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Los 684
Ken Currie (b.1960) Ship-Building and Coal-Mining Days, atmospheric coastal view with boat under construction to the fore, watercolour wash and pen and ink, signed and dated '78 Kenneth Currie was born in North Shields, Northumberland. He was labelled as one of the 'New Glasgow Boys' after studying at the Glasgow School of Art. He was commissioned by the University of Edinburgh to paint a portrait of Peter Higgs the theoretical physicist which was unveiled in 2009. His oeuvre demonstrates a profound interest in the body (physical and metaphorical) and the terror of mortality.
Los 103
A Second World War Battle of Britain and gallantry medal group, comprising Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar to Group Captain E. Norman Ryder, the cross engraved April 3rd 1940, with 1939-1945 Star and Battle of Britain clasp, Aircrew Europe Star, 1939-1945 War Medal with Oak Leaf, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal and a Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau Knight's Cross (Military Division). The group also includes a cased Caterpillar Club badge to F/Lt E. Ryder D.F.C, Order of Orange-Nassau lapel pin, guilloche-enamelled silver RAF lapel badge retailed by Gieves of London, and an enamelled 56 Squadron lapel badge, together with two RAF Pilot's Flying Log Books covering the period August 24th 1936 until July 1963, a letter dated 1st December 1940 which accompanied the Iron Cross belonging to Feldwebel Wilhelm Erdniss, various original Wartime and later photographs, a signed Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary menu, a page of typed observations by Ryder on the Battle of Britain written 52 years in retrospect entitled 'A Tall Order', the Grant of Commander of the British Empire, signed by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Grant of the Order of Orange Nassau, an original charcoal and chalk framed and mounted portrait of Ryder by Captain Cuthbert Orde, dated 4th January 1941, 36 x 28 cm, and featured in his volume ‘Pilots of Fighter Command, Sixty-Four Portraits’, published 1942, together with sundry ephemera and books, including a post-War scrapbook archive pertaining to the 50th Anniversary Bleriot Air Race, containing photographs, ephemera, and pasted press clippings complied by Ryder, alongside an RAF produced film of the race, and a reel-to-reel sound tape of the dinner given for Lord Brabazon by the Royal Aero Club (for which Ryder was later Secretary General), including speeches by 'Freddie' Gough and the Duke of Edinburgh. Ryder both captained the winning team and participated in the event as a contestant. The scrap book contains many original photographs of the event and contestants, together with items such as Ryder's Competitor's License, congratulatory letters and a menu for the Celebration Dinner given by the Royal Aero Club.Edgar Norman Ryder was born at Risalpur, India on the 28th November 1914 where his father was a serving Army officer, although at the age of 10 he moved to England where he attended St. Albans School in Hertfordshire. In 1931 he joined the Royal Fusiliers at Hounslow and served until 1934 when he became a mathematics master at Tredennick School in Worcester. Two years later Ryder joined the RAF on a short service commission, first posted to 9 Flight Training School Thornaby, and then in June 1937 joining 41 Squadron at Catterick. It was from this squadron that three years later, on 3rd April 1940, Ryder took off alone in bad visibility and low cloud to investigate enemy aircraft attacking fishing boats in the North Sea off Whitby. He soon sighted a Heinkel 111 and shot it down into the sea off Redcar, the crew later being rescued by trawler. Ryder's own aircraft was hit in the exchange and he too was forced to land at sea. The spitfire he was flying immediately sank, and at a considerable depth he managed to extricate himself and struggle to the surface, where has was rescued by the trawler Alaskan, which he had been sent to defend. For this action he was awarded the DFC on 15th April 1940. This is reported to have been the first occasion on which a Spitfire was crash-landed at sea with the pilot surviving, and was also the first RAF aircraft lost due to enemy action in the defense of Great Britain during World War Two. Ryder himself however, with typical modesty, maintained that he was simply the first Spitfire pilot to be shot down during the war. In the September of 1940 Ryder and No 41 Squadron moved to Hornchurch, at which time was subject to up to five Luftwaffe raids daily. “It wasn’t long” said Ryder, then a Flight Commander “before we founded the Honourable Order of Fog Worshippers. We all bowed down, touching the ground with our foreheads three times, praying for the fog that would give us a break. Ryder recorded some of his thoughts on the Battle of Britain in a type-written document included in this lot, which he entitled 'A Tall Order'. "We had to weave our way through the lower bomber formations to gain the height to take on our true assignment - the 109 escort, and did so in line astern; this is when the weak link really became serious - if a pilot broke the line, those following would naturally follow, and the poor chap ahead of the weak link had no back cover and DID NOT KNOW IT. I lost a good friend in this fashion. […] My rule was that [new recruits] stayed with me to the point of attack, and then broke off to return to base - this to be done three times. […] One’s eyes became skinned in time, and then you could see things you had no hope of doing so in the early stages. Some would return with bullet holes in their Spits, yet professed to having seen or felt nothing, those who didn’t return - the same explanation possibly.” In November of 1940 Ryder was involved in another noteworthy incident when he shot down an Me109 piloted by Feldwebel Wilhelm Erdniss, which crash landed at Horton Park. Erdniss was arrested at the scene of the crash, where he was found attempting to bury his Iron Cross, for fear of it falling into enemy hands. Once in custody he requested that it be given to the man who had shot him down. Erdniss was aged 28, had six years’ service with the Luftwaffe and is described in the letter which accompanied the Iron Cross on its delivery to Ryder as 'a very good type, indeed rather a fine fellow’. Ryder held on to the cross until after the war, when in 1956 he sought out Erdniss in Germany and returned the decoration so graciously given. The event was captured by Movietone News footage in a segment entitled ‘War-Time Echo’ which can still be viewed via the internet. In January 1941 Ryder was given command of 56 Squadron at North Weald, moving in the role of Wing Commander to the Kenley Wing in the June of that same year. It was during this period that he was awarded a bar to his DFC, gazetted on 29th July 1941 for being ‘on operations continually since the outbreak of war and (showing) extraordinary powers of endurance.’ At Kenley his role was to lead Circus missions over Northern France, which he carried out over the summer of that year until being downed over France on the 31st October. On this date Ryder led two squadrons (485 New Zealand and 602) as a close escort to Hurricane II bombers attacking barges along the Bourboug Canal, just inland from Dunkirk. This was a low Ramrod operation, known as Circus 109. The operation was completed but Ryder’s Spitfire V (a presentation aircraft named Southland II) was hit by ground fire and he was forced to land. Ryder was captured and taken to Stalag Luft III (later the scene of the Great Escape). After six months’ captivity he was interned at Oflag XXIB, Schubin. From this latter camp Ryder managed to escape in 1943, hiding in a heavy box at the back of a truck. He was recaptured two days later when he was discovered selecting an aeroplane to steal, and was sent back to Stalag Luft III for his efforts. His final five months as POW were spent in Stalag IIIA in Luckenwald. For distinguished service as a POW Ryder received a Mention Despatches, gazetted 28th December 1945.After the war Ryder was offered a permanent commission with the RAF. He was made a member of the Order of Orange-Nassau for service with the Netherlands Air Force, and January 1958 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Ryder took early retirement from the RAF on 28th October 1960 as a Group Captain, and subsequently settled in Arizona, USA with his wife Jeanne, where he died in 1995 aged 81
Los 61
A French violin, circa 1900 the 36cm single maple back with mother-of-pearl and ebony stringing and polychrome painting of a Crimean War battle scene entitled "Prise du Mamelon", the pine belly with similar stringing and mother-of-pearl inlaid pegs 59.5cm overall in carrying case with Erich Steiner nickel mounted brazilwood bow and associated paperwork relating to painted scene. The paperwork includes a 1979 typed letter from the National Army Museum containing the paragraph "The violin is charming, and you are right in thinking that it depicts an incident in the Crimean War. The Kamchatka lunette on the Mamelon Hill, one of the key works for the Sebastopol enceinte was stoned and held by French troops under General Bosquet on 7th June 1855. I have no idea who the French officer is: perhaps it is his heroic death that is depicted in the battle scene below the portrait..."
Los 211
An archive of items relating to Major D.M. Mayfield T.D. of the Parachute Regiment, comprising beret dated 1958, half length portrait photograph in uniform, group photograph of Airborne Forces Depot Contingent Coronation 1953, presentation bronzed figure of a paratrooper wearing full kit, dated 1975, 23cm high plus ebonised plinth, presentation hallmarked silver ash tray by Garrards with central paratrooper figure, inscription dated 1943-1964, 13.5cm diameter, London 1961 6.9oz and a hallmarked silver compact of engine turned circular form with applied parachute regiment crest to the hinged lid 7.5cm diameter, Birmingham jubilee marks 1978 3.60oz (6)
Los 368
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy I, as satrap, AV Stater. Alexandria, circa 312/11 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing elephant skin and aegis, horn of Ammon over ear / Prow of galley to right, adorned with one large and one small protective eye. Svoronos 25; Zervos Type V, Issue 87 (unlisted dies); Gulbenkian 1071 = Jameson 999; Saida 41; Triton XIX, 2076 = Nomos 7, 149 = NAC 46, 303 (same dies). 8.60g, 16mm, 12h. Mint State. Extremely Rare, one of only six known, and one of only three in private hands (the others in Athens, Lisbon, and Paris). One of the greatest rarities of the Ptolemaic coinage, this type is not only wonderful in its simplicity, but stunningly beautiful in its execution. Bearing neither inscription nor control symbols – a unique feature that makes it stand out from the rest of Ptolemy’s coinage – the type nonetheless is inextricably linked to the Athena Promachos and Zeus Aëtophoros tetradrachms and a unique gold stater (NAC 66, 77) which all use the deified head of Alexander wearing an elephant skin headdress as the obverse type, as well as small bronzes which feature a portrait of Ptolemy I and a prow on the reverse. Zervos, in his study of the early coinage of Ptolemy I, although certain that the type was contemporary to the Attic weight silver coins and minted at Alexandria, was unable to ascribe it to a historical context. Clearly struck in celebration of his naval exploits, the occasion for the striking of this coin may be found in the reconquest of Cyprus in 313/312 from cities who had switched their allegiance to Antigonus Monophthalmos. Although his own Cypriot allies had been conducting operations against those aligned with Antigonos for several years with some success, Ptolemy himself proceeded to Cyprus at the head of a significant army and fleet. Once there he swiftly eliminated the pro-Antigonid factions, capturing and killing the king of Kition, and subduing Marion and Lapithos-Kyrenia, the former of which was destroyed. Many of the formerly independent kingdoms of Cyprus were subjugated or absorbed by his local allies. The use of the head of Alexander on the obverse of this coin and others mentioned above is a clear illustration of Ptolemy’s claim to be the legitimate successor to the legacy of Alexander. Intercepting the body of Alexander in 322/1 in Syria as it was being moved from Babylon to Macedon and diverting it to Memphis was a very direct statement of this claim, since by custom, Macedonian kings asserted their right to the throne by burying their predecessor. Alone among the Diadochi, Ptolemy did not attempt to regain control over the entirety of Alexander’s empire, but of all the successor states, his came the closest to realising Alexander’s dream of cultural unity.
Los 125
Thessaly, Larissa AR Drachm. Circa 400-350 BC. Head of the nymph Larissa left, wearing pearl necklace and triple-drop earring, her hair raised and bound / Bridled horse trotting right, tail curling upwards; ΛΑΡΙΣΑΙΩΝ around. Obolos 7, p. 22 (pl. 3), 23 (these dies). 6.09g, 20mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; probably one of only two coins struck from this obverse die. From the Ambrose Collection; Ex BCD Collection, Triton XV, 3 January 2012, lot 184. Given not only the extraordinary beauty of the portrait we see here, but also the fact that it appears to be only one of two known coins struck from this obverse die, it is easy to forgive the light double striking on the reverse and the tiny metal flaw on the cheek of Larissa. The latter, far from detracting from the beauty of the piece, lends a certain charm to the artist’s fine vision of serene, noble beauty.
Los 691
Vespasian Æ Dupondius. Rome, AD 74. IMP CAESAR VESPASIAN AVG, laureate head right / PON MAX TR POT P P COS V CENS, winged caduceus between crossed cornucopiae. RIC 756; RPC 1982; McAlee 368. 13.11g, 28mm, 7h. About Extremely Fine. An outstandingly detailed portrait; wonderful golden surfaces with light Tiber tone.
Los 237
Ionia, Achaemenid Period AR Tetrobol. Spithridates, Satrap of Lydia and Ionia, under Darius III. 335-334 BC. Head of satrap left, wearing Persian headdress / Forepart of Pegasos right, ΣΠI - ΘPI behind and below. BMC 18. Traité II 2, pl. LXXXIX, 1-3. L. Mildenberg, Vestigia Leonis, p. 9, pl. III, 26. W. Wroth, NC (1900), pp. 289-90, no. 23. H.A. Cahn, Revue des etudes anciennes 91 (1989), pp. 97-105. C. Harrison in: Oikistes. Studies in Honor of A.J. Graham (Leiden, 2002), pp. 301-319. J. Bodzek, Israel Numismatic Review 3 (2008), pp. 4-6. 3.04g, 15mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Extremely rare portrait of the satrap Spithridates. Spithridates acted as a satrap of Lydia and Ionia under the rein of King Darios II. He participated as a commander for the Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus in 334 BC, the first significant battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. During this battle, Spithridates spotted an opportunity to strike Alexander. Arrian (I. 15) narrates as follows: “Alexander’s spear being shattered in the conflict, he asked Aretis, one of the royal guards, whose duty it was to assist the king to mount his horse, for another spear. But this man’s spear had also been broken whilst he was in the thickest of the struggle, and he was conspicuous fighting with the half of his broken spear. Showing this to Alexander, he bade him ask some one else for one. Then Demaratos, a man of Corinth, one of his personal Companions, gave him his own spear; which he had no sooner taken than seeing Mithridates, the son-in-law of Darios, riding far in front of the others, and leading with him a body of cavalry arranged like a wedge, he rode on in front of the others, and hitting at the face of Mithridates with his spear, struck him to the ground. But hereupon, Rhoesaces rode up to Alexander and struck at his head with his sword, but though it shore off a piece of his helmet, the helmet broke the force of the blow. This man too Alexander struck to the ground, striking him in the chest through the breastplate with his lance. And now Spithridates from behind had already raised aloft his sword against the king, when Kleitos, son of Dropidas, anticipated his blow, and hitting him on the arm, cut it off, sword and all.” If not for the intervention of Kleitos that day, history would have taken a very different course. Alexander’s invasion of Persia would have been a dismal failure, cut short just days after crossing the Hellespont. Tens of thousands of Greek and Macedonian soldiers would have been left leaderless in Asia Minor, and the Hellenisation of the East would almost certainly never have come to pass.
Los 925
Severus Alexander Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 223. IMP CAES M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / PONTIF MAX TR P II COS P P, Pax seated left, holding branch and sceptre; SC in exergue. RIC 402. 21.94g, 31mm, 12h. Near Extremely Fine. Well detailed, with an expressive portrait. Warm brown patina.
Los 747
Hadrian AV Aureus. Rome, AD 125-128. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / Hadrian on horseback right, raising right hand; COS III across field. RIC 186c; Calicó 1218a. 7.13g, 20mm, 5h. Near Mint State. Well struck from dies of very fine style, perfectly centred and displaying brilliant lustre. Certainly among the finest surviving aurei of Hadrian. This very attractive equestrian aureus was struck to mark the triumphant return to Rome of the emperor, and shows him riding into the city accepting the honours and praise of the people. Mattingly and Sydenham argue that during his four year absence from Rome there had been little change in the coinage, no development of style, and the mint had been virtually inactive. However, upon his return there was a great new output of coinage, of which this is a stunning example. For his new coinage, Hadrian drops the long legends favoured by his predecessor Trajan, preferring to simplify them to HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS on the obverse and COS III on the reverse. This new obverse legend very distinctly calls into mind the coinage of the first emperor Augustus, while the new, larger and more gracious style of imperial portrait that fills the fields of the flan is a complete change from the small, careful and cramped types of Trajan. Reverse types such as this one complement the new style and the result is a very attractive and artistic coin. Hadrian’s reign was dominated by his extensive travels across the provinces, and indeed he spent more than half of his reign outside of Italy. A known Hellenophile, shortly before the return to Rome that prompted the issue of coinage to which this aureus belongs the emperor had toured Greece and this, coupled with his studies in Greek academia, art and sculpture led the change to the very Hellenistic design we see here, a piece which can be seen as the product of the highest flourishing of Roman art and sculpture. Although no sculpture or written record of such survives, it is quite probable that this reverse type was modelled on an equestrian statue of Hadrian that stood in Rome and that is lost to us today. We know that numerous equestrian statues of emperors once graced Rome, and we know that equestrian statues of Hadrian in particular existed – sources corroborate one at Aelia Capitolina on the Temple Mount directly above the Holy of Holies, and another is known to have adorned the Milion built by Constantine I at Constantinople, which along with an equestrian statue of Trajan, must have been removed from its original location and placed there. Indeed, if it were the case that this coin depicts a now lost sculpture, this missing statue would easily fit into a series of imperial equestrian statues that are both well-attested and displayed on the Roman coinage, beginning with the sculpture of Augustus that can be seen on denarii of 16 BC struck under the moneyer L. Vinicius (RIC 362), through Domitian's addition to the Forum Romanum in AD 91 and Trajan's own statue in the Forum Traiani. All of these followed a traditional mode, of which the gilt bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was also featured on that emperor’s coinage and which is preserved in the Capitoline Museum, is the sole surviving example.
Los 412
Kings of Elymais, Kamnaskires IV AR Tetradrachm. Seleukeia on the Hedyphon, dated SE 254 (59/8 BC). Diademed and draped bust left, c/m: Nike standing left / BACIΛEΩC KAMNACKIPOY TOY ET BACIΛEΩC KAMNACKIPOY, Zeus Nikephoros seated left, holding sceptre; monogram K above knee, date ΔNΣ in exergue. Alram 458. 14.68g, 28mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. In superb style with a fine portrait. Very Rare, especially dated.
Los 696
Titus, as Caesar, Æ Dupondius. Rome, 1 July AD 72-30 June AD 73. T CAESAR VESPASIAN IMP IIII PON TR POT III COS II, radiate head right / FELICITAS PVBLICA, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and cornucopiae; S-C across fields. RIC 504, citing two known specimens (in Paris and Vienna); BMC -; C. -. 13.63g, 28mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. An imperial bronze of truly exceptional quality. Ex Numismatik Lanz 150, 13 December 2010, lot 150. Having been hailed emperor by the legions under his command while in the field, Titus’ father Vespasian departed Judaea to return to Rome and claim the throne from the usurper Vitellius, who had meanwhile already deposed Otho, second of the four emperors to rule Rome in the year AD 69. Vespasian had led a successful campaign to restore order in the province after the disastrous attempts by the legate of Syria, Cestius Gallus, who had suffered a defeat considered to be the worst the Roman military had been subjected to by a rebel province throughout its history. Titus was thus charged with concluding the war, having been left in a strong position by his father, with the remaining rebel factions largely cut off within the city of Jerusalem. Against his father’s designs, Titus resolved to besiege the city and over seven months in AD 70 he completely circumvallated it with a permanent army camp. Eventually breaching the walls, the city was ransacked, burnt and the treasures from the Temple were carried off. Depicted on the Arch of Titus on the Via Sacra in Rome, built by Domitian after his brother’s death, these same treasures were carried into Rome as part of the Triumph that Titus celebrated on his successful return in AD 71. Struck shortly after the suppression of the uprising in Judaea and his triumphant return to Rome to take his place as Caesar beside his father, the depiction of the goddess Felicitas on the reverse of this magnificent coin is highly appropriate for Titus at this time. Reinforced by the wonderfully detailed attributes she carries, with peace symbolised by the caduceus and plenty brought by the cornucopiae, Felicitas personified the luck, blessedness and happiness of the successful general, while the use of the epithet Publica more specifically highlighted the prosperity of the Roman people that he had helped to enhance. Looking very much his father’s son, the obverse portrait gives us a vigorous impression of Titus and shows him to be strong, robust and in the prime of life, qualities very important to highlight as held by the men of the fledgling Flavian Dynasty.
Los 807
Commodus AV Aureus. Rome, AD 190-1. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT P P, laureate and draped bust right / MIN AVG P M TR P XVI COS VI, Minerva hurrying right, head turned back, holding branch, spear and shield. RIC 222; Calicó 2287; BMC 301, pl. 98.18 (same dies). 7.07g, 20mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. A very fine style portrait of Commodus. Ex Gemini VIII - Heritage, 14 April 2011, lot 358; Ex Peus 364, 27 April 2000, lot 197; Ex Peus 361, 3 November 1999, lot 616. Commodus is often credited by ancient sources with the near destruction of the Roman Empire, through a combination of disinterest in governance and an all-consuming belief that he was of god-like status. With his accession, says the contemporary historian Cassius Dio, "our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that day" (LXXII.36.4). By the latter years of his reign when this aureus was struck, Commodus believed Hercules was his divine patron, and he worshipped him so intensely that eventually he came to believe himself an incarnation of the mythological hero, reinforcing the image he was cultivating of himself as a demigod who, as the son of Jupiter, was the representative of the supreme god of the Roman pantheon. The growing megalomania of the emperor permeated all areas of Roman life, as is witnessed in the material record by the innumerable statues erected around the empire that had been set up portraying him in the guise of Hercules, and his coinage. The reverse of this stunning aureus depicts Minerva, daughter of Jupiter and a member of the Capitoline Triad; she had been the patron deity of Domitian, and perhaps ignoring the failure of the goddess to protect his predecessor, Commodus here solicits her favour. The other types of Commodus featured on the coinage of his later years also boldly proclaim his aspirations to divinity, for example the following lot depicting Commodus as Hercules himself.
Los 65
Sicily, uncertain Punic military mint AR Tetradrachm. Circa 320-310 BC. Head of 'Dido-Tanit' to left, wearing Phrygian cap encircled with plain diadem tied above forehead / Lion walking to left, head facing; behind, a palm tree with three clusters of dates; S'MMHNT (People of the Camp) in Punic characters in exergue. Rizzo pl. LXVI, 6; Jameson 911; SNG Lloyd 1628; Kraay-Hirmer pl. 73, 209; Jenkins SNR 56, 1977, pl. 61, 270 (all same dies). 17.10g, 25mm, 3h. Extremely Fine. In remarkable state of preservation for the type; sound and lustrous metal, with a light grey cabinet tone. Extremely Rare; one of the very finest surviving specimens. From the B.R.H. Collection, privately purchased c.1980s in Munich. Carthage, at the head of considerable commercial empire in the western Mediterranean, like Etruria and Phoenicia, did not adopt the Greek practice of coining until the last decade of the 5th century BC when she came into direct contact with the Greek city states of Sicily such as Naxos, Syracuse and Messana, which had started to produce coins of the highest technical quality in the artistic style of the late archaic Greek school in the last quarter of the 6th century BC. The origin of the so-called Siculo-Punic coinage, often of rather crude style mostly imitating contemporary Syracusan tetradrachms produced at Rash Melkarth (= ‘Promontory of Herakles’, possibly Kephaloidion), Panormos (Ziz, ‘the splendid’), Motya (the ‘spinning factory’) and the ‘people of the camp’ and ‘pay master’ military mint (generally considered that of Entella) for the payment of the army including many Italian and Greek mercenaries, is dated to about 410 BC and the Carthaginian military operations in Sicily. Hannibal, grandson of Hamilcar, taking the opportunity presented by the quarrels of the Greek cities in Sicily and of the mutual exhaustion of Athens and Syracuse, invaded western Sicily with a strong military force and defeated the Greeks at Himera in 409. This remarkable rarity belongs to a very small and isolated issue produced from three pairs of dies and is an undisputed masterpiece of Siculo-Punic coinage. Aspects of the engraving style led Jenkins to conclude that they belonged at the end of his series 2d (head of Kore/horse animated before palm tree) or the beginning of his series 3 (dolphins around the head of Arethusa/horse head and palm tree). This being the case, this coinage may well be associated with the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily in their war against Agathokles. Indeed, Jenkins goes so far as to suggest they may have been specially minted for the 2,000 elite citizens who headed the new Carthaginian armada led by Hamilcar Gisgo. The obverse female figure is wearing an oriental tiara in the form of a Phrygian cap, which in Greek iconography generally denotes personages of oriental origin, including Amazons, Trojans, Phrygians, Persians and the great Anatolian mother goddess Kybele and her youthful lover Attis, as seen on the coinage of Amastris (cf. SNG BM Black Sea 1304). 19th and 20th century numismatists poetically described this head as that of Dido (Virgil) or historically, Elissa (Timaeus), the sister of Pymalion, king of Tyre, who fled Phoenicia to found Carthage in 814 BC (cf. Pierre Straus in Münzen und Medaillon sale 43, 1970, 33-4). However, a realistically more convincing interpretation is that it is the portrait of a goddess also represented in certain terracotta figurines of the latter 4th century found at the archeological sites of Selinous and Gela, both within the Punic sphere of influence by this time. These terracottas depict a female in a Phrygian cap, sometimes accompanied by a lion and a palm tree. This goddess has been called Artemis-Astarte by some authorities and Kybele by others, but the only certainty is that she was one of the great Asian nature-deities, who were subject to syncretic amalgamation in the Hellenistic period (cf. P. Orlandini, ‘Typologia e cronologia del Materiale archeologico di Gela della nuova fondazione di Timoleonte all’atà di Ierone II,’ in Archeologia classica 9, 1957, pl. 14, 2). The reverse type combines two of her symbolic attributes. The palm tree is an ancient Semitic fertility symbol, recalling the Carthaginian homeland in Phoenicia. The lion is associated with the Asian mother goddess in her aspect as mistress of wild beasts. The lion is also a solar symbol as is the horse, which appears regularly on Punic coinage. The die engraving of both sides of this coin is of exceptional and restrained classical Greek workmanship, rarely found on 4th century Greek coins. The obverse is graced with a portrait of serene divinity, realistic curly hair below a convincingly soft headdress, reminiscent of the finest 5th century sculpture. The reverse is no less of a masterpiece, depicting a majestic lion with a muscular body, protruding veins, luxuriant mane and emphasis on the power of the animal reminiscent of 4th century funerary lions found in the Kerameikos cemetery in Athens.
Los 674
Civil War, Vindex AR Denarius. Uncertain mint in Gaul, AD 68. MONETA, head of Juno Moneta to right, PACI•P•R, clasped hands holding winged caduceus. Martin -, cf. 55 for obverse type and 41-43 for reverse type; BMC -; RIC -; C. -; Nicolas -. 3.83g, 17mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Unique and unpublished. Of great numismatic interest. Vindex was a descendent of a family of chieftains granted Roman citizenship during the time of Julius Caesar and who were admitted to the Senate by Claudius. On account of this it is tempting to view his revolt as a campaign for Gallic independence. The numismatic evidence, however, suggests the contrary and demonstrates that rather than having an anti-Roman agenda, Vindex was specifically anti-Neronian and anti-tyrannical. Indeed, allegedly in one of his speeches he condemned Nero on all fronts, only complimenting him when he stated he had done the right thing putting his own mother to death, as she had borne such a monster. His coinage employs consistently Augustan propaganda, recalling the great Pax inaugurated by Augustus following his defeat of Marc Antony, as seen on the reverse of this coin. The coins of Vindex are notoriously rare and difficult to obtain. Until relatively recently they had largely been ignored by scholars, though in the 1970s Peter-Hugo Martin, Colin Kraay and Etienne-Paul Nicolas all published studies on this obscure series. Despite the revolt being brief, a matter of just a few months, the coinage is exceptionally diverse. This is due in great part certainly to the large number of men Vindex was able to call to his standards - by his account, over 100,000 though more probably about 20,000 as reported by Plutarch - and the need to pay them. This remarkable and unique coin pairs Juno Moneta (Juno 'who warns') with a reverse type that is only otherwise known with an obverse type featuring a female head and the legend BONI EVENT (Martin 41-43). The Juno obverse was previously known only with a reverse that reproduced the types of T. Carisius (Crawford 464/2), which had been struck a little over a century before. In that context the head of Juno Moneta must be connected to the coinage implements depicted on the reverse (namely the dies and tongs), and her depiction should be understood to be in the guise of the protectress of the money. Juno Moneta's appearance here cannot be a mere error of mixed die sets, since the portrait is of a significantly superior style to that used to strike Martin 55, which is crude and shrewish. It is worth noting that the obverse type of Juno Moneta is also used on the denarii of L. Plaetorius Cestianus (Crawford 396/1), where it is paired with a reverse type of no connection to monetary matters. The massive 10th Century encyclopedic work known as the Souda draws on old oral traditions that Juno had counselled the Romans to undertake none but just wars. Roman tradition also revered Juno as a protectress who warned of impending disaster and of how to avert it; Cicero suggests that the name Moneta derived from the verb 'monere', because during an earthquake, a voice from her temple had demanded the expiatory sacrifice of a pregnant sow to stay the tremors. He also connects her epithet to the old legend wherein Juno's sacred geese had warned the Roman commander Marcus Manlius Capitolinus of the surprise attack made by the Gauls during the siege of the city in 390 BC. We may therefore interpret her presence in this instance as being that of a protectress of the Roman people, and patroness of a just effort to remove the cancer at the heart of the empire.
Los 261
Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 478-387 BC. Bearded head of Tissaphernes to left, wearing satrapal headdress / Quadripartite incuse square punch. Bodenstedt 86; SNG von Aulock –; Boston MFA –; BMC –; Pozzi –; Traité –; Winzer 6.6; CNG e342, lot 287; CNG e210, lot 43; Gemini VI, lot 192; Peus 361, lot 184. 2.55g, 11mm. Mint State. Extremely Rare, only one example recorded by Bodenstedt, and apparently only the fifth known. From the Kleines Meisterwerk Collection. Since it is known that satraps issued coins in their own name with their own portraits, both Bodenstedt and Winzer named the satrap depicted on this coin as Tissaphernes on the basis of parallels between the portrait as seen here and those on other coinages. Indeed there are distinct physical similarities (the shape of the nose, brow and eye sockets) between the present type and the portrait of Tissaphernes on the Kyzikene-issued tetradrachms of Athenian owl reverse type struck c.420-395. Tissaphernes was born in 445 into an important Persian family; his grandfather was Hydarnes, who was a general under Xerxes, and commander of the Immortals during the invasion of Greece in 480. He rose to the position of commander in chief of the Persian armies in Asia Minor, and was appointed satrap of Lydia and Karia. Yet because Tissaphernes preferred duplicitous negotiation to open warfare, in 408 he was replaced in his position as general by the King’s second son, Cyrus the Younger. When King Darius II died in 404, his eldest son Artaxerxes II was crowned. Cyrus, seeking the throne for himself, attempted to have his brother assassinated, though Tissaphernes learned of the plot and informed Artaxerxes. Imprisoned, but soon pardoned through the intercession of their mother, Cyrus was sent back to his command, where he now gathered an army which included Xenophon’s ‘Ten Thousand’ Greek mercenaries. Tissaphernes was instrumental in warning Artaxerxes of his perfidious brother’s intentions, and in gathering an army to oppose Cyrus. Cyrus was undone at the Battle of Cunaxa in 401, through the disobedience of the Greek commander Klearchos of Sparta, who refused to move his troops to the centre of the line (wary of his undefended right flank) in order to directly attack Artaxerxes. The Greeks instead charged and scatted the loyal Persian left wing, but meanwhile Cyrus died in his assault on the centre while attempting to kill or capture his brother. Tissaphernes was then able to rout all of Cyrus’ leaderless and demoralised forces, except the Greek mercenaries who steadfastly maintained their discipline, and were unassailable by frontal assault. Tissaphernes therefore dealt with the Greeks by supplying them with food and leading them northwards for home. He invited the senior Greek commanders to attend a feast, whereupon he took them prisoner, led them before Artaxerxes, and had them decapitated. As a reward for his loyalty, Artaxerxes gave Tissaphernes one of his own daughters in marriage and restored him as governor of Lydia and commander in chief of the Persian armies in Asia Minor. Xenophon, until then a middle ranking officer, was hereupon elected one of the leaders of the Ten Thousand. In his Anabasis, he describes Tissaphernes as lacking in all honour, the supreme example of faithlessness and oath-breaking, for he used his hospitality to delude and decoy his victims before having them executed - a treachery of the most heinous kind.
Los 221
Kings of Thrace, Lysimachos AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint, circa 305-281 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon / Athena Nikephoros seated left, left arm resting on shield, transverse spear in background; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ to right, ΛΥΣΙΜΑΞΟΥ crowned by Nike to left, oinochoe in inner left field and bucranium in exergue. Cf. Müller 299/300; SNG Copenhagen -. 16.95g, 28mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine. Struck in high relief, and lightly toned. Minor scuff behind portrait.
Los 566
Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus and C. Flavius Hemicullus AR Denarius. Military mint moving with Brutus, 43-42 BC. Draped bust of Apollo right, lyre in front; C•FLAV•HEMIC•LEG•PRO•PR around / Victory standing left, crowning trophy with wreath; Q•CAEP below, BRVT to right, IMP to left. Crawford 504/1; Sydenham 1294; Sear 205. 3.70g, 19mm, 12h. Very Fine. Very Rare. The military imagery on this type is presumably related to Brutus' operations in Thrace and Lycia prior to the final engagement with Octavian and Antony at Philippi. The precise identity of the legate C. Flavius Hemicullus has not been established, and there are a number of accounts which paint an unclear image of his role. In his correspondence to Atticus, Cicero makes mention of a 'Flavius Noster', and Plutarch relates that 'Flavius, Brutus' chief of engineers' came to him in his last hours. This indicates some confusion since the obverse legend names Flavius as 'legatus pro praetore'. Appian recalls another Flavius, with the correct praenomen of Gaius, as an enemy of Octavian. Whilst very little is known about Brutus' legate, it is of interest to note that the style of the engraving, particularly the obverse, is very different to that of Brutus' contemporary issues; the Apollo portrait present on Crawford 503/1 is of almost identical style to the local Lycian silver currency.
Los 1102
Municipal coinage of Rome Æ 20 Nummi. Municipal coinage of Rome, AD 526-534. INVICTA ROMA, draped bust of Roma to right, wearing crested helmet, pendant earring and necklace / She-wolf standing to left, head turned back to watch the two infants Romulus and Remus suckling; two stars flanking Chi-Rho above, mark of value XX below. Hahn, MIB 71c (Theoderic); Kraus 29; Metlich 84b. 4.40g, 20mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Rare, and very well preserved for the type. Although the most noticeable of the bronze coins used in Italy under the Ostrogoths are the countermarked asses and other earlier types, in fact these did not make up the bulk of the copper coinage in circulation at that time. Under Odovacar and the Ostrogoths the Roman Senate enjoyed a brief Indian summer of power; amongst its activities was a revival of the ancient Senatorial privilege of minting in bronze, which after a very brief issue in the name of Zeno, then consisted of types purely Roman in character, making no reference to either imperial or royal authority. This revived Senatorial coinage features the helmeted bust of Roma along with the ironic obverse inscription INVICTA ROMA, and recalls the ancient silver coins of the Republic. This Senatorial coinage came to an end in 535/6 when it was briefly replaced by the portrait coins of Theodahad. In 537, after the occupation of Rome by the forces of Belisarius, this was in turn replaced by a regular 'Byzantine' imperial coinage in the name of Justinian. When Rome again fell under Ostrogothic control and the mint was reopened in 549, the coinage issued there was purely royal and Ostrogothic in character. This series may therefore be rightfully described as the final issue of coinage struck by the ancient Romans in their own name.
Los 556
Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Military mint moving with Caesar, 48-47 BC. Diademed female head right, wearing oak-wreath, cruciform earring, and pearl necklace; IIT behind / Gallic trophy holding oval shield and carnyx above bearded captive (Vercingetorix?) seated to right on ground with hands tied behind back, wearing neck torque; CAE-SAR across field. Crawford 452/4; Kestner -; BMCRR Rome 3959; RSC 19a. 3.61g, 19mm, 9h. Near Extremely Fine, a couple of very minor marks. Extremely Rare. With the help of his political allies, Caesar had succeeded in making himself the governor of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum, with Transalpine Gaul later added, giving him command of four legions. The term of this governorship, and therefore his immunity from prosecution, was set at an extraordinary five years, instead of the usual one. Deeply in debt, Caesar wasted little time in taking advantage of the unstable situation in Gaul to expand his territory through conquest, and thicken his holdings with plunder. What eventually became known as Caesar’s Gallic campaign was initially a piecemeal affair, but within six years he had expanded Roman rule over the whole of Gaul. Following years of relative success, mainly thanks to the disconnected nature of the tribes allowing him to take them on separately, he was faced with the chief of the Arverni tribe, Vercingetorix, who too late had built a confederation to stand against Caesar. In 52 BC, despite formidable resistance, Caesar finally defeated Vercingetorix at the Battle (or Siege) of Alesia. This illegal war which by Caesar’s own account had left a million dead, was instrumental in elevating him to a position of supreme power among the statesmen of the late Republic, making him incredibly wealthy through war booty, and also making him dangerously popular with the plebs. Struck in the course of Caesar’s war against the Senatorial faction led by Pompey and later Metellus Scipio, Caesar’s triumphant coinage trumpets his military achievements and conquest in Gaul, while reminding the bearer also of his claimed descent from Venus through Aeneas. The reverse figure tied below the trophy of arms is popularly believed to depict the defeated Vercingetorix. Although Crawford and Sear are sceptical of this identification, it has often been said that the carefully rendered details of the figure, from the prominent brow and sunken eyes to the torque around his neck are highly suggestive of an individualised portrait. In 48/7 BC the defeated Gallic chieftain still languished in the Tullianum, the underground prison beneath the Comitium. He would be hauled out for Caesar’s triumph in 46, then returned to his cell and strangled. This type is an early example of what would become a standard representation on Roman imperial coinage of a defeated captive seated on the ground beneath or beside a trophy of arms, a type proclaiming conquest that was used to great effect by Vespasian and Titus following their victorious campaign in Judaea. In order to consolidate his power when he returned, Caesar produced triumphant coinage to spread news of his military capability. The reverse of this coin is popularly believed to depict Vercingetorix himself. Although Crawford and Sear are sceptical of this identification, it has often been said that the carefully rendered details of the figure, from the prominent brow and sunken eyes to the torque around his neck are highly suggestive of an individualised portrait. This is an early example of what would become a tradition on coinage of portraying a defeated captive sitting on the ground, submissive to the might of the Romans.
Los 385
Seleukid Kings of Syria, Seleukos I Nikator AR Tetradrachm. Susa, circa 305-298/7 BC. Deified head of Alexander right, wearing Dionysian helmet, covered with panther's skin, with bull's ear and horns / BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ, Nike standing right, crowning trophy; on left, M; at centre, AX. SC 173.12; Kraay-Hirmer pl. 204, 720. 16.83g, 28mm, 9h. Extremely Fine. Rare, bold portrait, old cabinet tone.
Los 928
Severus Alexander Æ Dupondius. Rome, AD 231-235. IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, radiate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder / PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing facing, head left, holding two corn-ears over modius and cornucopiae; S-C across fields. RIC 643. 13.28g, 25mm, 12h. Near Extremely Fine. Fine style portrait.
Los 653
Claudius AV Aureus. Lugdunum, AD 41-42. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P, laureate head right / PACI AVGVSTAE, Pax-Nemesis advancing right, pointing a winged caduceus towards a snake on the ground before her, and holding out a fold of drapery below her chin. RIC 9; Calicó 363a; BMC 6. 7.71g, 19mm, 3h. Good Extremely Fine. An attractive and powerful portrait. Rarely preserved in such high quality. Ex Kroisos Collection, Stack's, 14 January 2008, lot 2353. In AD 41 the Jews and the Greeks of Alexandria began to squabble and fight again as they had for decades. The Jews sought more privileges, and to be allowed into Greek-only institutions such as the gymnasia. This swiftly escalated into riots and running battles in the streets of Alexandria between Greeks and Jews. Appealing to Claudius for aid, the authorities in Alexandria received back the famous letter of Claudius to the Alexandrians, which settled the issue. At the same time Claudius accepted the offer to erect a golden statue ‘made to represent the Pax Augusta Claudiana’ at Rome, while declining a similar one in Alexandria, wisely thinking it might be the cause of new disturbances. Some scholars (cf. Rostovtzeff 1926, 25) have interpreted this golden statue to be an image of Pax-Nemesis, and have therefore chronologically linked the letter to Claudius’ first issue of coins with the Nemesis reverse and legend PACI AVGVSTAE. However, there is no record of the appearance of the statue, and the link is uncertain and indeed tenuous. Nonetheless, the appearance of Nemesis on this coin is significant - depictions of Nemesis on imperial coinage are very rare. As the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris, her appearance here may best be interpreted in the context of Claudius’ other first gold issues. These emphasise perseverance in the face of adversity (CONSTANTIAE AVGVSTI), the achievements of his father (DE GERMANIS), the traditional honours given to the princeps (OB CIVES SERVATOS) and his assumption of power through the Praetorian guard (IMPER RECEPT and PRAETOR RECEPT). Pax Nemesis in this context could therefore be an indirect reference to the excesses and despotism of his predecessor Caligula, and the righteousness of his removal from power: the legend and the image together suggest the active role of Nemesis in the achievement of a state of peace presided over by the emperor
Los 178
Macedon, Chalkidian League AR Tetradrachm. Olynthos, circa 420-355 BC. Aristonos, magistrate. Laureate head of Apollo right / Kithara with six strings, ΧΑΛΚΙΔΕΩΝ around, magistrate’s name EΠI APIΣTΩNOΣ below. Robinson & Clements Group V, 135 (A82 / P113) (same dies); SNG ANS 496, Dewing 1071. 14.48g, 24mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Ex Goldberg 59, 30 May 2010, lot 2065. A beautiful piece with the original find patina intact. This example was likely part of the hoard recovered at Olynthos during excavations in the early 1930s. An outstanding example with a portrait of fine style.
Los 317
Islands off Karia, Kos AR Didrachm. Biton, magistrate, circa 345-340 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Veiled head of Demeter left, BITΩN to right, KΩIO[N] below. Pixodaros 27a; SNG Keckman 289; SNG von Aulock 2751-2; SNG Copenhagen 621; Jameson 1545 (this obv. die). 6.98gm 19mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Superbly toned, with golden iridescence over highly lustrous metal around the devices; even grey tone in fields. From the Ambrose Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics II, 2 October 2011, lot 314. It has been suggested (S. Hurter, Studies Price, p. 150) that the reverse portrait is that of Artemisia (sister, wife and successor of Mausolos, ruler of Karia and Kos) in the guise of Demeter. This identification is based on similarities between the features of Artemisia as they appear on her statue from the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos (Tomb of Mausolos), now in the British Museum, and those as they appear on the coinage. It is similarly argued that the obverse portrait we see is that of Mausolos himself in the guise of Herakles.
Los 851
Caracalla AV Aureus. Laodicea ad Mare, AD 200. ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS, laureate and draped bust right / P MAX TR P III, Roma seated to left on round shield, holding Victory in her right hand and a reversed spear with her left. Biaggi 1187; BMC p. 295, 715; Calicó 2703; C. 182; RIC 342a; Sear 6727. 7.22g, 20mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. A charming early portrait of Caracalla, struck two years after his elevation to the rank of Augustus, the young emperor is seen here as a vision of youth. If one looks at the progression of the portraits throughout his reign, they become more sinister looking, starting off youthful and moving towards a more intense face with furrowed brow. Those later portrayals appear to have been highly accurate, and are confirmed by the historical sources, which are not kind to him. They universally describe him as an angry and savage character who was not well liked. Caracalla reigned jointly with his father Septimius Severus until the latter's death in AD 211 and subsequently shared a joint rule with his brother Geta. Despite the strong bond between their parents and Septimius’ attempt to forge a strong and close-knit imperial family, Caracalla and Geta were irretrievably at odds and incapable of working together. Contrary to the picture of the imperial family presented to the outside world, fragments of which can be seen on the coinage of Septimius, which shows a united family sharing the responsibilities of rule, the truth of the matter was that Julia Domna spent much of her time mediating in her sons’ conflicts – a prescient warning of the future. The depiction of Roma on the reverse of this rare aureus is consistent with other issues from the third century which were heavy with military depictions and religious themes, and it is a fittingly patriotic image with which to associate the young co-emperor. The implication of this type, struck while Caracalla was still only twelve, is that he is being carefully prepared by his father to one day take over the rule of the empire. Laodicea ad Mare, the mint of this particular coin, had pledged its allegiance to Septimius during the civil war, and thus the town was granted titles and privileges, including the establishment of a provincial mint striking gold and silver, of which the present piece is a fine example. It is also quite possible, given the output of gold at Laodicea in 198-202, that the gold used in the minting of this and other coins was sourced from the spoils of war Septimius collected in the course of his victorious Parthian campaign.
Los 639
Livia Æ Dupondius. Rome, circa 21-22 AD. SALVS AVGVSTA, draped bust of Livia as Salus right, hair in knot behind / TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVF P M TR POT XXIIII around large SC. RIC 47 (Tiberius); C. 5. 14.10g, 28mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Attractive Tiber tone; some surface granularity. An elegant and finely detailed portrait.
Los 690
Vespasian AR Denarius. Ephesus, AD 74. IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS V TR P P P, laureate head right / CONCORDIA AVG, Ceres seated left, on ornate backed chair, with corn-ears and poppy in left hand, cornucopiae in right; 'o' under throne, star in exergue. RIC 336; RPC II 852; RSC 68. 3.06g, 17mm, 7h. Near Extremely Fine. Beautiful old deep tone, expressive portrait.
Los 83
Sicily, Katane AR Drachm. Circa 405-403/2 BC. Facing head of Silenos / Diademed head of Apollo left, olive leaf and berry behind, ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ before; all within circular incuse. Mirone 103; SNG ANS 1262 var. (no leaf and berry); Jameson 554 (same dies). 3.56g, 17mm, 5h. Very Fine. Very Rare. During the ill-fated Athenian expedition to Sicily of 415-413 BC, Diodoros reports that Katane was at first in favour of Syracuse, though upon hearing the case of the Athenian strategoi Thucydides relates that the Katanaians were compelled to espouse the alliance of the invaders. Katane thus became the headquarters for the Athenian force, and remained its principal base of operations throughout the campaign. It was to this city that the survivors of Nicias' massacred army escaped, finding refuge there until they could return to Athens. Despite the utter destruction of their ally's forces, Katane appears to have emerged from the war largely unscathed, and may indeed have gained some economic benefit from the 300 talents of silver that the Athenian reinforcements brought with them in 414 to hire Sicilian cavalry, as well as the money the Athenians spent within the city. In any case, Katane remained free from Syracusan rule until 403, when a force under Dionysios I was able to capture the city by surprise thanks to the treachery of the strategos Arkesilaos. Dionysios then sold its people into slavery and granted the city itself to his Campanian mercenaries. It is to this late classical period, beginning with the Athenian alliance, that this drachm belongs. This brief span saw a second flourishing of the die engraver's art at Katane, with such masters as Herakleidas producing magnificent dies of remarkable skill and beauty (see the following lot). Though the present coin is not signed, the level of technical ability required to engrave such a high relief facing portrait is indicative of it being the work of a master of the first order. Indeed, the style of Apollo's portrait on the reverse is remarkably similar to those produced and signed by the 'Maestro della foglia', cf. Rizzo pl. XII, 1-10; pl. XIII, 4; pl. XV 1-2. It is conceivable therefore that this could be an unsigned work by the same individual. The depiction of Silenos is an unexpected departure from the typical Apollo/chariot issues of the main period; though Silenos features prominently on the coinage of Katane as a reference to its chief export, he had never been depicted by the Katanaians as the principal subject on a denomination greater than a litra. It is probable that the artist took some inspiration from an earlier electrum issue of Phokaia (Bodenstedt 43), struck c.521-478 that also featured a facing portrait of Silenos, and which has been described as a masterpiece of the Archaic period.
Los 58
Kings of Mauretania, Juba II AR Denarius. Caesarea, Circa 25 BC-AD 23. REX IVBA, laureate head right / ΒΑΣΙΛΙ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ, head of Cleopatra Selene left. Mazard 364; MAA 107-8; Cf. SNG Copenhagen 566 (rev. legend and bust variant). 3.21g, 18mm, 5h. Good Very Fine, lightly toned with blue iridescence. Beautiful style, with a very sensitive portrait of Cleopatra Selene. Extremely Rare. The Ptolemaic princess Cleopatra Selene was born to Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony in about 40 BC, but the precise date of the death of is unknown - she may have died before AD 6/7 when Juba II married the Herodian Princess Glaphyra, but dated coin issues in her name indicate her being still alive until about AD 17 and that in fact Glaphyra was probably Juba’s second wife while she still lived. It is known that by the time Juba II died in AD 23 she was already dead, as it is recorded that he was buried alongside his first wife in the Royal Mausoleum near ancient Iol, later Caesarea Mauretaniae, modern Cherchell in what is today Algeria.
Los 657
Claudius Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 41-45. TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, laureate head of Claudius to right / NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMAN IMP, the triumphal arch of Nero Claudius Drusus, surmounted by equestrian statue of Drusus to right, spearing downwards; trophies to left and right. RIC 98; BMC 122; C. 48. 27.47g, 36mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. A superb portrait of fine style, with a well-detailed reverse displaying a beautiful red-brown patina. A triumphal arch was commissioned in honour of Drusus’ glorious campaigns in Germania, and was erected by the senate some time after his death in 9 BC (Suet. Claud. 1). It was built of marble and adorned with trophies, and it stood on the via Appia, probably a little north of its junction with the via Latina. It seems to have given its name to the Vicus Drusianus, which may be under the modern Via della Ferratella. It has been suggested that it is the Arcus Recordationis of the Einsiedeln Itinerary (a 9th century guide to the city of Rome), situated near the Baths of Caracalla, however the exact origins of that arch are unclear and modern scholarship takes the view that this arch is not that of Drusus.
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