTORIA AVCC B, angel standing, facing, holding staff with staurogram and globus cruciger, CONOB in exergue. Sear 478.
NGC graded CHOICE AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “brushed,” well struck on a broad planchet.
$ 1275
A FLIPPED–OVER DOUBLE STRIKE SOLIDUS OF HERACLIUS WITH HERACLIUS CONSTANTINE
19591. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. HERACLIUS WITH HERACLIUS CONSTANTINE, AD 610–641.
Gold Solidus, 4.44 g, 22 mm. Issue of Constantinople, officina Δ.
Obv. dd NN hЄRACLIЧS ЄT hЄRA CONST P P AV Ч, facing busts of Heraclius (left) and Heraclius Constantine (right), cross above. Rev. VICTORIA AVϚЧ Є, cross potent on stepped base, CONOB in exergue. Sear 738.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 2/5, Surface 3/5, “clipped,” “flipped–over double strike,” the doubled impression showing the right side of Heraclius appears on the reverse underneath the final strike. $ 1400
A SPECTACULAR MINT STATE TIBERIUS III SOLIDUS FROM THE KERN COLLECTION
20150. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. TIBERIUS III, AD 698–705.
Gold Solidus, 4.42 g, 19 mm. Issue of Constantinople, officina S.
Obv. D TIbERI–VS PE AV, helmeted (with crest and plume) and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear and shield with horseman device. Rev. VICTORIA AVςЧ S, cross potent on three steps, CONOB in exergue. Sear 1360.
Ex Jonathan K. Kern Collection.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5, extremely lustrous.
$ 2900
20204. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. CONSTANTINE VIII, AD 1025–1028.
Gold Histamenon Nomisma, 4.42 g, 25 mm. Issue of Constantinople.
Obv. +IhS XIS RЄX RЄGNANTIЧM, bust of bearded Christ Pantocrator, facing, holding Gospels and raising his right hand in benediction. Rev. +CωNSτANτIN bASILЄЧS ROm, bearded bust of Constantine VIII, facing, holding labarum and akakia. Sear 1815.
Ex Glenn W. Woods, inv. 08993 (with his tag) = CNG Triton IX, 1/10/2006, lot 1665 (partial).
NGC graded CHOICE AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, “brushed,” exceptional centering and depiction of Christ as well as Constantine.
$ 3350
19525. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. ROMANUS III, AD 1028–1034.
Gold Histamenon Nomisma, 4.42 g, 24 mm. Issue of Constantinople.
Obv. +IhS XIS RЄX RЄGNANTIЧM, Christ enthroned, facing, holding Gospels and raising his right hand in benediction. Rev. ΘCE ΒΟΗΘ ΡωΜΑΝω, Virgin standing on right, facing, crowning Romanus on left, Μ–Θ above. Sear 1819.
NGC graded CHOICE XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5. $ 1850
20103. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. ROMANUS IV, AD 1068–1071.
Gold Histamenon Nomisma, 4.34, 27 mm. Issue of Constantinople. Obv. KωN–MX–ANΔ, Michael VII (in center), Constantius (on left) and Andronicus (on right) all standing, facing, on footstools. Rev. +PωMAN ЄVΔOKIA, Christ standing, facing, on footstool, crowning Romanus IV (on left) and Eudocia (on right), both standing facing, IC–XC flanking Christ’s head. Sear 1859.
20093. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. MICHAEL VII WITH MARIA, AD 1071–1078.
Electrum Tetarteron Nomisma, 4.04 g, 20 mm. Issue of Constantinople.
Obv. +ΘKE–POHΘ, facing bust of the Virgin Mary, holding medallion with the bust of Christ, MHP – ΘV (mother of God) in fields. Rev. +MIXAHΛ S MAPIA, half busts of Michael VII and Maria, facing, holding cross with X ornament on staff between them. Sear 1871.
NGC graded XF, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5. $ 2500
20094. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. MANUEL I, AD 1143–1180.
Electrum Aspron Trachy, 3.90 g, 31 mm.
Obv. Christ standing on dais, facing, holding the Gospels, IC–XC and stars in field. Rev. MANΩHΛ O/ΘЄ/Ο/Δ/ΩΡ, Manuel on left holding sword and St. Theodore on right, both holding patriarchal cross between them. Sear 1959.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, “die shift,” nicely detailed strike with excellent Christ portrait. $ 850
20116. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. ALEXIUS III, AD 1195–1203.
Electrum Aspron Trachy, 4.22 g, 28 mm.
Obv. K[E RO–H]ΘEΙ / IC – XC, Christ enthroned, facing, holding Gospels, and raising his right hand in benediction. Rev. AΛEZIωC ΔεC Θ [KωNTANT], Alexius and St. Constantine standing, facing, each holding a cross–topped scepter and grasping a labarum between them.
20084. BYZANTINE – EMPIRE OF THESSALONICA. THEODORE, ca. AD 1224–1230.
Silver Trachy, 4.30 g, 31 mm. Issue of Thessalonica, struck ca. AD 1227. Obv. IAΓ/IOC/Θ – PH/TH/CA on either side of the Virgin orans, MHP–ΘV flanking her head. Rev. ΘЄOΔωPOC ΔЄCΠO OΛΓIOC
Δ[IM], Theodore, facing on left, and Saint Demetrius, in military attire, standing right, both holding a model of the city and its walls; manus Dei above, crowning Theodore. Sear 2159.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5, “brushed,” a superlative example of this often poorly struck emission, with full details on obverse and reverse. $ 3850
AN IMITATIVE VENETIAN ZECCHINO LIKELY INTENDED FOR USE IN CHIOS
20155. LEVANTINE COAST. Post 1478.
Gold Zecchino (Ducat) imitating an issue of Andrea Dandolo (1343–1354), 3.55 g, 20 mm. Obv. St. Mark handing banner inscribed DUX to Doge kneeling at right, garbled legend. Rev. Christ in mandorla, garbled legend. For prototype cf. Paolucci 1; Friedberg 1221.
NGC graded MS 63, lustrous and attractive. $ 1450
Imitations of the gold zecchino of Andrea Dandalo have long been recognized as products used in Near Eastern trade in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and have often been associated with Genoese control of the island of Chios. The island was originally detached from the Byzantine Empire as a Venetian possession in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. However, after a brief period of renewed Byzantine rule in 1225–1304, the island was held by Genoa, first under the Lordship of Chios (1304–1329) and then under a company of tax farmers called the Moana of Chios and Phocaea (1346–1566). Genoese control of Chios ended in 1566 when the island was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. The wide recognition of Venetian gold coinage made it an obvious choice for imitation to advance Genoese trading interests. Issues copying the types and (usually blundering) the name of Andreas Dandalo belong to the period of the Moana of Chios and Phocaea.
