Kings of Armenia, Tigranes IV (Restored) and Erato Æ Dichalkon. 2 BC-AD 1. Jugate busts of Tigranes, wearing tiara and diadem, and Erato right / [???????C??], the two peaks of Mount Ararat, as seen from the Armenian capital Artaxata; A in exergue. F. Kovacs, Tigranes IV, V, and VI: New Attributions, AJN 20, 5; CAA 128 (Tigranes II?); AC 122 (Tigranes II). 6.64g, 18mm, 12h. Near Very Fine. Extremely Rare. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority. This remarkable type was only discovered in 1978, being first published by Bedoukian. Admitting that he could not arrive at a certain attribution, he placed it in his catalogue under Tigranes II, stating that 'it may have been struck by Tigranes when he conquered Cappadocia in 93 BC, forcing the ruling king, Ariobarzanes I, to flee to Rome,' and that the double-peaked mountain on the reverse resembled Mt. Argaios in Cappadocia (CAA pg. 24). It seems that Nercessian merely followed Bedoukian in his placing the coin under Tigranes II without further explanation, although he included a footnote telling the reader to see additional information in a subsequent chapter which he then neglected to provide. More recently Frank Kovacs convincingly argued for assigning the coin to Tigranes IV and his sister-queen Erato. He based his argument on four points: the reverse legend ???????C?? ('Friend of Caesar'), which was previously misread by Bedoukian as KAICAPE?N; the regnal year A in the exergue, which 'implies that Tigranes' earlier reign under the Parthian aegis was illegitimate and that Rome alone had the right to crown the king of Armenia,' and draws parallels to similar instances in the coinages issued by other client kingdoms of Rome; the extreme scarcity of the coins which of course better fit this king's short reign than do the plethora of types and number of extant pieces assigned to him by both Bedoukian and Nercessian; and finally the beardless portrait better fits the youthful son of Tigranes III than do the previously assigned bearded types.
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Herodians, Herod IV Philip Æ12. Caesarea Philippi (Panias) mint, dated CY 37 = 33/4 CE. Bare head of Herod Philip right / L?Z within wreath. Hendin 1235; RPC I 4952; BMC 5; TJC 111; Baramki 3. 1.42g, 12mm, 12h. Very Fine; earthen repatination. Extremely Rare. From the inventory of a North American dealer. Herod Philip was the first Jewish ruler to place his own portrait on coins. Hendin (p. 257) notes: “Philip was able to immortalise his face on his coins largely because so few Jews lived in the territories over which he ruled. Jews would have taken this act as an insult and violation of the Mosaic Law against graven images.”
Seleukid Empire, Seleukos II Kallinikos AV Stater. Uncertain western mint, circa 246-225 BC. Diademed head right / Apollo, nude, standing to left and examining arrow held in right hand, left hand resting on grounded bow; BA?I?E?? to right, ?E?EYKOY to left. SC 720; HGC 9, 299f; CSE 1158; Arthur Houghton, The Tarik Derreh (Kangavar) Hoard in ANSMN 25, 1980, 25-27 and plate 5, 26 (same obv. die). 8.52g, 19mm, 2h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; one of only four known examples. Originally attributed to Ekbatana by Houghton (ANSMN 25, 1980, pp. 43), this issue has recently been reassessed by Houghton and Lorber in Seleukid Coins and assigned to an unknown western mint. The difficulty in attribution, besides the obvious lack of mintmarks, seems to concern both the style of the portrait and the reliance upon the location of the hoard that contained most of the known examples as a reflection of whence the coins originated. The closest parallel to the portrait of this coin is SC 719, attributed to Laodikeia by the Sea, being particularly similar in the breaks and modelling of the hair. However, Houghton and Lorber separate these two issues by arguing that it cannot be securely attributed to the same mint, given differences of style. Why then can it not be attributed to Ekbatana as Houghton originally suggested? Within the hoard there were three coins of the type, struck from identical obverse dies, all in mint condition. Houghton argued that the proximity of their find-spot to the ancient city of Ekbatana, coupled with a stater identified by Newell as from Ekbatana which similarly lacks identifying marks, is evidence enough to assign this type to Ekbatana. However, it is noted that this is problematic, especially considering the vertical die axes of the coins, and instead decides an unknown mint to be the best option. Seleukos II was born in circa 265 BC, the first son of Antiochos II and his first wife Laodike. In 252 BC Antiochos II repudiated Laodike and sent her to Ephesos in order to marry the daughter of his enemy Ptolemy II and seal a peace treaty that ended the Second Syrian War. In 246 BC, Ptolemy II died, shortly followed by Antiochos II, leaving the dynastic succession in a state of confusion. Antiochos II had begot a son with Ptolemy's daughter, Berenike, and named him Antiochos, however there were rumours that before his death he had returned to Laodike and declared Seleukos II his rightful heir. With his father’s death, Seleukos II became king with his younger brother Antiochos Hierax named joint-ruler in Sardis. Their mother Laodike had Berenike and her son murdered to avoid any competition for the throne, thus sparking the Third Syrian War, also known as the Laodikean War, which saw Berenike’s brother Ptolemy III invade the Seleukid Empire to avenge his sister. This was not the end of Seleukos’ troubles, as his younger brother Antiochos Hierax soon launched a rebellion against him aided by their mother. However, after a victory for Antiochos Hierax at the Battle of Ankyra in circa 239 BC, his usurpation was ultimately unsuccessful and Seleukos II would eventually be succeeded by his eldest son, Seleukos III Soter.
Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus Imitative AR Denarius. Uncertain mint, after summer 42 BC (possibly AD 68/9, or later). Bare head of Brutus right; BRVT above, IMP to right, L•PLAET•CEST around / Pileus between two daggers pointing downward; EID•MAR below. Campana, Eidibus Martiis, U1 (this coin); for prototype, cf. Crawford 508/3, CRI 216, and RSC 15. 3.62g, 18mm, 5h. Near Very Fine. Extremely Rare. This coin published in A. Campana, Eidibus Martiis (forthcoming); From a private British collection. In the summer of 42 BC Brutus and Cassius marched through Macedonia and in October met Antony and Octavian in battle on the Via Egnatia just outside Philippi, and won the first engagement. Cassius, as his conservative coins show, remained true to the old republican cause, while Brutus followed the self-advertising line of Antony in the new age of unashamed political propaganda and struck coins displaying his own portrait. Brutus' estrangement from Cassius was effectively complete when this almost inanely assertive coin was struck displaying the pileus, or cap of liberty (symbol of the Dioscuri, saviours of Rome, and traditionally given to slaves who had received their freedom), between the daggers that executed Caesar. In an ironic twist of fate, Brutus committed suicide during the second battle at Philippi on 23 October 42 BC, using the dagger with which he assassinated Caesar. An iconic type from its very inception, the EID MAR type of Brutus was copied and counterfeited probably almost immediately. At least 16 plated contemporary counterfeits are known to have survived - a disproportionately high ratio of plated coins to official issues, surely making the EID MAR one of the most contemporaneously counterfeited coins in history. Struck from dies engraved in a variety of styles, some of which are very faithful to the solid silver counterparts, those plated denarii of Brutus' EID MAR type have occasionally elicited speculation that they may have been produced thus on account of dwindling silver supplies in Brutus' camp. However, none of the plated denarii can be die matched with official, solid silver denarii. Indeed, the wide range of styles on these plated issues is indicative of their true nature as contemporary counterfeits. Whether produced by disaffected, bored or greedy Republican soldiers, or idealistically inclined civilian fraudsters, we shall never know. Of unofficial but solid silver copies there are considerably fewer specimens; it has been suggested by Italo Vecchi that the present coin "is an ancient strike, crystalized and the product of a near contemporary unofficial mint, possibly during the Civil Wars of AD 68-69 in Gaul or Spain", as its crude style bears some resemblance to the issues produced at that time which also feature the two daggers and pileus on the reverse, albeit with the legend P R RESTITVTA replacing EID MAR - however, the possibility of a later renaissance origin cannot be fully excluded.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; MNA behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig, crescent and grape bunch behind, A?E before. Roma XIV, 347; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS -; N&A 18-19; Leu 83, 264. 16.87g, 24mm, 6h. Good Very Fine. Only four other specimens previously recorded with the MNA / grape bunch combination. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA. The appearance of the letters MNA on their own, not preceded by ?TA, which also appear in abbreviated form as MN and M, both on this 'Athenian Series' coinage and on the helmeted portrait issues of Sophytes, is suggestive of MNA being either a magistral mark, or an engraver's signature. While the prominent placement of MNA on both the double daric and the tetradrachm would seem to be counter-indicative of its being a signature because of its brazen size and obtrusiveness, on the helmeted portrait coins of Sophytes it is very discreetly placed on the bust truncation. The fact that it is so well hidden (and on the tetradrachms, abbreviated simply to 'M') very strongly argues against it being a magistrate or subordinate official's name. The Baktrian 'Athenian series' coinage, judging from its lack of wear, must have been issued immediately prior to or concurrent to Sophytes' named coinage.
Probus AV Aureus. Lugdunum, AD 276. IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Probus standing left, holding sceptre and crowning trophy at base of which are two seated captives. RIC 12; Calicó 4245 (this coin); C. 863 var. (not cuirassed); Bastien 160a, c. 4.73g, 22mm, 7h. Mint State. Extremely Rare. This coin published in X. Calicó, Los Aureos Romanos (2002); Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 25, 25 June 2003, lot 565. Probus’ ascension to the throne in AD 276 occurred at an unstable time for the Roman Empire: three emperors had died over the last year, two of whom were assassinated and the third is rumoured to have been; the security of the empire was threatened by foreign invasion and Florian, the brother of the previous emperor Tacitus, had been declared emperor by the senate and army in the West in opposition to Probus in the East. Probus therefore had a difficult task ahead of him to defeat his rival for the throne and restore order to a destabilised empire. Probus had employed a Fabian strategy to defeat Florian, avoiding an outright battle and instead relying on skirmishes, the intensity of the summer heat and the discontent this caused among Florian’s army to weaken his enemy’s position. Florian was soon killed by his own forces, and Probus was confirmed as emperor by the Senate with a minimum of bloodshed. Despite the calamitous state of the Empire when Probus ascended the throne, he proved himself to be an efficient and productive emperor, defeating numerous foreign enemies and improving some parts of the areas devastated by war through engaging the army during peacetime in building projects such as growing vines in Gaul, Pannonia and Moesia. Though his rule is covered to an extent by ancient historiographers, the stories often do not match up and the picture we receive of Probus’ rule is somewhat broad and lacking in detail. However, what the sources agree on are the great military achievements of this emperor and the respect he earned both from the conquered and his own people. Unfortunately for numismatists, Probus’ coinage is more focused on emphasising the emperor’s virtus than recording specific achievements, thus making it difficult to establish a chronology or associate types with particular events. This coin, for example, celebrates the emperor’s victory over enemies unspecified. Struck in the early months of his reign, it does however depict Probus in a far more individualistic manner than his later coinage, which often tends towards being highly stylised and showing the emperor in military attire, armed and helmeted - far more so than ever before seen on imperial coinage. Though this portrait is not so militarised as later issues, the origin of this emperor and the nature of his reign is still very much explicit in the combination of a familiar trophy reverse type with the laureate and simply cuirassed bust suggestive of an emperor predisposed to war. Despite his virtues, there was little security to be found in wearing the purple during this period. A long series of civil wars had created a penchant for general-emperors, elected by the army and thereby required to repay the soldiers for their support. Further, internal divisions had left Rome vulnerable to foreign enemies with Germanic tribes attacking the upper Rhine and Danube regions and Aurelian’s Persian campaign still unresolved. Finally, the threat of usurpation was ever present; over the six years Probus was emperor, he successfully put down three revolts but was ultimately assassinated by his own soldiers in AD 282 and replaced by the commander of the Praetorian Guard, Carus.
Sicily, Naxos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 460 BC. Bearded head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath, his hair tied in a krobylos behind / Nude, bearded and ithyphallic Silenos squatting facing, head left, holding kantharos in right hand, leaning on left; NAXION around. Cahn 54 (same dies); SNG ANS 515 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1150 (same dies); SNG Lockett 840 (same dies); Gulbenkian 230-231 (same dies); Rizzo pl. XXVIII, 2 (same dies); Jenkins 673 (same dies); SNG Fitzwilliam 1108 (same dies); Kunstfreund 95 (same dies); Kraay-Hirmer 6 (same dies); Randazzo 227-231 (all from same dies). 17.22g, 30mm, 3h. Extremely Fine, with a deep, beautiful old cabinet tone. Very Rare. Ex Hess-Divo 329, 17 November 2015, lot 20; Ex Roma Numismatics VII, 20 March 2014, lot 131; Ex James Howard (1937-2009) Collection, purchased from Credit Suisse Bern in 1983, and probably from the Randazzo Hoard of 1980. One of the great masterpieces of fifth century Greek numismatic art, and one of the most famous of all Greek coins. Produced from a single set of dies, this tetradrachm was struck in commemoration of the refoundation of the city of Naxos following the return of its citizens from their forced relocation to Leontinoi by the tyrant Hieron of Syracuse. Undoubtedly the most accomplished engraver of his time, this artist is also believed to have been responsible for the unique Brussels Aetna tetradrachm - in both cases his work is a tour de force that showcases his singular ability. On the present piece, the obverse presents us with a refined portrait of Dionysos, which though bearing distinctly archaised features such as the arrangement of the god's hair, wreath and beard, shows his eye in profile. This, combined with the god's merry expression and the deliberate extension of the design through the dotted border indicate clear progression of style away from the more formal and rigid types of previous decades. The result is, of course, the most iconic and artistically meritorious portrait of Dionysos in all of ancient coinage. Yet it is upon the reverse that the artist has worked a wonder that has earned this type such a lofty reputation as one of the most desired of all ancient Greek coins, and the most costly of all the tetradrachms. Here, the artist's composition combines handsome naturalistic musculature with a unique and inspired design of Silenos drunkenly gazing into his wine cup as he supports himself with his other hand. In choosing to depict Silenos facing the viewer, the artist not only proves his ability to render the design in adept relief and detail, he also effortlessly demonstrates an advanced understanding and application of the principle of foreshortening in Silenos' right leg and foot. It is this combination of a striking, masterful image of Dionysos with such a remarkable reverse scene that was so far ahead of its time that has led so many to acclaim it a triumph of late archaic art.
Diadumenian, as Caesar, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 217-218. M OPEL ANT DIADVMENIANVS CAES, bare-headed and draped bust right / PRINC IVVENTVTIS, Diadumenian standing facing, head right, holding standard and sceptre; two more standards to right. RIC 102; BMCRE 87; RSC 3. 2.72g, 19mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. An unusual and pleasing portrait style. Ex Leu Numismatik Web Auction 2, 3 December 2017, lot 694.
Kingdom of Pergamon, Philetairos I AR Tetradrachm. Circa 270-265 BC. Diademed head of the deified Seleukos I to right / Athena, helmeted and wearing long robes, seated to left on low throne with lion’s feet, resting her left elbow on support in the form of a sphinx, holding a transverse downward pointing spear in her left hand and resting her right on the edge of a round shield adorned with a gorgoneion standing before her; above, ivy leaf; to right, bow. BMC 28; De Hirsch 1459; Kraay/Hirmer 736; Newell 14, XVI-36a (same dies); SNG Lockett 2718 (same dies); SNG von Aulock 7451 (same dies). 17.03g, 28mm, 12h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics XI, 7 April 2016, lot 426. Philetairos began his career serving under Antigonos Monophthalmos, but after the Battle of Ipsos in 301 BC where Antigonos was killed, he shifted his allegiance to Lysimachos, who entrusted him with command of the fortress of Pergamon, and a treasury of nine thousand talents of silver (234 metric tonnes). Philetairos served Lysimachos until 282 BC, when perhaps because of conflicts involving the court intrigues of Arsinoe, Lysimachos' third wife, Philetairos deserted Lysimachos, offering himself and the important fortress of Pergamon, along with its treasury to Seleukos, who subsequently defeated and killed Lysimachos at the Battle of Korupedion in 281 BC. Seleukos himself was murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos, a brother of Arsinoe, a few months later at Lysimacheia. After the death of Seleukos, though he and Pergamon remained nominally under Seleukid dominion, Philetairos had considerable autonomy and with the help of his considerable wealth was able to increase his power and influence beyond Pergamon. His first coinage was struck under the reign of Antiochos I, the son of Seleukos, and though it proclaims his loyalty to Seleukos, the presence of his name upon the reverse must have inevitably raised suspicions about his ambitions. Nevertheless, Philetairos never went so far as to proclaim himself king, and remained loyal to the Seleukids until his death in 263. Having no children of his own, Philetairos passed the rule of Pergamon to his nephew Eumenes, who almost immediately revolted against Antiochos, defeating the Seleukid king near Sardes in 261. Eumenes was thus able to free Pergamon, and greatly increased the territory under his control. In his new possessions, he established garrison posts in the north at the foot of Mount Ida called Philetaireia after his adoptive father, and in the east, north-east of Thyatira near the sources of the river Lykos, called Attaleia after his grandfather, and he extended his control south of the river Caïcus to the Gulf of Kyme as well. Demonstrating his independence, he began to strike coins as his predecessor had done, only now the obverse portrait was that of his uncle and adoptive father Philetairos.
Otho AV Aureus. Rome, January - April AD 69. IMP OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare head of Otho right / SECVRITAS P R, Securitas standing left, holding wreath in right hand and cradling sceptre in left arm. RIC 7; C. 16; BMCRE 13; Calicó 531. 7.03g, 20mm, 6h. Very Fine; a bold portrait, struck on a very broad flan. Rare. From a private European collection. According to the accounts of Plutarch and Suetonius, Otho was one of the most reckless and extravagant of the circle of young aristocrats whom Nero called his friends. This friendship ended abruptly in AD 58 however, when Otho introduced his beautiful wife Poppaea to the emperor at her insistence. Poppaea thereupon began an affair with Nero, and having securely established her position as the emperor's mistress, she divorced Otho and had the Nero send him away as governor to the remote province of Lusitania (which is now parts of both modern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain). Otho's bitterness at his estrangement from his wife, paired with his relocation to Hispania, made him a natural ally for Galba, the governor of neighbouring Tarraconensis, in his revolt against the emperor in 68. Support for Nero waned, and the emperor fled to the villa of his freedman Phaon where he ended his life, while Galba, accompanied by Otho, marched on Rome and was declared emperor. Otho expected to be named Galba’s heir as a result of his loyalty, but when Galba nominated L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus, Otho’s disappointment manifested itself as anger. He fomented a revolt amongst the Praetorians, who murdered Galba and hailed Otho as emperor in his place on 15 January AD 69. His reign was not destined to be lengthy. Whilst he had the support of Egypt, Africa and the legions of the Danube, the legions of the Rhine supported their commander Vitellius - conflict was inevitable. Otho committed to a battle before his reinforcements from Dalmatia were able to reach him, and he suffered a defeat at the Battle of Bedriacum. Ignoring the entreaties of his generals to await his reinforcements and offer battle once again, Otho took his own life, after just three months as emperor. In a dignified speech, he bade farewell to those about him, declaring: "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one". His suicide was widely recognised by his contemporaries as an honourable act, and the poet Martial later wrote in his Epigrams VI. XXXII “Sit Cato, dum vivit, sane vel Caesare maior, dum moritur, numquid maior Othone fuit?” (“Cato while he lived, he was greater than Caesar himself, when he died, was he at all greater than Otho?”).
Caligula AV Aureus. Rome, AD 40. C CAESAR AVG PON M TR POT III COS III, laureate head of Gaius 'Caligula' right / GERMANICVS CAES P C CAES AVG GERM, bare head of Germanicus right. RIC 25; C. 6; BMCRE 26; BN -; Calicó 324. 7.70g, 19mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Ex Monsieur Note (1910-1982) Collection, France. Much attention has been given over the years to the seemingly base character of Gaius, known to history as Caligula (meaning 'little soldier's boot) after the nickname he acquired as a child from his father Germanicus' soldiers during their campaign in Germania. Though there are few surviving sources concerning his reign, he is generally described as noble and moderate in the first six months of his rule, after which time the sources focus upon his cruelty, sadism, extravagance and sexual perversion. All surviving sources, except Pliny the Elder, characterise Caligula as insane, but given his extreme unpopularity it is difficult to separate fact from fiction in the historical record. Recent studies have attempted to ascribe a medical reason for his unusual behaviour, citing encephalitis, epilepsy or meningitis as possibilities, however the question remains unanswered. Philo of Alexandria, Josephus and Seneca state that Caligula was insane, but describe this madness as a personality trait that came through experience. Certainly the experiences in the early years of his life would have been sufficient to leave an individual severely traumatised at the very least; born in AD 12 into the perilously dysfunctional Julio-Claudian family, his father Germanicus was allegedly poisoned by an agent of Tiberius (Germanicus' uncle) when Caligula was only seven, and his mother Agrippina and eldest brother Nero were banished by the emperor on charges of treason in 29. His other older brother Drusus was imprisoned on similar charges in AD 30, and in the same year Nero was killed or committed suicide. His mother was mistreated in exile, losing an eye during a beating from a centurion, and died in AD 33. Tacitus (Annals, 6.25) speculates that she was starved to death as was Drusus, who died after having been reduced to chewing the stuffing of his bed. Meanwhile, Caligula and his sisters were "nothing more than prisoners of Tiberius, under the close watch of soldiers" according to Suetonius (Lives of the Caesars, III.64). All the while, Caligula was forced to act as though he bore Tiberius no ill-will, whom Caligula claimed to have planned to kill with a dagger in order to avenge his mother and brother (Lives of the Caesars, IV.12). The grief felt by Caligula at the loss of his murdered parents, Germanicus and Agrippina, and his murdered brothers, Nero Caesar and Drusus Caesar, is evident in his efforts to commemorate their memories, of which his coinage provides numerous examples including the present aureus. Struck at the beginning of Caligula's reign, as part of a series honouring his dead father, mother and brothers, this particular coin pays homage to his father Germanicus. A talented military commander, Germanicus famously led eight legions in three campaigns against the Germanic tribes (AD 14-16), in the course of which he avenged the humiliating defeat suffered by Varus in the Teutoberg Forest and reclaimed two of the lost legionary eagles. He was awarded a Triumph upon his return to Rome in AD 17, and was subsequently dispatched to Asia to restructure the provinces and kingdoms of Asia, which were in such disarray that the direct attention of a senior member of the imperial family was considered necessary. In AD 19, in the midst of a feud with the governor of Syria Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, Germanicus was suddenly taken ill with suspected poisoning, and soon died. Piso was implicated in his death, with suspicions falling on the emperor's chief advisor Sejanus, and even on Tiberius himself. Several historians of the time including Tacitus and Suetonius discuss how beloved Germanicus was by the people and how they regarded him as a model Roman. They took it upon themselves to commemorate Germanicus by honouring him with a Justitium (a suspension of public and private business) and the mourning was felt throughout the empire; "When the news of his death finally broke, neither edicts nor official expressions of sympathy could console the commons..." (Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, p. 153). Caligula's decision to include his fathers portrait on this coinage would no doubt have gone over well with the people of the Rome who remembered his father, and would certainly have helped endear him to them as he began his reign as emperor.
North Africa, Carthage AR Shekel. Time of Hannibal. Carthago Nova, circa 218-206 BC. Bare male head (Hannibal?) left / Horse right, palm tree behind. MHC 142; ACIP 603; SNG BM Spain 104-5. 7.33g, 22mm, 12h. Good Very Fine; light scuff on edge. Very Rare. This coin is conventionally believed to carry the portrait of Hannibal on the obverse. In 237 BC Hamilcar Barca, after having lost the First Punic War against Rome, but having won the Mercenary War against the Libyans, disembarked at Gadir with a Carthaginian expedition with the purpose of "re-establishing Carthaginian authority in Iberia" (Polybios, Histories, 2.1.6), and within 9 years he had expanded the territory of Carthage well into the Iberian peninsula, securing control of the southern mining district of Baetica and Sierra Morena, before dying in battle in 228. Hamilcar was succeeded by his son-in-law Hasdrubal the Fair who expanded the new province by skilful diplomacy and consolidated it with the foundation of Akra Leuka, Mahon and finally in 227, Qart Hadasht (Latin: Carthago Nova) as his capital. After his untimely death in 221 he was succeeded by Hannibal (247-182), oldest son of Hamilcar Barca, and Hamilcar's second son Hasdrubal (245-207 BC). The Barcids now wielded control over much of the mineral rich Mediterranean side of the peninsula until 219 when Hannibal made the fateful move of taking and sacking Saguntum, a well established Roman ally. The wholesale slaughter of this Roman ally's population, and the arrogance with which the Roman ambassadors sent to Carthage to seek redress were met, led directly to the Second Punic War: the great statesman Quintus Fabius, speaking to the Carthaginian senate, gathered a fold of his toga to his chest and held it out, saying "Here, we bring you peace and war. Take which you will." The Carthaginians replied "Whichever you please - we do not care." Fabius let the fold drop and proclaimed "We give you war."
L. Servius Rufus AR Denarius. Rome, 43 BC. Bare head of Brutus right; L•SERVIVS RVFVS around / The Dioscuri standing facing, both holding spears and with swords hanging from waist. Crawford 515/2; CRI 324; Sydenham 1082; Sulpicia 10; Woytek, Arma et Nummi p. 558. 3.59g, 20mm, 2h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 100, 29 May 2017, lot 390. The portrait on this issue of a moneyer known only from his coins bears a remarkable resemblance to Brutus, and it has been suggested that this image could have been a veiled expression of political sympathy toward Brutus' cause. The Republic was in a state of fractious civil war: the consuls Hirtius and Pansa, along with Octavian as propraetor, opposed the forces of Antony in Cisalpine Gaul; the liberators under Brutus and Cassius were meanwhile ravaging the territories in Illyria, Thrace and Macedonia, and Asia Minor. The moneyers of this uncertain period hence appear to have deliberately employed ambiguous types on their coins: an ancestor's portrait that resembled Octavian on the denarii of M. Arrius Secundus; a head of Victory resembling Fulvia, the wife of Marc Antony, on C. Numonius Vaala's aurei; and here the portrait of some ancestor or other which in fact most closely resembles Brutus.
The John Robinson Collection I first came across John Robinson’s work nearly 30 years ago when I was asked to auction his wonderful bronze figure of Papageno, from Mozart’s Magic Flute, which had stood for a few years at Glyndebourne. Over the subsequent years we have been lucky enough to have sold quite a few of his pieces and so when, following their mother’s death (John died in 2007), the Robinson family asked Rupert and myself if we could sell some of their father’s sculpture, we were naturally delighted.Little did I realise what a treat was in store in the extensive gardens of their idyllic cottage, Agecroft near Yeovil in Somerset as well as John’s studio, virtually untouched in the 10 years since his death. John enjoyed a remarkably full and varied life, from early on jackarooing and then farming in Australia, to returning to this country with a young family to try his hand at sculpture.His early work, which started as small commissions for his friends, is largely made up of charming, beautiful observed studies of children, a number of which are included in this sale; my undoubted favourite is his three young sons Peter, Mark and Tim squirting each other with a hose, lot 21, capturing their youthful exuberance exactly.Inspired by a trip to Greece with its Olympic tradition, he moved onto athletes, the most impressive and iconic of which is his 5 metre high group of Acrobats, lot 38. This group was certainly instrumental in John being appointed the Official sculptor for the British Olympic Committee in 1988.Most sculptors have a distinctive style which remains fairly constant throughout their working career. John,however, was a true artistic renaissance prince and his next artistic phase led him in a completely different direction into his Symbolic Sculpture, which formed his Universe series, which explores, often utilising complicated mathematical formulae, humankind’s relationship with the Universe. The bronze abstract piece Elation, lot 52, a casting of which was gifted by the British Olympic Association to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, representing the punching of a fist in athletic triumph, is a tour de force in elegant simplicity.In addition to this, John was an accomplished portrait sculptor. His most well-known works are busts of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in her role as Warden of the Cinque Ports and Her Majesty the Queen in her role as Colonel in Chief of The Royal Tank Regiment. Both the plaster originals and bronze castings, lots 40, 41 and 44 are included in the sale. Unlike many sculptors who channel all of their creative energies into their work, John was an accomplished author and produced a lavishly illustrated three volume hardback autobiography entitled From the Beginning Onwards as well as Symbolic Sculpture, Symbolism, Sculptures and Tapestries, A Bradshaw Foundation Report and a CD of rotating images for his symbolic sculptures. The purchase of every lot of John’s sculpture in this sale, will also receive a copy of each of these books/CD. Where applicable and for further detailed explanation and illustrations, the catalogue description of each lot also gives page references to the relevant books which may be viewed next to the catalogue entry on our website. We hope you enjoy the John Robinson experience! James RylandsSculpture: John Robinson: Three bronze resin figures of Mark, squirting Peter and Tim with a hose pipe, each signed John ’69, the tallest 97cm. Originally modelled from a photograph of his three sons, taken whilst still living in Melbourne. Provenance: The John Robinson Collection Literature: Vol I, page 230. Further pictures and details on our website.Sculpture: John Robinson: Three bronze resin figures of Mark, squirting Peter and Tim with a hose pipe, each signed John ’69, the tallest 97cm. Originally modelled from a photograph of his three sons, taken whilst still living in Melbourne. Provenance: The John Robinson Collection Literature: Vol I, page 230.
Sculpture: John Robinson: A bronze portrait bust of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, titled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, dated 1981, signed John on marble base, 55cm high, together with a photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1981. Commissioned by Folkestone Council whose offices are based in Hythe, which is one of the ancient Cinque Ports of which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was Warden. Provenance: The John Robinson Collection. Literature: See Vol I, pages 367-9.
Sculpture: John Robinson: A bronze portrait bust of Her Majesty the Queen, stamped EIIR signed John and dated 1982, on marble base, 56cm high, together with a framed photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Tank Regiment 1983, and a framed linen tape measure originally used to measure Her Majesty’s head for the commission. Provenance: The John Robinson Collection. Literature: See Vol I pages 368-371
Sculpture: A collection of bronze portrait relief heads, together with a quantity of promotional material relating to John Robinson including screen prints posters etc. Provenance: The John Robinson CollectionSaleroom Notice Please note the children's heads in the centre of the image are not included in this lot.
JOHN CHERRINGTON four oils on board - 1. portrait of a bearded young man, signed and dated 1982, 70 x 60 cms, 2. study of a person seated at a work table with spanner or similar in hand, signed, 59 x 46 cms 3. comic study of a terrier dog in hat, glasses and a dress, signed and dated 1983, 75 x 50 cms and 4. long haired person at a table painting?, signed, 79 x 59 cms
GALEAZZO CIANO BRAGAGLIA PORTRAIT AND AUTOGRAPH. A printed portrait of Count Galeazzo Ciano signed beneath and dated above (October EF XV - 1936) in black ink by Ciano. The image was shot by noted photographer Anton Bragaglia and is signed by the photographer and stamped to reverse. Measures 20 x 32cm.
E Turner-Hill (early 20th century English school) - half length portrait of a young woman holding a tennis racket, oil on canvas, unsigned but with old labels verso Florence, daughter of William Turner Esquire, a relation of the artist, E Turner-Hill (Miss) and with West Temperley address details, 67 x 50 cm, framed
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