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Plautilla (wife of Caracalla) Æ25 of Corcyra, Illyria. AD 202-211. ??AVTI??A C?BACTH, draped bust right / KOPKYPAI?N, masted galley under oar to left; waves below. BMC 693 var. (galley right). 11.42g, 25mm, 1h. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare.

Commodus, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, AD 175. COMMODO CAES AVG FIL GERM, bare-headed and draped bust right / LIBERALITAS • AVG, Commodus, togate, seated to left on curule chair set on platform, extending right hand; Liberalitas standing to left before, holding abacus and cornucopiae; togate citizen at base of platform standing to right, left foot on steps, holding out fold of toga in both hands. RIC 597 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 304-12/13, pl. 2 (same obv. die); Calicó 2274 (same dies); BMCRE 635 (Aurelius and Commodus), pl. 66, 4 (same rev. die); Biaggi -. 7.02g, 19.5mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, one of only two examples on CoinArchives, and the first issue to feature the portrait of Commodus. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 100, 7 October 2015, lot 1907. In AD 175, Commodus entered the College of Pontiffs and thus begun his career in public life. In the same year, he gave a congiarium, as commemorated on this coin, this being a gift to the people usually from the emperor but here given by the teenaged heir. Congiaria were originally distributions of oil or wine (congius meaning a measure of liquids) but the emperors’ gifts grew more generous over time to include grain and money and thus the word congiarium disappeared from the numismatic legend to be replaced with liberalitas - the spirit of imperial generosity. We can date this liberalitas thanks to a comment in the Historia Augusta which states that before his departure to the East with his father in AD 175, Commodus “in his fourteenth year…even though still in the youth’s praetexta gave largess” (Historia Augusta 2.1). Therefore, this took place around June 175, during the time of the revolt of Avidius Cassius. Avidius Cassius had been appointed governor of Syria by Marcus Aurelius and had by AD 173 successfully quelled the revolt of the Bucoli in Egypt at the head of a large army, second only in power to Marcus Aurelius himself. Cassius remained in Egypt following the rebellion, ruling the East in the name of the emperor who was spending much of his time fighting the Germanic tribes away from Rome. It is said a rumour that Marcus Aurelius had died from an illness on the Danube reached Cassius, who then persuaded his legions to acclaim him emperor. Another report is that Faustina, fearing for her husband’s ill health and what this would mean for her young son Commodus, goaded Cassius to usurp Aurelius (see Historia Augusta, Avidius Cassius, 7). Whatever the case, Cassius, whether aware of Marcus Aurelius’ good health or not quickly gained support in the East, with Egypt, Syria and most of the Asian provinces declaring for him. He controlled much of the East for three months, during which time Aurelius, who had been forced to withdraw from the Marcomannic war to deal with the usurper, amassed troops and prepared to march east to depose Cassius. This rebellion proved to be the catalyst for a hastening of Commodus’ official entry into adulthood and assumption of imperial duties. He assumed his toga virilis on the Danubian front on 7 July 175 during preparations for the campaign against Cassius and, as this coin demonstrates, was also entrusted with performing deeds usually carried out by reigning emperors. Cassius’ rebellion lost momentum as soon as news reached the East that Aurelius was approaching with a greatly superior military force than Cassius had at his disposal. He was murdered by one of his centurions sometime in late July AD 175, as Egypt chose to recognise Aurelius again on July 28. Perhaps realising his need for a secure succession and reliable imperial colleague, two years later Marcus Aurelius made Commodus consul - the youngest consul in Roman history - and later in the same year Commodus was given the titles of Imperator and Augustus, elevating him to the position of co-emperor despite his being only sixteen years old.

Baktria, Sophytes AR Drachm. 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; MNA on bust truncation / Cockerel standing right; kerykeion behind, ???Y??? to right. Roma XIV, 367; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 3A, pl. I, 3; G&M 169, 149 (same mark on bust truncation); cf. SNG ANS 21-23 (M only on bust truncation); cf. Mitchiner 29b (M only); cf. Whitehead NC 1943, pp. 64, 1 and pl. III, 7-8 (M only). 3.77g, 17mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.

Faustus Cornelius Sulla AR Denarius. Rome, 56 BC. Draped bust of Diana right, wearing diadem with crescent; lituus behind, FAVSTVS downwards before / Sulla seated left on platform above kneeling figures of Bocchus, king of Mauretania, on left who offers an olive branch and Jugurtha, king of Numidia, on right, his hands tied behind his back; FELIX downwards to right. Crawford 426/1; RSC Cornelia 59. 3.93g, 20mm, 8h. Extremely Fine; pleasant light tone. Ex private Spanish collection.

Marcus Aurelius AR Denarius. Rome, AD 164. M ANTONINVS AVG ARMENIACVS, bare-headed and cuirassed bust right / P M TR P XVIII IMP II COS III, Armenia seated left, in mournful attitude, vexillum and shield before, hand on bow behind; ARMEN in exergue. RIC -, cf. 85-85a var. (different obv. legend and bust type); BMCRE -; RSC 6 var. (same). 3.27g, 18mm, 6h. Fleur De Coin. An apparently unpublished variety of this popular issue. From a central European collection.

M. Plaetorius M. f. Cestianus AR Denarius. Rome, 69 BC. Draped female bust left, wearing winged diadem; control-mark behind / Pediment of temple within which an anguipede monster holding cornucopiae; M•PLAETORI on entablature, CEST•S•C• in exergue. Crawford 405/1b; RSC Plaetoria 9b. 3.89g, 21mm, 9h. Near Mint State. Very Rare. Ex private Spanish collection. This type may have been issued on the occasion of the celebration of the Ludi Florales, which were games arranged in honour of the goddess Flora to invoke the seasonable appearance of the flowers. They were celebrated on the 29th April in Rome, under the direction of the curule aediles. The obverse bust may be that of Fortuna, and the reverse a view of the tympanum of her celebrated temple at Praeneste. The gens Plaetoria was of Sabine origin, and of the Cestianus family there are fifty seven varieties of coins engraved by Morell, all silver, amongst which there are pieces struck in honour of Brutus, including the celebrated EID MAR denarius.

Anastasius II Artemius AV Solidus. Constantinople, AD 713-715. ? N ART?MI?S ANASTASI?S M?L, crowned and draped bust facing, holding globus cruciger in right hand, akakia in left / VICTORIA AV?? H, cross potent set on three steps; CONOB in exergue. DOC 2g; MIB 2; Sear 1463. 4.46g, 20mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Rare. From a private Swiss collection.

Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius AR Denarius. Spain, 81 BC. Diademed bust of Pietas right; stork standing right before / Jug and lituus; IMPER in exergue; all within laurel wreath. Crawford 374/2; RSC Caecilia 44. 3.86g, 20mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine; attractive old cabinet tone. From the R.C. Vermeer Collection; Ex Naville Numismatics 33, 16 July 2017, lot 345 (then sold with an export license from Italy).

Aelius, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, AD 137. L•AELIVS CAESAR, bareheaded and draped bust right / TRIB POT COS II, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting left elbow on cornucopiae; CONCORD in exergue. RIC 443b (Hadrian); C. 9; BMCRE 998 (Hadrian); Calicó 1443. 7.18g, 19mm, 6h. Good Very Fine; minor edge marks. Rare. Ex Monsieur Note (1910-1982) Collection, France.

Caracalla AV Aureus. Rome, AD 198. IMP CAES M AVR ANT AVG P TR P, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising hem of skirt. RIC 26b; C. 598; BMCRE -; Calicó 2820. 7.19g, 21mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Rare. Ex Münzen & Medaillen 53, 29 November 1977, lot 279. With the defeat of Clodius Albinus in AD 197, Septimius Severus was free to pursue his dynastic ambitions. The position of Caracalla, much the cause of the dispute between his father and Albinus, was now advanced to that of co-emperor in 198 and confirmed Severus’ intentions to follow the principle of succession by birth, rather than adoption. The execution of a large number of Senators on charges of conspiracy after the death of Albinus led to the estrangement of the Senate and so the Severan dynasty’s dependency on the support of the army and people increased. The reverse of this aureus invokes the personification Spes (Hope) to bring good fortune to the Roman citizenry and so ensure their continued support.

Caracalla AV Aureus. Rome, AD 205. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / PONTIF TR P VIII COS II, Mars standing left, right foot on helmet, holding olive branch and reversed spear. RIC 80a; BMCRE 476; C. 419; Calicó 2777. 7.16g, 20mm, 5h. Fleur De Coin. A bold portrait, struck on a broad flan. Lustrous metal and perfect surfaces. Rare. Ex Hermann-Joseph Lückger Collection, Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. 417, 2 November 2016, lot 409; Ex Getrudenstrasse Hoard, found in Cologne in 1909. The Getrudenstrasse Hoard was found by workmen digging the foundation of a building. It consisted of approximately 15,000 denarii and 150 or so aurei - a sizeable accumulation. Many of the coins of that hoard bear a distinctive colouration similar to that of the Boscoreale Hoard, derived from the decomposition of the original container.

Lucius Verus AR Denarius. Rome, AD 164. L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right / TR P IIII IMP II COS II, Mars standing right, holding spear and resting hand on shield set on ground. RIC 514 (Aurelius); BMCRE 289 (Aurelius); RSC 228. 3.46g, 18mm, 6h. Fleur De Coin. From a central European collection.

Etruria, Populonia Æ 11 Units. Late 3rd century BC. Bust of Turms right, wearing winged petasos; crescent to left / Etruscan legend 'pvplvna' between two caducei; X/ between. EC I, 139.1-7 (O1/R1); HN Italy 190; SNG ANS 96. 11.51g, 27mm, 1h. Good Very Fine; light sage-green patina and uncommonly attractive for this issue. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.

Uranius Antoninus Æ32 of Emesa, Seleucis and Pieria. Dated SE 565 = AD 253/4. AVTOK C OV?? ANT?N?INOC C?, laureate bust right, wearing paludamentum and cuirass / ?MIC?N KO??N, hexastyle temple of Elagabal at Emesa containing the conical stone of Elagabal shaded by two parasols; crescent in pediment, ??? (date) in exergue. BMC 24; Baldus 38-42; R. Delbrueck, 'Uranius of Emesa,' NC 1948, Series I, 2; SNG Hunterian 3174. 24.03g, 32mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority. The literary sources are unclear about Uranius Antoninus: Zosimus describes a usurper by the name of Antoninus during the reign of Gallienus, while contemporary Christian writer John Malalas speaks of an Emesan priest by the name of Samsigeramus who repulsed the Sassanid king Shapur I. Whether the accounts describe the same person, and whether this person was the Uranius who struck coins at Emesa, is a matter for debate. The era date given on the reverse of this coin, ??? = 565 = 253/4, suggests that Uranius established an independent Empire at Emesa around the time Valerian and Gallienus were crowned co-augusti in 253. The dating supports Malalas' account and Uranius may have indeed come to prominence during the attempts to defend the city of Emesa from the invasion of Shapur, prompting the establishment of his small independent state. If Uranius was the priest described by Malalas, the name Samsigeramus suggests that he may have been a member of the Emesan royal house of the same name and likely, the high priest of Elagabal. If this was the case, we might assume that Uranius was a descendant of the Severan-Emesan house who had previously seen a priest proclaimed emperor in Elagabalus. Though the name Samsigeramus is not attested on the coinage of Uranius, the reverse depiction of the temple of Elagabal certainly suggests the cult was important to his legitimacy. There is little doubt that Uranius' rebellion came to an end shortly after Valerian marched east and recovered Syria in AD 254.

Marc Antony AR Denarius. Athens, 38-37 BC. III•VIR•R•P•C•COS•DESIG•ITER•ET•TERT, radiate bust of Sol right / M•ANTONIVS•M•F•M•N•AVGVR•IMP•TER, Antony standing right, dressed as priest, veiled, wearing toga and holding a lituus. Crawford 533/2; CRI 267; Sydenham 1199; RSC 13a. 3.72g, 18mm, 3h. Good Very Fine. Previously slabbed by NGC #4241286-004 and graded Ch XF Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5. From the collection of PT, United States; Ex Roma Numismatics XIII, 23 March 2017, lot 658.

Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Thea Neotera Æ24. Damaskos, dated SE 280 = 33/2 BC. Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, extending hand and cradling cornucopiae; L?? (date) to left; below, river-god Chrysorrhoas swimming to right; all within laurel wreath. Svoronos 1893; SNG Copenhagen (Syria) 419; RPC I 4783; HGC 9, 1462; DCA 497. 6.93g, 24mm, 11h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority.

Nero Æ Sestertius. Lugdunum, AD 66. IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR POT P P, laureate head right, globe at point of bust / Nero standing to left on low platform with praetorian prefect behind him, raising right hand and addressing three soldiers, the two in front carrying standards, the praetorian camp in the background; S-C across field, ADLOCVT COH in exergue. RIC 490; C -; BN -; Mazzini -. 24.90g, 34mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Well detailed reverse scene.

Ti. Veturius AR Denarius. Rome, 137 BC. Helmeted and draped bust of Mars right; TI•VET (ligate) downwards and X behind / Two soldiers face each other, one bearded and without armour, one bearded and in armour; each holds a spear in left hand and with sword in right hand touches pig held by figure kneeling between them; above, ROMA. Crawford 234/1; RSC Veturia 1. 3.98g, 20mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine; excellent for the type. Purchased from Numismatica Varesi, February 1992; Ex Numismatic Fine Arts 27, 4 December 1991, lot 352.

Libius Severus AR Half Siliqua. Rome, AD 461-465. D N LIB SEVERVS P F AVG, rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / Chi-rho within wreath; RM in exergue. RIC 2713; RSC 16†a; DOCLR 899 corr. (obv. legend). 0.94g, 13mm, 5h. About Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private Anglo-Italian collection.

Diocletian AV Aureus. Rome or Cyzicus, AD 286. IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from front / IOVI CONSERVAT AVGG, Jupiter standing left, nude but for chlamys, holding thunderbolt in right hand and grounded sceptre in left. RIC 134d (Rome); C. 216; Calicó 4463a (this coin). 5.36g, 22mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Perfectly centered, with a medallic quality. This coin published in X. Calicó, Los Aureos Romanos (2002); Ex Dreesmann Collection, Spink & Sons Ltd., 13 April 2000, lot 67; Ex Numismatik Lanz 44, Munich, 16 May 1988, lot 808.

Theodosius II AV Tremissis. Constantinople, AD 408-420. D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM, Victory walking right, her head turned left, holding wreath in her right hand and globus cruciger in her left; star in right field, CONOB in exergue. RIC 213 and 249; Depeyrot 70/1. 1.39g, 14mm, 12h. Near Mint State.

Caracalla Æ32 of Abila, Decapolis. Dated CY 270 and Year 4 of an unknown era = 206/7 CE. AVTO KAI• ANTWNINOC, laureate and cuirassed bust right / Flaming altar within hexastyle temple with pediment of central arch surmounted by statue of Victory, and two flanking towers with arched doors and windows; KOI CY to left, TO ? (date) above, E KOC (date) to right, ABI?HN? in exergue. Spijkerman 18; Sofaer 20; SNG ANS 1127; Meshorer 214. 18.81g, 32mm, 11h. Near Extremely Fine; rev. legend lightly tooled. Rare, and very well preserved for the type. From the inventory of a North American dealer; Ex Goldberg 98, 6 June 2017, lot 1704.

Claudius I, with Agrippina II, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 50-51. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM [P M TRIB POT P P], laureate head of Claudius right / AGRIPPINAE AVGVSTAE, draped bust of Agrippina II right, wearing crown of corn ears, her hair in long plait behind. RIC 81; RSC 4; BMCRE 75. 3.61g, 19mm, 8h. Extremely Fine.

Justinian I AR Half Miliaresion or Siliqua. Constantinople or Sicily, circa AD 527-565. D N IVSTININIANVS P P AVG, helmeted, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / GLORI ROMANORVM, Justinian in military dress standing facing, head left, holding spear and globus cruciger; SILOI in exergue. A.U. Sommer, ‘Nueue Münzen des Byzantinischen Reiches I’, in NBB 10/16, pp. 401-2; otherwise unpublished - for type cf. MIB 49 and Sear 150. 2.06g, 19mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Of the greatest rarity; the second (and finest) known example. From a private British collection. The only other recorded specimen was published by A. U. Sommer (Nueue Münzen des Byzantinischen Reiches I’, in NBB 10/16, pp. 401-2), where it was considered as a possible new issue of Sicily during the reconquest period of the island by Justinian's great general Belisarius from AD 541. The exergual legend SILOI almost certainly implies that the new silver denomination, which we call a half-miliaresion, was the equivalent of a siliqua of gold (1/24 of a gold solidus).

Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Thea Neotera Æ Obol - 40 Drachmai. Alexandria, circa 51-30 BC. Diademed and draped bust right / K?EO?ATPAC BACI?ICCHC, Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopia to left, M to right. Svoronos 1872; Weiser 184-5; SNG Copenhagen 422-4; Noeske 383. 8.77g, 22mm, 11h. Extremely Fine; in outstanding condition for the type, with a high-relief portrait of fine style. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority. Much has been written concerning the differences in appearance of the queen on her various coinage issues, and the apparent inconsistency in depicting both her age and beauty. Collectors often wonder at her plain appearance on the surviving coins both in her sole name and those issued jointly with Marc Antony, an appearance which seems at odds with her famous seduction of two of the most powerful men in history – first, Julius Caesar in 48/47 BC when she was twenty-one, then Marc Antony in 41/40 BC, the year this coin was struck. Surviving busts of Cleopatra certainly are more flattering than her coinage; the exaggeration of certain features on the coinage can often be explained by deliberate emphasis on attributes associated with strength and power, notably the angular jaw and chin, and distinctive Ptolemaic nose.

Julian II AV Solidus. Antioch, AD 361-363. FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS EXERCITVS ROMANORVM, soldier standing right, head left, holding trophy in left hand and dragging bound captive with right; ANTZ in exergue. RIC 199; Depeyrot 15/2. 4.40g, 21mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Ex Bernard Poindessault (1935-2014) legacy; ticket included.

C. Hosidius C. f. Geta AR Denarius. Rome, 68 BC. Draped bust of Diana right, wearing stephane, earring and double necklace of pendants, with bow and quiver over shoulder; III VIR downwards to left, GETA downwards to right / Caledonian Boar standing right, pierced by spear and harried by hound right below; C HOSIDI C F in exergue. Crawford 407/2; RSC Hosidia 1. 3.84g, 18mm, 4h. Good Extremely Fine. Beautifully detailed reverse. Ex Freeman and Sear MBS 1, 10 March 1995, lot 300.

Quietus BI Antoninianus. Samosata, AD 260-261. IMP C FVL QVIETVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / INDVLGENTIAE AVG, Indulgentia seated left, holding patera and sceptre. RIC 5; MIR 44, 1732f; RSC 6b. 4.05g, 22mm, 5h. Near Mint State; preserved with complete silvering - Very Rare thus. Privately purchased from Lodge Antiquities; lot sold with old collector's ticket.

Etruria, Populonia Æ Triens of 10 Units. Late 3rd century BC. Bust of Sethlans right, wearing pileus decorated with laurel-wreath; X behind / Etruscan legend 'pvplvna' below hammer and tongs; four pellets between. EC I, 140.81 (O2/R6); HN Italy 195; SNG Copenhagen 7. 7.72g, 26mm, 6h. Very Fine. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.

Nero, as Caesar, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 51. NERONI CLAVDIO DRVSO GERM COS DESIGN, bare-headed and draped bust of Nero right / EQVESTER OR-DO PRINCIPI IVVENT in four lines on shield, behind which stands a spear. RIC 79 (Claudius); von Kaenel Type 53; BMCRE 93 (Claudius); RSC 97. 3.64g, 19mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; die shift on obv. From a private British collection.

Valentinian I AV Solidus. Nicomedia, AD 364. D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE, Valentinian standing facing, head right, holding labarum and Victory on globe; SMNI in exergue. RIC 2a.6; Depeyrot 10/1. 4.47g, 22mm, 12h. Near Mint State; minor marks. Rare. From a scattered hoard found in West Norfolk, Wednesday 12th April 2017 - Monday 8th May 2017. Submitted for consideration as Treasure, and returned to the finders. PAS ID: NMS-1A6962.

Marcus Aurelius AR Denarius. Rome, AD 163-64. M ANTONINVS AVG IMP II, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right / P M TR P XVIII COS III, Minerva standing left, holding branch and spear, left hand resting on shield. RIC 102; BMCRE 245; RSC 847. 3.38g, 18mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. From a central European collection.

Uranius Antoninus Æ30 of Emesa, Seleucis and Pieria. Dated SE 565 = AD 253/4. AVTOK C OV?? ANT?N?INOC C?, laureate bust right, wearing paludamentum and cuirass / ?MIC?N KO??N, hexastyle temple of Elagabal at Emesa containing the conical stone of Elagabal shaded by two parasols; crescent in pediment, ??? (date) in exergue. BMC 24; Baldus 38-42; R. Delbrueck, 'Uranius of Emesa,' NC 1948, Series I, 2; SNG Hunterian 3174. 24.38g, 30mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the inventory of a North American dealer.

Maximinus I ?31 of Anemurium, Cilicia. Dated RY 1 = AD 235. AVT K ? IO OVHPON MA?IMEINON, laureate and cuirassed bust right / ???????????, lion advancing right, looking back; star and crescent above, ?? ? (date) below. RPC Online 7011 (temporary); SNG France 711; Ziegler, Anemurion 74. 15.20g, 31mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Minor scrape to obverse edge. Rare; RPC cites only 6 other examples and the first example to be offered at auction since 2010.

Seleukid Empire, Antiochos VII Euergetes AR Tetradrachm. Tyre, circa 135-134 BC. Diademed, draped bust right / BA?I?E?? ANTIOXOY, eagle standing left on prow, TYP monogram on club to left, APE monogram above club, monogram in right field above HOP, control mark between legs. SC 2109.6. 14.11g, 28mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Pleasantly toned. Rare.

Trajan Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 103-111. IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P COS V P P, laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan on horse riding right, spearing fallen Dacian; SC in exergue. RIC 534; C. 503; BMCRE 833; Woytek 203b. 27.07g, 34mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Ex John Work Garrett Collection, Numismatic Fine Arts/Bank Leu, 17 May 1984, lot 774; Ex Clarence S. Bement Collection, Naville VIII, 25 June 1924, lot 837.

Galla Placidia (mother of Valentinian III) AV Solidus. Ravenna, AD 426-430. D N GALLA PLACIDIA P F AVG, pearl-diademed and draped bust right, wearing necklace and crowned above by the hand of God; Christogram on shoulder / VOT XX MVLT XXX, Victory standing left, holding long jewelled cross; star above, R-V across fields, COMOB in exergue. RIC 2012; C. 13; Depeyrot 16/13. 4.44g, 21mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private British collection; Ex H. D. Rauch 102, 7 November 2016, lot 603.

Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Half-length bust of Kore-Persephone to left, wearing kekryphalos headdress, round earring and long-sleeved chiton, in her right hand holding a tunny fish by the tail, and raising a flower to her chin; bust truncation indicated by dotted line between parallel lines / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 75, pl. II, 30; SNG France 205; Boston MFA 1448 = Warren 1519. 16.22g, 19mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.

Geta, as Caesar, Æ Tetrassarion of Heracleopolis (as Sebastopolis), Pontus. Dated CY 208 = 205/6 AD. C??TIMI ??TA[C KAICAP], bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right / C?BACTO?O HP...?T HC, deer standing left, suckling the infant Telephus, son of Hercules. Unpublished in the standard references; Leu Numismatik Web Auction 4, 479 (same dies). 13.05g, 29mm, 4h. Good Very Fine; earthen repatination. Apparently the second (and finest) known example. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority.

Ionia, Ephesos AV Stater. Circa 155-140 BC. Draped bust of Artemis right, wearing stephane, and with bow and quiver over shoulder / Cult statue of the Artemis of Ephesos facing, a fillet hanging from each hand; thymiaterion in inner right field, ?-? across fields. G. K. Jenkins, Hellenistic Gold Coins of Ephesos, in Festschrift Akurgal, Ankara, 1987, p. 134, pl. B, 6 (BM) = R Fleuscher I, Artemis von Ephesos und der erwandte Kultstatue von Anatolien und Syrien, EPRO 35, 1973, pl. 53b; LIMC II, pl. 565, 23. 8.43g, 21mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany. The Hellenistic era gold coinage struck at Ephesos is extremely rare and rarely well preserved. Previously thought to have all been struck during the Mithradatic wars, this is now known not to be the case. Some seem to be dated by the era of the Province of Asia and the dates they bear are too early for them to be Mithradatic War issues. Certain other issues such as the present example appear to be part of an extraordinary issue of gold struck in conjunction with an extremely rare gold stater type of Magnesia in the mid-second century. The style and fabric of both issues seem consistent with an emergency issue struck to meet an immediate expense. The reverse of this coin depicts the famous cult statue of Ephesian Artemis, housed in the great temple of Artemis that is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The original image of the goddess was a wooden xoanon that had represented a pre-Hellenic goddess who the Greeks later equated with Artemis. This first image, which was kept decorated with jewellery, was possibly lost in a flood in the 8th or 7th century which destroyed the temple; excavations have discovered the tear-shaped amber drops of elliptical cross-section which must have dressed it. In circa 550 BC, when reconstruction of the temple was begun (partly financed by Kroisos), it was undertaken in grand style and was supposedly the first Greek temple to be built of marble. The wooden xoanon was replaced by a new ebony or grapewood statue sculpted by Enoidos, which presumably survived until the temple was again destroyed, this time by an act of arson on the part of one Herostratos. The second destruction of the temple coincided with the birth of Alexander the Great; Plutarch later noted that Artemis was too preoccupied with Alexander's delivery to save her burning temple. The form of the goddess is distinctly near-eastern in appearance; characteristics such as her legs being enclosed in a tapering pillar-like term are closely related to Egyptian and Hittite images, and the curious feature of the many protuberances on her chest (usually described as breasts or eggs) are decidedly non-Greek in origin, and indeed have defied explanation or identification for centuries, though an association with fertility seems implicit.

Diva Faustina I (wife of A. Pius) Æ As. Rome, after AD 141. DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA, diademed and draped bust right / PIET AVG, garlanded and lighted altar with closed doors; SC in exergue. RIC 1191 (Pius); C. 256; BMCRE 1466 (Pius). 12.88g, 29mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. Rare, and in excellent condition for the type. From the inventory of a North American dealer.

Septimius Severus AR Tetradrachm of Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria. Circa AD 202-204/5. •AVT•KAI• C?OVHPOC C? •B, laureate bust right / ?HMAPX•??• V?ATO•?•, Tyche seated to right on rocky outcrop, holding poppy and two grain ears; below, half-length figure of river-god Orontes swimming right. McAlee 656; Prieur 185. 13.72g, 27mm, 12h. About Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private North American collection.

Diva Faustina I (wife of A. Pius) AV Aureus. Rome, after AD 141. DIVA FAVSTINA•, draped bust right / AETERNITAS, Fortuna standing left, holding patera and rudder. RIC 349a (Pius); BMCRE 368, pl. 9, 1 (Pius, same dies); Calicó 1743, cf. 1743a (same rev. die). 7.32g, 20mm, 12h. Fleur De Coin. A highly attractive example struck from rare dies. Ex Monsieur Note (1910-1982) Collection, France; Privately purchased in Paris, March 1980. Annia Galeria Faustina was born into a distinguished and well connected family; her father Marcus Annius Verus was three times consul and prefect of Rome, and she counted Sabina and Matidia as her maternal aunts. Sometime between AD 110 and 115 she married Titus Aurelius Fulvius Boionius Arrius Antoninus (who would later gain favour with Hadrian, be adopted and succeed to the throne, and be known to history as Antoninus Pius). Her marriage to Antoninus was a happy one and she bore him two sons and two daughters; her namesake, the only one to survive to adulthood, would marry the future emperor Marcus Aurelius. Faustina was by all accounts a beautiful woman noted for her wisdom, though the Historia Augusta criticized her as having ‘excessive frankness’ and ‘levity’. Throughout her life, as a private citizen and as empress, Faustina was involved in assisting charities for the poor and sponsoring the education of Roman children, particularly girls. When she died in AD 140 shortly after her fortieth birthday her husband Antoninus was devastated. To honour her memory he had her deified, built a temple for her in the Forum and issued a prodigious coinage in her name as Diva Faustina. The most fitting and touching act of this grieving husband and emperor was to ensure her legacy of charitable work would be continued: he established an institution called Puellae Faustinianae (‘The Girls of Faustina’) to assist orphaned Roman girls, evidenced by the extremely rare aurei and denarii with the legend PVELLAE FAVSTINIANAE (cf. RIC 397-399 [Pius]) and he created a new alimenta or grain dole to feed the poor. Unusually, the posthumous coinage in her name was produced over a sustained period, though this is clearly linked to the significant role she played in the ideological theme of pietas that characterised the reign of Antoninus, and which Martin Beckmann (Diva Faustina: coinage and cult in Rome and the provinces, ANS, New York, 2012) suggests likely included a distribution of the issues with the reverse legends PIETAS and AETERNITAS, being evocative of “the ‘spiritual side’ of Faustina’s divinisation” (p. 19), at a public ceremony in her memory on the tenth anniversary of her deification.

Magnentius AV Solidus. Trier, AD 351. D N MAGNENTIVS P F AVG, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA AVG LIB ROMANOR, Victory, standing right, and Libertas, holding sceptre in left hand, standing left, both supporting trophy on shaft between them; TR in exergue. RIC 252; C. 48; Depeyrot 10/1. 3.86g, 22mm, 7h. Extremely Fine. Very rare earlier variety without crossbar on trophy. Ex Monsieur Note (1910-1982) Collection, France; Private purchased in Paris, 8 October 1968.

Macrinus AR Tetradrachm of Edessa, Mesopotamia. AD 217-218. AYK M O?E? CE MAKPEINOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / ?HMAP X E? Y?ATOC, eagle standing facing, head right, holding wreath in beak; shrine between legs. Prieur 852. 12.70g, 28mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Superb style and metal quality. Very Rare.

Irene and Constantine VI AV Solidus. Constantinople, AD 792-797. IRI?H A?OVSTI, crowned facing bust of Irene, wearing loros, holding globus cruciger in right hand, cruciform sceptre in left / CO?STA?TINOS bAS' ?, crowned and draped facing bust of Constantine, wearing chlamys, holding globus cruciger and akakia. DOC 3a; Sear 1594. 4.43g, 20mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Very Rare. From a private Swiss collection.

Chile. Fernando VI, King of Spain (1746-1759) AV 8 Escudos. Santiago, dated 1751 SO J. FERDINANDVS • VI • D • G • HIS • REX, laureate, draped and armoured bust right / NOMINA MAGNA SEQUOR, crowned and collared coat-of-arms. KM 3; Friedberg 5. 27.02g, 36mm, 12h. Mint State; in exceptional condition for the type.

C. Poblicius Q. f. AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 80 BC. Helmeted and draped bust of Roma right; T above, ROMA downwards behind / Hercules standing left, strangling the Nemean lion; club at his feet, bow and arrows in bowcase to lower left, T to upper left, C•POBLICI•Q•F upwards to right. Crawford 380/1; RSC Poblicia 9. 3.95g, 19mm, 4h. Fleur De Coin. Purchased from Numismatics Varesi, May 1994.

Lucilla (sister of Commodus) AR Denarius. Rome, AD 161-163. LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F, draped bust right / CONCORDIA, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting her elbow on a statue of Spes; cornucopiae under seat. RIC 757 (Aurelius); BMCRE 305 (Aurelius); RSC 6. 3.37g, 19mm, 7h. Near Mint State. From a central European collection.

Severus Alexander AR Denarius. Rome, AD 223. IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, laureate and draped bust right / P M TR P II COS P P, Mars standing left, holding branch and spear; star in left field. RIC 23; BMCRE 92; RSC 231. 3.55g, 20mm, 12h. Fleur De Coin.

Nabataea, Obodas III (or II) AR Didrachm. Petra(?), dated year 6 = 25/4 BC. Bust of Obodas right / Eagle standing to left on thunderbolt; Aramaic inscription 'Abdat the King, King of the Nabataeans' around, Aramaic word for year in right field, date in left field. Meshorer, Nabataea -; DCA -; Hoover & Barkay -. 6.62g, 22mm, 12h. Near Very Fine. Apparently unique and unpublished. From a private North American collection. This apparently unique Nabataean didrachm belongs to the reign of a certain King Obodas. Martin Huth, in 'Some Nabataean Questions Reconsidered' (Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms, pp. 215-7) convincingly argued that there were only two kings named Obodas, and that Obodas II should therefore be removed from the chronology, leaving Obodas III properly as Obodas II. Only two coins of Obodas I are believed to exist, and though the present specimen (perhaps problematically) utilises a similarly Ptolemaic-style eagle on thunderbolt reverse design as the coins of Obodas I, the portraiture is very different and far more consistent with the coins of the latter Obodas.

Arcadius AV Solidus. Constantinople, AD 388-392. D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA AVGGG H, Constantinopolis, helmeted, seated facing, head right, holding sceptre and shield inscribed VOT V MVL X; CONOB in exergue. RIC 70c4; Depeyrot 46/3. 4.48g, 20mm, 12h. Mint State. From a central European collection.

Maximus, as Caesar, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 235-236. IVL VERVS MAXIMVS CAES, draped bust right / PIETAS AVG, Priestly emblems, sacrificial implements: lituus, knife, jug, simpulum and sprinkler. RIC 1; BMCRE 118; RSC 1. 3.18g, 19mm, 12h. Mint State. Ex collection of a Munich doctor, acquired c. 1960s-1990s.

Valentinian I AV Solidus. Sirmium, AD 364. D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE, Emperor standing facing, head right, holding labarum inscribed with a Christogram and Victory on globe; *SIRM in exergue. RIC 1; Depeyrot 27/1. 4.50g, 21mm, 7h. Near Mint State; minor marks. From a scattered hoard found in West Norfolk, Thursday 1st October 2015 - Friday 23rd October 2015. Submitted for consideration as Treasure, and returned to the finders. PAS ID: NMS-102704.

Michael VII Ducas, with Maria, AV Tetarteron Nomisma. Constantinople, AD 1071-1078. +?KE RO-H?EI+, facing bust of the Virgin Mary, holding medallion containing facing bust of the Holy Infant; MHTP ligate – ?V across fields / +MIXAH? S MAPIA, Crowned facing busts of Michael and Maria, each wearing loros, holding between them long cross with X and pellet-in-crescent on shaft. DOC 5; Morgan Fitts p. 30 (this coin illustrated [rev. only]); Sear 1872. 4.08g, 21mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; clipped. This coin published in P. Morgan Fitts, The Beginner's Guide to Identifying Byzantine Coins (2015); Ex Prue Morgan Fitts Collection, Classical Numismatic Group 99, 13 May 2015, lot 856.

Carausius AR Denarius. London, circa AD 289-290. IMP CARAVSIVS P F AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS SAEC C, radiate lion walking to left with thunderbolt held in mouth; RSR in exergue. PAS HAMP-2E6A12 (this coin); RIC -, cf. 591-2 for type with different rev. legend; Shiel -; Webb -; RSC -; cf. PAS BM-B49CF4 (obv. bust type var.) = Timeline Auctions, 30 May 2015, lot 2221 (sold for £17,360). 3.66g, 22mm, 7h. Good Extremely Fine; attractive original tone, as excavated. One of the very finest denarii of Carausius in private hands. Unique. Found in the parish of Itchen Stoke and Ovington near Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom, on Sunday 5 November 2017 and registered with the Portable Antiquities Scheme: HAMP-2E6A12. When Carausius settled in Britain in 286 the Roman currency was in a degenerate state, made up almost exclusively of base-metal issues; he saw an opportunity to use the platform of coinage as a means to present himself, his regime and his new ideology for the breakaway 'British Empire', and gold and silver issues superior to those made by the legitimate empire were the principal manifestation of his traditional standards and virtues. It is in the exergual mark of RSR that Carausius' use of classical allusion as propaganda can be seen: G. de la Bédoyère, in his paper for the Numismatic Chronicle (158, 1998, 79-88), made a strong case for a Virgilian reading of the RSR mark, based on its use on a bronze medallion of Carausius (BM 1972-7-17-1), very similar in style to a second bronze medallion with the exergual mark of INPCDA (BM 1967 9-1-1), and the reverse legend employed by Carausius of EXPECTATE VENI, 'Come, long awaited one' (cf. RIC 554-8, 439-40 and Aeneid ii, 283), which usually appears on the silver coinage. He suggests that the RSR mark is an abbreviation of "redeunt Saturnia regna" (the Saturnian kingdoms return), from Virgil's Eclogues IV, from which the following line is "iam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto" (INPCDA, now a generation is let down from heaven above). Virgil's Eclogues text is entirely appropriate for the image that Carausius was trying to promote of the 'British Empire' as a haven of traditional Roman values, and the Saturnian age was a commonly used theme of Roman literature to symbolise a lost paradise, both of which are employed here to legitimise Carausius' rule and appeal to the Romano-British inhabitants of his new empire to support him in his desire to uphold the Roman ideal. The device of a lion bearing a thunderbolt currently defies logical explanation. As a type, it was previously used under the emperors Caracalla, Philip I, Aurelian and Probus who all variously claimed mastery over the East, however in the context of Carausius' reign its significance cannot be the same unless we allow for gross hubris on Carausius' part, having 'defeated' an invasion fleet of Maximianus' in 289 (a panegyric delivered to Constantius Chlorus attributes this failure to bad weather, but notes that Carausius claimed a military victory). The type may be in reference to one of Carausius' military units, Legio IIII Flavia Felix (or a detachment thereof), whose lion insignia was depicted on other contemporary issues.

Balbinus AR Antoninianus. Rome, AD 238. IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / FIDES MVTVA AVGG, clasped right hands. RIC 11; BMCRE 71-73; RSC 6. 4.63g, 23mm, 1h. Good Extremely Fine.

Numerian AV Aureus. Rome, AD 284. IMP NVME[RI]ANVS P F AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS AVGG, Hercules standing right, leaning on club with his left hand and resting his right on his hip. RIC 407; C. -; Calicó 4334. 4.66g, 20mm, 5h. Extremely Fine - Good Extremely Fine; pierced in antiquity. Extremely Rare, no other examples on CoinArchives. From the collection of D.I., Germany, purchased before 1992. The great rarity of this coin is in large part due to the brevity of Numerian's reign. In 282, the legions of the upper Danube in Raetia and Noricum rebelled and proclaimed the praetorian prefect Marcus Aurelius Carus emperor in opposition to Probus. Probus' army, stationed in Sirmium, decided they did not wish to fight Carus and assassinated Probus instead. Carus, already sixty, immediately elevated his sons Carinus and Numerian to the rank of Caesar. In 283 Carus determined to take advantage of a succession crisis within the Sassanid empire, and marched east at the head of an army along with Numerian, while Carinus was left in charge in the West. The invasion met with great success, and the army was able to make huge incursions into Persian lands, and even capture the capital Ctesiphon. The campaign came to a premature end when Carus died suddenly (according to some sources, from a lightning strike). Numerian made an orderly retreat from Persia, and subsequently died in mysterious circumstances during the journey west. Amid rumours of murder, the prefect Aper was executed by the man who went on to become emperor. Diocletian, previously an officer under Carus, was acclaimed by the army and proceeded to continue the march west, meeting Carinus' army in battle in Moesia and emerging as victor and emperor. The reverse of this stunning aureus typifies the propagandist nature of Roman coinage, and bestows on Numerian the quality of 'virtus', which encompassed valour, manliness, excellence, courage, character, and worth - the necessary attributes of a Roman and especially of an emperor. Coupled with the standing figure of Hercules, with his usual attributes of club and lion's skin, this reverse references the military victories that Numerian and Carus achieved in the east and likens them to the completion of Hercules' labours.

Constantius II AR Siliqua. Sirmium, AD 355-361. D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX in wreath, •SIRM• in exergue. RIC 66; RSC 342-3i. 3.16g, 21mm, 1h. Extremely Fine.

Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, AD 119-122. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate bust right with drapery on far shoulder / P M TR P COS III, Concordia seated left, holding patera, CONCORD in exergue. RIC 118b; RSC 255a. 3.49g, 19mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Ex collection of a Munich doctor, acquired c. 1960s-1990s.