283287 Preisdatenbank Los(e) gefunden, die Ihrer Suche entsprechen
283287 Lose gefunden, die zu Ihrer Suche passen. Abonnieren Sie die Preisdatenbank, um sofortigen Zugriff auf alle Dienstleistungen der Preisdatenbank zu haben.
Preisdatenbank abonnieren- Liste
- Galerie
-
283287 Los(e)/Seite
Los 80
Belize, P 34cts, Linzmayer B102t, The Government of Belize, 2 Dollars, (1 January 1974), COLOUR TRIAL. Coat of arms of Belize at left, portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right on front. Guilloche patterns on back. Horizontal red overprint SPECIMEN and SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE on front and back. Black specimen number 076 in upper left corner on back. Punched cancelled., , PMG 69 EPQ, Superb Gem UNC (Finest known)
Los 823
Mauritius, P 31a, Linzmayer B402a, Bank of Mauritius, 5 Rupees, (1967). Coat of arms of Mauritius at lower left, portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right on front. Signatures Beejadhur - Cook. Government House building with flag and statues of Queen Victoria and William Stevenson in Port Louis on back., # A/1 000448., aUNC
Los 824
Mauritius, P 32bs, Linzmayer B403bs2, Bank of Mauritius, 25 Rupees, (1967), SPECIMEN. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right on front. Oxcart on back. Diagonal red overprint SPECIMEN and oval SPECIMEN - DE LA RUE & Co LTD - NO VALUE on front and back. Red SPECIMEN No 009 in lower left margin on front. Punched cancelled., # A/2 000000., Residue on back, otherwise aUNC
Los 825
Mauritius, P 33as, Linzmayer B404as2, Bank of Mauritius, 50 Rupees, (1967), SPECIMEN. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right on front. Signatures Beedjadhur - Cook. Harbor scene on back. Diagonal red overprint SPECIMEN as well as red oval stamps SPECIMEN DE LA RUE NO VALUE on front and back. Red SPECIMEN No 015 in lower left margin on front. Punched cancelled., # A/1 000000., PMG 66 EPQ, Gem UNC (Finest known)
Los 826
Mauritius, P 33cs, Linzmayer B404cs1, Bank of Mauritius, 50 Rupees, (1967), SPECIMEN. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right on front. Signatures Bunwaree - Ramphul. Harbor scene on back. Diagonal red overprint SPECIMEN as well as red oval stamps SPECIMEN DE LA RUE NO VALUE on front and back. Red SPECIMEN No 017 in lower left margin on front. Punched cancelled., # A/2 000000., PMG 66 EPQ, Gem UNC (Finest known)
Los 84
Belize, P 38a, 43, 46a, Linzmayer B201a, 301a, 304a, The Monetary Authority of Belize and Central Bank of Belize. Lot containing 3x 1 Dollar, 1 June 1980, 1 July 1983 and 1 November 1983. Coat of arms of Belize at upper left, portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right on front. National Assembly building in Belmopan at center on back. (3), , UNC
Los 864
Mozambique, P 107s, Banco Nacional Ultramarino Moçambique, 100 Escudos, 24 July 1958, SPECIMEN. Coat of arms of Portugal at lower center, portrait of Aores de Ornelas at right on front. Ornate church doorway at center on back. Diagonal red overprint SPECIMEN as well as red oval overprint SPECIMEN DE LA RUE NO VALUE on front and back. Red SPECIMEN NO 35 in lower left margin on front. Punched cancelled., # B 0000000., Residue and extra paper on back, otherwise UNC
Los 869
New Zealand, P 158d, Linzmayer B105n, The Reserve Bank of New Zealand, 10 Shillings, (1958). Coat of arms of New Zealand at upper center, portrait of Captain James Cook at right on front. Signature Fleming. Kiwi at left, Waitangi Treaty signing scene on back., # 9B 401941., PCGS 65 PPQ, Gem UNC
Los 2
Britannia, Trinovantes AR Unit. Circa 50-40 BC. Late Whaddon Chase type (Lister’s Celtic Head). Male head right, large locks of hair falling down to the back of neck in twisted strands, small horse before / Stylised Celtic horse with large ear and cabled mane prancing to right, winged object and pellets above, star above tail, ringed-pellet below. ABC 2478; VA 1540; BMC-; S-. 1.13g, 14mm, 4h. Mint State, struck on sound silver. Lustrous. Extremely Rare; only 14 others recorded, and the finest known specimen. Purchased from Chris Rudd; Found at Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, 31 March 2014. Possibly issued by Cassivellaunos, commander of the British coalition against Caesar in 54 BC, it has been suggested by Chris Rudd that this coin bears the portrait of Cassivellaunos himself, though he admits this is by no means certain, and that it could just as likely represent a Catuvellaunian war-god. He further notes that “this is one of the most imposing male heads to be seen on any late iron age coin or Romano-British figurine.” The type was named ‘Lister’s Celtic Head’ in honour of Major Clement Wynter Lister (1920-2010), who served on the council of the British Numismatic Society for twelve years, from 1963-66, and 1969-76. The type had been unknown until 1958 when Major Lister published the first discovered specimen (see BNJ XXIX, 1958/9, pp 5-7 and plate XV), saying: “Julius Caesar, in his Gallic Wars, Book I, chap. xiv, records that the inhabitants of Britain ‘wear their hair long and have every part of their body shaved except the head and upper lip’’, This coin, almost alone among British coins, bears out this description…The head is likely to be that of some British or Belgic deity following the Roman pattern, though it might be argued that it could be of a tribal king’. The moustache, which although appearing smooth on this example, is serrated on the Lister example.
Los 216
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Attic helmet, base of crest decorated with zig-zag and pellet pattern; tunny fish to left below / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 67, pl. I 20; Greenwell 25; SNG France -; SNG von Aulock -; Boston MFA 1446; Dewing -; Gillet 1053 = Kunstfreund 3 = Jameson 2171 = Weber 4971; Gulbenkian 609 (all from the same obv. die). 16.09g, 20mm. Extremely Fine; preserved in exceptional quality for the issue. Very Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany. A lack of ancient sources has left the early history of Kyzikos largely unexplained; it is most likely that it was founded by Miletos in the seventh century BC, although a mythological alternative has survived that the city was named after an early king, Kyzikos, who was accidentally killed by the Argonauts on their journey to Colchis (Apollonius of Rhodes 1.949). After 547 BC, Kyzikos came under Persian domination following the defeat of Kroisos, the king of Lydia who ruled the Greek cities of Asia Minor. Later in the fifth century the writer Herodotus includes Aristagoras of Kyzikos as one of the tyrants high in favour with Darius I in circa 514/3 BC (The Histories, 4.138.1). Kyzikos rebelled against Persian rule and is recorded as a member of the Delian League in c. 478 BC, evidenced by inscriptions detailing its tribute to the League (IG I³ 265.1.95 dated to 447/6 BC informs us Kyzikos paid a phoros of 4,320 drachms). Worship of Athena in Kyzikos is attested in the Palatine Anthology which states that Kyzikos had “the first sanctuary in Asia” to Athena (6.342.5-6). Although little more is said regarding any strong connections between the city and this goddess, her appearance on this coin clearly highlights her presence in the religious life of the city. Here the goddess is represented in the formulaic archaic portrait style for which Kyzikos is so well-known. Brett (in the Catalogue of Greek Coins, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1955) marks the similarity between the zigzag pattern on the base of the helmet’s crest on this coin type with that of sixth century Athenian coins (see plates 2-4 in Svoronos, Corpus of the Ancient Coins of Athens). It is therefore possible that the depiction of Athena on this issue was directly influenced by her appearance on Athenian coins circulating in the sixth century.
Los 220
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 500-450 BC. Head of Silenos facing; tunny fish upward to either side / Quadripartite incuse square. CNG 75, 23 May 2007, lot 336; cf. Von Fritze 77 (fractions); SNG France -; Hurter & Liewald I, 77. 15.96g, 19mm. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare; one of only a dozen known examples, and certainly the finest of all. From the A.F. Collection, Germany. This spectacular coin features a bold facing portrait of Silenos engraved in excellent archaic style. The teacher and faithful companion of the wine-god Dionysos, Silenos was described as the oldest, wisest and most drunken of the followers of Dionysos, and was said in Orphic hymns to be the young god's tutor. Originally a folkloric man of the forest with the ears of a horse (and sometimes also the tail and legs of a horse), Silenos was often depicted with thick lips and a squat nose, as is the case here, fat, and most often bald – though our Silenos may consider himself fortunate in that he sports a full head of hair. Unusual consideration has been given to symmetry in the composition of this type: though symmetrical designs do occur, as in the case of two eagles perched on an omphalos (v. Fritze 220) or the double bodied sphinx (v. Fritze 138) to name but two, this is one of a tiny minority of designs that incorporates two tunny fish for balance. Interestingly, it has been suggested that the head of Silenos on this coin very possibly served as the model for a silver issue of the slightly later Lykian dynast Teththiveibi (see BMC 88 and SNG Berry 1164). One of the principal myths concerning Silenos has him lost and wandering in Phrygia, rescued by peasants and taken to the Phrygian King Midas, who treated him kindly. In return for Midas' hospitality Silenos regaled him with tales and Midas, enchanted by Silenos' fictions, entertained him for five days and nights. When the god Dionysos found his wayward friend, he offered Midas a reward for his kindness towards Silenos, a blessing which the avaricious Midas squandered by choosing the power of turning everything he touched into gold. How fitting then, that we should see in this beautiful coin a faint reflection of that classic myth of the drunken but sage Silenos looking out at us across the millennia through this window of golden metal.
Los 338
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Stasanor, satrap(?). Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 321-245 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; ΣTA behind, MNA below / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig, crescent and grape bunch behind, AΘE before. Roma XVI, 346; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS -; N&A 1-3; Spink 3014, 124 = G&M 48, 604. 16.96g, 23mm, 11h. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare; one of fewer than ten known examples. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA. The ΣTA MNA mark which appears on a small number of extremely rare tetradrachms is nearly identical to a mark on a double daric (BMC Arabia p. 178, 12) attributed to Babylon. F. Imhoof-Blumer read the two clearly separate marks as one, arriving at the name 'Stamenes', who was briefly satrap of Babylonia under Alexander after the death of Mazaios, before being replaced by a Macedonian, Archon, son of Kleinias, who governed until after Alexander's death. There is however no evidence to support this attribution, and in fact the reverse punch of the double daric is considerably different in style to others of the series. Moreover, in considering the origin of that coin, which came from the Oxus hoard and entered the BM in 1881, it seems more logical to suppose, as proposed by Head (NC, 1906), that it was minted further east, perhaps under the then satrap Stasanor. The letters MNA remained unexplained to Head, but the appearance of these letters on their own, not preceded by ΣTA on 'Athenian Series' tetradrachms and the helmeted portrait issues of Sophytes, which also appear in abbreviated form as MN and M, further discredit the Stamenes theory, and strengthen the case for ΣTA being viewed independently of the second mark, MNA. For further discussion on the ΣTA-MNA marks, see N&A p. 50-54. Stasanor was a native of Soli in Cyprus who held a distinguished position among the officers of Alexander the Great. He probably entered the service after the siege of Tyre in 332 BC, but the first occasion on which his name is mentioned is during the campaign in Baktria, when he was despatched by Alexander with a strong force to reduce Arsames, then satrap of Aria, who was in revolt. As reward, Stasanor was confirmed in the now vacant position of satrap, whence he was soon promoted to Drangiana. In the Partition of Triparadisus in 321 BC, Stasanor was appointed the more important government of Baktria and Sogdiana. He is attested as having been still at his post in 316, and may possibly have remained there until his death before or in 305, when Seleukos is believed to have attacked and conquered the province. However, while an attribution of this type to Stasanor may seem attractive and even tempting, its context within this group and the rather moderate wear it has suffered suggest that it may have been produced somewhat later than the time of Stasanor, even if we accept that he may have still been at his post in 305. Moreover, in considering the redating of the coins of Sophytes (see lots 325, 364 and 365) we must admit the possibility that if MNA is an engraver or mint-master's initials, then it seems unlikely that the same engraver or mint-master would have been active for so lengthy a span of time. It then follows that ΣTA might refer to neither Stamenes nor Stasanor.
Los 339
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, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 347; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS -; N&A 18-19; Leu 83, 264. 17.02g, 24mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Only four other specimens previously recorded. 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 ΣTA, 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.
Los 347
Baktria, Sophytes AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 246/5-235 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 / Cockerel standing right; kerykeion behind, ΣΩΦYΤΟΥ to right. Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; Whitehead, NC 1943, pp. 60ff (drachm); O. Bopearachchi, Royaumes grecs en Afghanistan. Nouvelles données", in L'art d'Afghanistan de la préhistoire à nos jours, CERDAF, Actes d'une Journée d'étude, UNESCO, 11th March 2005, Paris, 2005, p. 60-2 = NAC 59, 655; Roma XIV, 364 (same dies). 17.10g, 24mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Of the greatest rarity, the third known example, and one of only 2 examples of this type in the Andragoras-Sophytes Group. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA. The question of who Sophytes was and when he lived is one that has confounded numismatists for a hundred and fifty one years. It should be quite clear to anyone reading this that the Sophytes of this coinage was not the Sopeithes described in classical sources as the ruler in the Punjab region between the Hydraotes and the Hyphasis who so impressed Alexander. We can say with certainty only that he was evidently Indo-Iranian by ethnicity, for Sophytes is the Hellenisation of a non-Greek name, and that he must have commanded an important region or city, most likely within Baktria, in the vicinity of the Oxus river. Though little (if any) attention has been paid to the choice of the cockerel as the reverse type, it is when considered properly, thoroughly Baktrian in character. The cockerel was a most sacred animal in Zoroastrian religion; besides its common name 'Halka' and its onomatopoeic name 'Kahrkatas', it was also referred to by a religious name, 'Parodarsh' - literally, 'foreseer' (of the dawn). It was the bird of light and hence of righteousness, scattering the darkness and the evil that dwells within. This remarkable tetradrachm provides direct evidence for a transitional phase coinage struck by Sophytes, on the obverse of which we can observe the continuation of the 'Athenian Series' using the helmeted head of Athena type, while the reverse replaces the Athenian owl for the cockerel that will remain the principal type of Sophytes on his helmeted portrait issues. The cockerel is joined by a kerykeion adjunct symbol already familiar to us from the preceding series, and the legend ΣΟΦYΤΟΥ. We have already established that the coinage of Andragoras and Sophytes should be considered roughly contemporary, with the former's probably preceding that of the latter, judging by the patterns of wear that we have encountered. It seems fair to propose therefore, that emboldened by Andragoras' placement of his own name upon the reverse of his coins, Sophytes decided to follow suit. Certainly, the hold of the Seleukid central government over its farthest eastern satrapies had been weakening since the death of Antiochos I; Houghton and Lorber (SC, p. 167) observe that "mint operations in the rich province of Baktria gradually escaped Seleukid control" throughout Antiochos II's reign, and while it was previously accepted that there was only one Baktrian mint, recent scholarship and archaeology has shown this not to be the case. "
Los 348
Baktria, Sophytes AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 246/5-235 BC. Attic standard. Head of Seleukos(?) right, wearing laurel wreathed Attic helmet decorated with spiral pattern on crest and eagle wings on cheek-guard, tied under chin; M on bust truncation / Cockerel standing right; kerykeion behind, ΣΩΦYΤΟΥ to right. Cf. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 3A, pl. I, 1; for type cf. SNG ANS 21-23 (drachm); Mitchiner 29 (drachm); Whitehead NC 1943, pp. 64, 1 and pl. III, 7-8 (drachm); Roma XIV, 365 var. (no M under truncation). 16.87g, 26mm, 7h. Good Extremely Fine. The third known example of an issue of considerable numismatic interest. A bold and expressive portrait engraved in the finest Hellenistic style. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA. This portrait, which has all too often been simply assumed to be that of Sophytes himself, is eminently worthy of further scrutiny. It is the work of a highly talented individual, and depicts what should by any account be a great general, helmeted in Attic style and wearing the laurel wreath of a conqueror. Unfortunately the actions of Sophytes, whatever they might have been, were either not recorded or have long since been lost. We cannot therefore determine whether this individual may indeed have performed such deeds as to be worthy of commemoration in such a fashion. In examining the features of the individual depicted on this coin however, it becomes immediately apparent that there are distinct similarities with certain idealised portraits of Seleukos I. It is conceivable that we should see in this portrait not an image of the unknown ruler Sophytes, but an idealised image of the deified Seleukos, as can be found on the somewhat earlier coinage of Philetairos. Those images (cf. in particular Gulbenkian 966) have nearly identical features - in particular the heavy brow, aquiline nose, down-turned mouth and prominent chin. The historical sources offer us few clues as to the dating of Sophytes’ rule. They tell us that Stasanor was satrap of Baktria until at least 316 BC, and that Seleukos reintegrated Baktria into his empire on his eastern anabasis in c. 305. An early date therefore seems highly unlikely. Turning to the evidence of the coin itself, numismatists have correctly observed that the obverse portrait is derived from the similar type of Seleukos on his trophy tetradrachms (SC 174), which should be dated to after c. 301 BC; the presence of the somewhat worn elephant-quadriga tetradrachm in the present group pushes the date even further to the right, and into the third century. Now, the presence of this type in this group along with coins of Andragoras indicates a considerably later date than previously supposed. We have already proposed with good reason that the coinage of Andragoras should be dated to c.246/5-239/8 BC and that given the patterns of wear that may be observed upon them, there is sufficient justification to argue for the dating of Sophytes’ named coinage to c. 246/5-235, after Andragoras had begun coining but before Diodotos II would have been free to dispose of any lesser regional powers. This turbulent time period has already afforded us a plausible reason for the striking of Andragoras’ coinage. It is possible that Sophytes too was prompted to look to the security of his own territory following the effective withdrawal of the central government’s influence in that area. Diodotos I too struck his own coinage in Baktria, which while bearing his own portrait on the obverse nevertheless maintained the name ‘Antiochos’ on the reverse as a token symbol of loyalty. Does Sophytes coinage, with a distinctly ‘local’ reverse type, seek to achieve the same veneer of loyalty as that of Philetairos and Diodotos by placing the image of Seleukos I, the founder of the Seleukid empire, on his obverse?
Los 36
Bruttium, Kroton AR Stater. Circa 400-325 BC. Head of Hera Lakinia facing slightly right, wearing necklace and polos decorated with palmettes; B to right / Young Herakles, nude, holding cup in extended right hand and club in left, reclining left on lion skin draped over rock; KPOTΩNIATAΣ around, bow below. Attianese 138; HN Italy 2169; SNG ANS 375 (same dies); SNG Lloyd –; Gulbenkian 131 (same dies); Kraay & Hirmer 270 = de Luynes 728 (same dies). 7.73g, 23mm, 3h. Good Very Fine. Rare in this grade. Ex Giessener Münzhandlung 69, 18 November 1994, lot 85 (and coverpiece). The depiction of Hera on the obverse is that of a local aspect of the deity, whose sanctuary the Heraion Lakinion was situated 10 kilometres away from Kroton at Lakinion, now Cape Colonna. The site takes its name from the sole surviving column of the temple built upon that spot in around 470 BC, which was largely intact until the sixteenth century when it was extensively quarried. Theokritos' Korydon sings the praises of the 'Lakinian shrine that faces the dawn', and Livy 24.3.3-7 tells us that it was 'a building more famous even than the city itself and held in reverence by all the peoples there around' and that within were countless masterpieces and treasures including a column of solid gold dedicated to the goddess. By the time of Livy's writings however, the temple had long been plundered. This facing portrait of Hera can be considered to be directly inspired by Kimon's famous facing Arethusa tetradrachm that was widely admired and imitated throughout the ancient world; the difficulty of creating an attractive facing portrait apparently led to engravers considering the undertaking of such a die as a challenge and proof of their skill. Hera's headdress, a low crown known as a polos, was no longer worn in classical times but was common in Mycenaean art. Many of the terracotta figurines from late Helladic IIIA Mycenaean period circa 1400–1300 BC seem to wear poloi, and its use can thus be seen as a deliberate archaism for representing a Mother Goddess. Herakles appears on the reverse of this coin in his role as ‘founder’ of Kroton. Later Krotoniate tradition conveniently bypassed Myskellos in favour of associating the city with a past more ancient even than the Trojan War; according to myth Herakles landed at the nearby promontory with the oxen of Gerion and was hospitably received by one Kroton and his wife Laureta. Her father Lakinio however, was discovered trying to steal an ox from Herakles’ sacred herd, resulting in Herakles fighting and killing him. In the confusion, it transpired that Herakles had also mortally wounded his host Kroton. Saddened, Herakles gave Kroton an honourable burial, and predicted the founding of a great city there that would bear his name. We see also on the reverse of this coin the fabled bow of Herakles, that Philoktetes (a Greek hero of the Trojan War) was said to have taken with him to the land between Sybaris and Kroton, where he founded the non-Greek cities Petelia, Chrone, Krimisa and Makalla. A prophecy arose as in the Trojan War, that victory would be Kroton’s if the bow and arrows of Herakles would be theirs. Thus, these sacred relics of Philoktetes were removed from his tomb and deposited in the Krotoniate sanctuary of Apollo Aleos. This coin is therefore rare among Greek coins in that it may be considered to have a threefold significance - referring directly to the sanctuary of Hera, to Herakles as 'founder' of the city, and to the sanctuary of Apollo.
Los 406
Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Military mint moving with Caesar, 48-47 BC. Diademed female head right, wearing oak-wreath, cruciform earring, and pearl necklace; LII behind / Trophy of Gallic arms; axe surmounted by an animal's head to right; CAESAR below. Crawford 452/2; CRI 11; RSC 18. 3.83g, 19mm, 7h. Virtually as struck. Ex Auctiones 17, 7 June 1988, lot 493; Ex Leu 30, 28 April 1982, lot 265. Since the numerals behind the obverse head have long been recognized to represent Caesar's age at the time, this denarius was struck shortly after the battle of Pharsalus, where Pompey met his ultimate defeat, and Caesar became master of Rome. The reverse deliberately references Caesar's Gallic victories, rather than his recent victory over fellow Romans, the celebration of which would have been distasteful; Caesar's conduct after the battle was similarly conciliatory - he forgave the large part of Pompey's officers and army. The depiction of this female portrait wearing the corona civica, or oak wreath, however, may be a subtle allusion to his Pompeian victory. This award was granted to any citizen who had personally saved the life of another citizen; in this case, Caesar had saved the citizen-body of Rome and the Republic from further civil war.
Los 415
Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Rome, January-February 44 BC. P. Sepullius Macer, moneyer. Wreathed head of Caesar to right; star of eight rays behind, CAESAR•IMP downwards before / Venus Victrix standing left, holding Victory in outstretched right hand and with left, resting on vertical sceptre set on star; P•SEPVLLIVS downwards to right, MACER upwards to left. Crawford 480/5b; CRI 106a; Sydenham 1071; BMCRR Rome 4165-6; RSC 41. 3.99g, 20mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. An exceptional portrait of Caesar, engraved in the finest style; centrally struck on a very broad flan. From the property of B.R.S., United Kingdom. In the years of his supremacy, Caesar had amassed unprecedented power by corrupting the institutions of the old Republic to his own requirements. First appointed Dictator in 49 BC by the Praetor (and future Triumvir) Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, possibly in order to preside over elections, Caesar resigned his Dictatorship within eleven days but in 48 BC he was appointed Dictator again, only this time for an indefinite period, and was also given permanent tribunician powers making his person sacrosanct and allowing him to veto the Senate. In 46 BC he was appointed Dictator for ten years, and he gave himself quasi-censorial powers under the mantle of ‘Prefect of the Morals’, enabling him to fill the Senate with his partisans who duly voted him the titles of Pater Patriae and Imperator. He increased the number of magistrates who were elected each year, thus allowing him to reward his supporters, and in October 45 BC, having served in the unconstitutional role of Sole Consul for that year, Caesar resigned his consulship and facilitated the election of two successors for the remainder of the year - theoretically restoring the ordinary consulship, but in practice submitting the Consuls to the Dictatorial executive - a practice that later become common under the Empire. In February 44 BC, one month before his assassination, Caesar was appointed Dictator for life. More followed; he was given the unprecedented honour of having his own likeness placed upon the Roman coinage, his statue was placed next to those of the kings, he was granted a golden chair in the Senate, and was permitted to wear triumphal dress whenever he chose. Then, at the festival of the Lupercal, Marc Antony presented Caesar with a royal diadem, and attempted to place it on his head. Yet for all these hideous affronts to the ancient institutions of the Republic and the sensibilities of the Roman people, perhaps his most egregious reform was the law he passed in preparation for his planned campaign against the Parthian Empire. Realising that his absence from Rome would impede his ability to install his own men in positions of power and that therefore his back would be exposed while away from the city, Caesar decreed that he would have the right to appoint all magistrates in 43 BC, and all consuls and tribunes in 42 BC, thus at a stroke transforming the magistrates from being representatives of the people to being representatives of the dictator. The obverse of this coin presents a bold portrait of the dictator in the final months of his life, wearing the corona civica Caesar had won while serving in the army of M. Minucius Thermus at the Siege of Mytilene in 81 BC. The portrait is bold and engraved in fine style, and made all the more impressive for its being centrally struck on an exceptionally broad flan that features a complete border on both obverse and reverse.
Los 422
Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus AR Denarius. Military mint travelling with Brutus and Cassius in western Asia Minor or northern Greece, late summer-autumn 42 BC. L. Plaetorius Cestianus, moneyer. Bare head of Brutus right; BRVT above, IMP to right, L•PLAET•CEST around to left / Pileus between two daggers pointing downward; EID•MAR below. Crawford 508/3; Cahn 20c; CRI 216; Sydenham 1301; BMCRR East 68-70; RSC 15; Campana, Eidibus Martiis, 64, (O4/R9 [this coin]). 3.76g, 18mm, 12h. About Very Fine; some very minor spots of corrosion on obv. Rare. From the Eucharius Collection; Privately purchased from a Swiss collection in the 1960s. Formed, we are told, mostly in the 1950s and 60s, the Eucharius Collection comprised over 400 silver coins of the Roman Republic, including numerous rarities. Unfortunately the collector responsible for amassing this group is no longer with us, and the present owner wishes it to remain anonymous, so this beautiful collection was named for the day on which it was consigned: December 8th, the feast day of Saint Eucharius. Presented in our Auction XI were 127 of the highest quality specimens; the remainder of the collection was dispersed through Roma Numismatics’ E-Sales. This coin, undoubtedly the most valuable piece present in the collection and certainly the most iconic, was kept back until last by the present owner. Nothing resonates so deeply with those knowledgeable in ancient Roman coinage as the dramatic EID MAR type struck by Brutus in 42 BC, nor indeed is any type more sought after by connoisseurs. Herbert A. Cahn’s 1989 study entitled Eidibus Martiis noted 56 examples in silver and two in gold. Though anecdotal comments suggest the extent of the surviving population of EID MAR denarii may approximate as many as one hundred specimens - a reasonably high figure for what is considered to be an extreme rarity - no other ancient coin type has inspired such admiration, fascination, disbelief and desire in the hearts of historians, numismatists and collectors. Foremost of the reasons for the exalted position of the type in the collective consciousness is its naked and shameless celebration of the murder of Julius Caesar two years earlier in 44 BC. This brutal and bloody assassination had been prompted by the well-founded belief among the Senate that Caesar intended to make himself king, which in truth he was already in all but name. By special decree of the Senate Caesar had been made dictator perpetuo - dictator in perpetuity - and granted the extraordinary and unprecedented honour of striking coins bearing his own likeness, thus breaking the ancient taboo of placing the image of a living Roman upon a coin. By these and other affronts to the traditional values and institutions of the Republic did Caesar seal his fate. On 15 March, 44 BC, in a room adjoining the east portico of the Theatre of Pompey, Caesar was stabbed twenty three times by the gang of Senators numbering over thirty and perhaps as many as sixty, men that Caesar called his friends, and of whom many had been pardoned by him on the battlefield and now owed their ranks and offices to him. The simple but bold reverse design employed by Brutus contains the three principal elements of this ‘patriotic’ act of regicide committed to liberate the Republic from monarchical tyranny. Most striking are the two daggers of differing design, the one symbolising that wielded by Brutus himself, the other that of Cassius his co-consipirator. These flank the pileus, the cap of Liberty as worn by the divine twins and patrons of Roman armies Castor and Pollux, and which was conferred upon all freed slaves as a mark of their emancipation. The legend EID MAR is the abbreviation of EIDIBVS MARTIIS – the Ides of March. Thus, in an act of unparalleled braggadocio, we are at once presented with the murder weapons used to slay Caesar, the precise date of the deed, and the motive. While the leaders of the Second Triumvirate Antony, Octavian and Lepidus embraced the practice of striking coins bearing their own images, the hypocrisy of Brutus placing his own portrait on the obverse of the EID MAR type cannot have been lost on the Liberator. Both a betrayal of his personal devotion to the ancient traditions of the Republic, and an emulation of the tyrant he had slain, it may well be that he was convinced into allowing his image to be co-opted by the Republican party as a rallying symbol for the swiftly approaching engagement between their legions and those of the Antony and Octavian. As a descendent of Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder and first consul of the Roman Republic, who in 509 BC had sworn on a bloody dagger to overthrow the unjust rule of the Tarquin kings, the clearly drawn parallels must have been heady propaganda to the Republican cause.
Los 491
Nero Claudius Drusus (father of Claudius) Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 42-43. NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP, bare head left / TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP P P P, Claudius seated left on curule chair, holding branch and resting hand on lap; weapons and armour on either side of globe beneath; SC in exergue. RIC 109 (Claudius); von Kaenel Type 72. 25.17g, 35mm, 6h. Good Very Fine; softly struck on rev., but obv. displays a bold and finely detailed portrait. From a central European collection; Ex Roma Numismatics E-22, 28 November 2015, lot 502.
Los 496
Caligula, with Germanicus, AR Denarius. Rome or Lugdunum, AD 37-38. C CAESAR•AVG•GERM•P•M•TR•POT, laureate head of Caligula right / GERMANICVS•CAES•P•C•CAES•AVG GERM, bare head of Germanicus right. RIC 18; BMCRE 19; RSC 4. 3.73g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine; attractive light cabinet tone. Well centred on a very broad flan; among the finest known examples of the type. 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 Tweleve 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.
Los 516
Nero Æ Sestertius. Lugdunum, AD 67. IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX TR P P P, laureate bust left, globe at point / DECVRSIO, Nero on horse prancing to right, wearing short tunica and holding spear in right hand; behind him, mounted soldier prancing right with vexillum held over right shoulder; S-C across fields. RIC 580; WCN 480; C. 87 var. 29.25g, 37mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; slightly smoothed on rev.; fine style portrait. Very Rare. From a central European collection; Ex Hess-Divo 332, 31 May 2017, lot 100.
Los 529
Titus AR Denarius. Rome, AD 80. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, laureate head left / TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P, curule chair with wreath above. RIC 109; RSC 319; BMCRE 70. 3.40g, 18mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Rare with left facing portrait: only one specimen in Reka Devnia hoard, compared to 26 specimens with portrait right. Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection, Gemini IX, 9 January 2012, lot 344; Ex Ponterio 129, 16 January 2004, lot 466. The curule chair and oak wreath is symbolic of an honour first given to Julius Caesar (Dio 44.6.3) whose chair and diadem were carried into the theatres in a manner previously reserved for the gods. From then, the Senate could vote to honour current and deified emperors and members of the imperial family in this way. This coin could depict the curule chair of the emperor Titus or his father the deified Vespasian.
Los 569
Faustina II (wife of M. Aurelius) AV Aureus. Rome, AD 161-176. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, hair waved and fastened in bun on back of head / SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand a snake coiled around and rising from an altar. RIC 716 (Aurelius); C. 198; BMCRE 153 (Aurelius); Calicó 2075. 7.21g, 20mm, 6h. Good Very Fine; an attractive portrait. From a private European collection.
Los 592
Caracalla AV Aureus. Rome, AD 203-204. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / INDVLGENTIA•AVGG, Cybele-Dea Caelestis riding lion running to right over waves gushing from rock, holding thunderbolt and sceptre; IN CARTH in exergue. RIC 130b; C. 96 corr.; BMCRE 280 note; Biaggi 1175; Calicó 2678. 6.98g, 20mm, 6h. Very Fine; obv. field smoothed before portrait. Very Rare.
Los 608
Herennius Etruscus, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, AD 250-251. Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C, youthful bareheaded and draped bust right / PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Herennius in military attire standing left, holding transverse spear in left hand and baton in right. RIC 147a; Calicó 3311. 3.75g, 19mm, 11h. Extremely Fine; centrally struck on a broad flan. Unusually well-preserved for the issue, with a charming, detailed portrait. Extremely Rare.
Los 62
Sicily, Syracuse AR Dekadrachm. Time of Dionysios I, circa 405-370 BC. Charioteer driving galloping quadriga to left, holding kentron in right hand, reins in left; above, Nike flies to right, a wreath in her outstretched arms to crown the charioteer; in the exergue, a panoply of arms is set on two steps: a cuirass, two greaves, and a Phrygian helmet / Head of the nymph Arethusa to left, wearing a reed wreath, triple-pendant earring, and a pearl necklace; ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ behind, four dolphins playing around her, a star below the rearmost. Gallatin XXIII-KII. 43.27g, 35mm, 5h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics V, 23 March 2013, lot 133; Privately acquired from the B.R.H. Collection, purchased c. 1980s in Munich. This type with a star behind Arethusa's head and below the rearmost dolphin is one of the most infrequently encountered in the dekadrachm series. Struck from a remarkable reverse die, not only on account of the excellent style of the Arethusa portrait, but also because of the astonishing high relief in which it was engraved. Standing proud from the fields 33% more than the majority of its counterparts, this nymph commands reverence and admiration. The fortuitously superb metal quality and lustre of the fields further complement the appearance of this sculptural marvel. The dekadrachms of Syracuse have been called 'the admiration of the ancient and modern world', and 'perhaps the most famous of all ancient coins'; rightly so, for by virtue of not only their impressive size and weight, but more importantly the incredibly detailed artistry of exquisite style which they bear, they represent the zenith of cultural and numismatic technological achievement at ancient Syracuse, and are among the most beautiful coins ever struck for circulation. Produced at the apex of Syracuse's power and glory, the dekadrachm issue began circa 405 BC, following the election of Dionysios as supreme military commander of Syracuse for his achievements in the war against Carthage, and his subsequent seizure of total power. Syracuse had only recently defeated an Athenian invasion of Sicily that resulted in the utter destruction of Athens' expeditionary force and ultimately contributed significantly to their defeat at the hands of Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Then under Dionysios in 405, despite the ruin of great cities such as Akragas and Gela, Syracuse repulsed a Carthaginian invasion that might have resulted in a complete conquest of the island. Such glory was short-lived however, as the rule of Dionysios' son and successor was to bring only civil strife that would weaken the power of Syracuse. Never again would the city issue coinage on such a grand scale, and with the cessation of tetradrachm production in c. 400 BC, the dekadrachms represent the last great flourishing of classical numismatic art at Syracuse before two centuries of steady decline and eventual conquest at the hands of the Romans.
Los 660
Constantius II AV Solidus. Antioch, AD 355-361. CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed head right / GLORIA REIPVBLICAE, Roma and Constantinopolis seated facing, holding between them a shield inscribed VOT XXXX in two lines; ANTΓ in exergue. RIC 173; Depeyrot 12/1. 4.47g, 21mm, 5h. Near Mint State. Bold portrait with mirror-like surfaces. From a private Canadian collection.
Los 662
Constantius II AR Ingot of 1 Roman Pound. Circa AD 337-361. Shaped like a double axe-head with flaring blades, thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges; stamped with an obverse die of Constantius II (D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right); IVLI chiselled above / Blank; large silver plug, adding metal to raise the weight. Manhattan Sale III, 225 (also of Constantius II, and also with IVLI inscribed); for similar double-axe shaped ingots, cf. Collingwood and Wright, The Roman Inscriptions of Britain (1965), 2402.4, p. 30; cf. Guide to the Antiquities of Roman Britain (1964), p. 46, fig. 21.b.4 = BM OA.247; cf. Painter, Two Roman Silver Ingots from Kent, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 97 (1981), pp. 201-207. 343.45g, 117mm x 63mm (at widest point). As made. Extremely Rare, one of approximately 50 known such ingots, of which only a very few are in private hands. From a private European collection. Silver ingots like this one were used to pay soldiers and civil servants from around AD 305. The accession donative, at least between AD 361 and 518, is known to have been five gold solidi and one pound of silver per man for the rank and file (Ammianus Marcellinus, XX, 4.18). Officially, stamped ingots therefore occur fairly frequently in the fourth century, however ingots stamped at an imperial mint and bearing the emperor's portrait and titles are extremely rare; only six others are known - the Manhattan Sale example, and five all in the name of Magnentius (two found at Emona and three found at Kaiseraugst), all now in museum collections: see H.A. Cahn, Der spatromische Silberschatz von Kaiseraugst, 1984, pp. 324-329. The government department responsible for the collecting of taxes and levies was the Sacrae Largitiones, to which naturally fell the responsibility of also redistributing the gold and silver to the soldiers and officials. The Comes sacrarum largitionum "Count in charge of the sacred distributions" is possibly the IVLI named on this ingot, and the Manhattan Sale example.
Los 682
Arcadius AV Solidus. Sirmium, AD 393-395. D N ARCADIIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA AVGG H, emperor standing right, holding Victory on globe and standard; at his feet, captive; S-M across fields, COMOB in exergue. RIC IX 13c; Depeyrot -. 4.43g, 21mm, 11h. Extremely Fine; flan flaw on obv. portrait. Extremely rare with this variant obv. legend.
Los 692
Romulus Augustus AV Tremissis. Ravenna, AD 475-476. D N ROMVLVS AGVSTVS P F A, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / Cross within wreath; COMOB below. Lacam 27 corr. (obv. legend, this coin); RIC 3410 var. (obv. legend, recorded under Rome but see note under Ravenna); Depeyrot -. 1.44g, 11mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; a highly attractive example of this most desirable type, featuring a bold portrait and complete legend. From the collection of Z.P., Austria; Ex Münzen & Medaillen XVII, 2-4 December 1957, lot 655. On 31st October AD 475, the usurper Romulus Augustus was crowned Western Roman emperor. Placed on the throne as a proxy by his father, Romulus’ rule was short lived and unremarkable for he made no notable achievements. Despite this, the end of Romulus Augustus’ ten-month reign was popularised by famed historiographer Edward Gibbon as “the extinction of the Roman empire in the West”, meaning following his reign, Western emperors were no more than ineffectual puppets (The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776–88). Romulus Augustus was the son of the Western Empire’s Magister Militum, Orestes. While serving the emperor Julius Nepos, Orestes staged a military coup forcing Nepos to flee into exile in Dalmatia. Having deposed Julius Nepos, Orestes proclaimed his son as emperor, a strange candidate since he was thought to be around fourteen years old at the time. Although not officially in charge, Orestes ruled with his son fulfilling the symbolic requirements of imperial tradition and his armies supplying military support. However, legitimacy to rule could only be achieved with the consent of the Eastern emperor who throughout Romulus Augustus’ reign still considered Julius Nepos (living in exile in Salonae near Split) the constitutional emperor. Historiographers have disagreed whether Julius Nepos was in fact the final Western emperor since following his death in AD 480, the Eastern emperor Zeno declared himself sole Roman Emperor. However, Julius Nepos never returned from his exile to rule as emperor in the West and following his usurpation by Orestes and Romulus Augustus, he was in fact completely powerless, thus, Romulus Augustus was undeniably the last de facto ruler of the West. Another more poetic reason for choosing Romulus Augustus as the final Western emperor over Nepos is that the names Romulus and Augustus tie the final emperor with both the mythical founder of Rome, and its first emperor. In AD 476 Orestes’ troops mutinied and he was executed at the hands of their new leader Odovacar. Odovacar advanced on Ravenna and captured the city and the young ruler. Romulus Augustus was compelled to abdicate and a signed letter was taken along with his imperial regalia to the Eastern emperor, Zeno, in Constantinople. Odovacar’s message to the East was that there was no longer need for the Empire to be split between Byzantium and Ravenna and that one ruler based in Byzantium would suffice. Romulus Augustus’ life was spared and he was sent by Odovacar to Campania to live with his relatives apparently with a pension. A letter by Cassiodorus in the name of Theodoric the Great in AD 507 seems to be written to the ex-emperor suggesting he was still alive in the sixth century. He is also mentioned by Count Marcellinus, a writer under Justinian, where he is called Augustulus, a diminutive often given to Romulus Augustus highlighting his youth. The coinage struck in the name of Romulus Augustus survives as part of very limited evidence of his reign. The standardised portraits are the only surviving images of Romulus Augustus and yet they tell us nothing about the person behind the imperial façade. Unfortunately, scholars thought the boy of little importance compared with the political crisis his reign concluded in and no information regarding his character survives.
Los 482
A 19th century portrait of Thomas Taylor Esq., of Denbury and Ogwell House in the County of Devon engraved from the original picture in the possession of Lord Viscount Courtenay, another of 'Le Changement au Galop sur La Volte a la droit' No.10; 'Soffie Kettern' - a small colour engraving of an acrobat and circus horse; a key plate to tyhe engraving of "The Golfers" (1850) and one other print (5)
Los 96
Pan Annuaire du Luxe a Paris, An 1928. Paris: Paul Poiret, 1928. First edition, all published. Original mustard cloth, front cover labelled in silver and black. 32.5 x 28cm; Title on translucent paper, photographic portrait of Poiret, followed by two leaves of introductory text, followed by six sections, each with a section title, and a total of 115 plates. R. The plates are an extraordinary array of advertisements by all the leading designers of the day, including Charles Martin, Foujita, Cocteau, Boucher, Dignimont etc.
Los 941
AFTER SIR GODFREY KNELLER, BT (1646-1723); oil on canvas, half-length portrait of William Clayton, first Baron Sundon of Ardagh (1671-1752), in a blue coat, inscribed 'Wm Clayton, Baron Sundon of Ardagh, G Kneller pinxt', with family crest, 84 x 63cm, framed.BIOGRAPHY: William Clayton entered the exchequer at clerk of receipts in 1688 and was deputy auditor of receipts by 1714. Between 1715-1718 he was paymaster of the Kings private pension. In 1718 he was made Lord of the Treasury in Woodstock, the constituency for which he served as MP from 1716-1722. He was also a member of Parliament for St. Albans from 1722-1727, Westminster from 1727-1741, Plympton Erle from 1742-1747 and St Mawes from 1747-1751. Clayton was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland in June 1735 as Baron Sundon of Ardagh in the County of Longford. His wife Charlotte, daughter of John Dyve, clerk of the Privy Council was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Caroline. He died childless in April 1752 and the Peerage became extinct.PROVENANCE - By direct descent from Adlington, Lancashire, a relative of the present vendor. CONDITION REPORT: There is some rippling to the canvas and evidence of a repaired tear to the lower section of hair, approx 3" x 1", small pinhead sized area of paint loss, some cracking to lower part of canvas, the frame is heavily damaged.
Los 943
19TH CENTURY ENGLISH SCHOOL; oil on canvas, portrait of three horses and a spaniel with a stately home in the background, signed indistinctly lower right and dated 1854, 91 x 70cm, framed. CONDITION REPORT: The painting is relined and signs of touch up and re-paint throughout. There originaly was a figure above the dog which has been evry badly painted out. areas of loss and heavy repaint to the edges of the canvas. Bubling to the surface and general cracking throughout. Needs a lot of attention.
Loading...-
283287 Los(e)/Seite