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Click here to subscribeKingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Amphipolis, circa 320-320 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, Boiotian shield to left; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ to right. Price 176. 8.60g, 18mm, 12h. Very Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Amphipolis, circa 330-320 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, downward trident in left field, Λ and pellet below left wing; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ to right. Price 179; Müller 112. 8.62g, 18mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Brilliant mint lustre.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Pella, circa 325-315 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, bee in left field; AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 201. 8.62g, 19mm, 12h. Extremely Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Lampsakos, circa 328-323 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, conjoined foreparts of two horses in left field, monogram below left wing; AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 1358; Müller 394. 8.55g, 18mm, 4h. Extremely Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Lampsakos, circa 328-323 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, conjoined foreparts of two horses in left field, monogram below left wing; AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 1358; Müller 394. 8.53g, 17mm, 7h. Very Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Lampsakos, circa 328-323 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, conjoined foreparts of two horses in left field, monogram below left wing; AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 1358; Müller 394. 8.55g, 18mm, 7h. Near Extremely Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Miletos, circa 323-319 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, double headed axe below right wing, monogram in left field; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to right. Price 2115. 8.58g, 18mm, 12h. Good Very Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Babylon, circa 317-311 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing triple crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, XA ligate to left, ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to right. Price –, cf. 3724; Müller 825. 8.55g, 19mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. A fine style obverse.
Kingdom of Macedon, Philip III AV Stater. Abydos, circa 323-317 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, monogram above serpent in right field; ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ to right. Price P31. 8.52g, 18mm, 12h. Extremely Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Philip III AV Stater. Sardes, 323-317 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, TI in left field, rose below left wing; ΦIΛIΠΠOY to right. Price P90. 8.55g, 20mm, 12h. Good Very Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Philip III AV Stater. Babylon, circa 323-317 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis, M in left field, ΛΥ below left wing; ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ to left, BAΣIΛEΩΣ to right. Price P180; Müller P97. 8.59g, 19mm, 4h. Extremely Fine.
Kingdom of Macedon, Philip V AR Tetradrachm. Pella, circa 202-200 BC. Head of the hero Perseus right, wearing winged helmet surmounted by griffin's head; harpa in background; all in the centre of a Macedonian shield / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΦIΛIΠΠOY, club; all within oak wreath tying to right. SNG München 1125; SNG Fitzwilliam 2343; Weber 2251; Du Chastel 210. 17.13g, 31mm, 11h. Near Extremely Fine. Rare.
Kingdom of Macedon, Philip V AR Tetradrachm. Pella, circa 202-200 BC. Head of the hero Perseus right, wearing winged helmet surmounted by griffin's head; harpa in background; all in the centre of a Macedonian shield / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΦIΛIΠΠOY, club; all within oak wreath tying to right, TE monogram to right. Unpublished in the standard references, including A. Mamroth. “Die Silbermünzen des Königs Perseus” in ZfN 38 (1928),pp. 277-303. 16.97g, 32mm, 4h. Very Fine. Unpublished in the standard references.
Kingdom of Macedon, Philip V AR Tetradrachm. Pella, circa 202-200 BC. Head of the hero Perseus right, wearing winged helmet surmounted by griffin's head; harpa in background; all in the centre of a Macedonian shield / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΦIΛIΠΠOY, club; all within oak wreath tying to right, ΠA monogram to right. Unpublished in the standard references, including A. Mamroth. “Die Silbermünzen des Königs Perseus” in ZfN 38 (1928),pp. 277-303. 15.85g, 30mm, 12h. Very Fine. Unpublished in the standard references.
Thraco-Macedonian Region, Derrones AR Dodekadrachm. Circa 480-465 BC. Male driver, holding goad in right hand, reins in left, driving ox cart to right on ornate ground line; above, crested Corinthian helmet right / Clockwise triskeles with central dot, palmette to left. AMNG III 56.5 var.; SNG ANS 930/931; Rosen 120-121 var. 37.81g, 34mm, 10h. Good Very Fine. From the Mark Christenson Collection.
Lucania, Velia AR Stater. Circa 334-300 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing Phrygian helmet decorated with centauress, monogram behind / Lion left, tearing prey, Λ above, monogram below; YEΛHTΩN in exergue. Williams 327; BMC 74; HN Italy 1294. 7.69g, 22mm, 9h. Good Very Fine. Minor flaw on reverse. Ex DNW 13, 25 September 2012, lot 3005.
Ionia, Phokaia EL Hekte. Circa 387-326 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with seal / Quadripartite incuse square. CNG 93, lot 391; Triton XVIII, lot 627; otherwise unpublished (but cf. Bodenstedt 111 for a similar type with serpent on helmet and seal below). 2.56g, 11mm. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, apparently only the third known.
Lucania, Velia AR Stater. Period VII, signed by Philistion. Circa 305-290 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing Attic helmet decorated with winged Nike in quadriga on bowl, Pegasos on neck guard, ΦΙΛΙΣΤΙΩΝΟΣ on crest holder; Θ behind, E before / Lion crouching left holding sword in mouth and right paw, the Dioskouroi above between Φ-I; YEΛHTΩN in exergue. Williams 410; SNG Lockett 559. 7.51g, 22mm, 7h. Good Very Fine; attractively toned. Very Rare. Ex Noble Numismatics 96, 5 April 2011, lot 4954.
Lucania, Velia AR Hemidrachm. Circa 305-290 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet bound with olive-wreath / Lion crouching left, holding sword in jaws and right paw; below, I; [ΥΕ]ΛHΤ IΩ[Ν] in exergue. Haeberlin, ZfN 1908, p. 231 (Volsinii); Giesecke, Italia Numismatica p. 21-22 (Volsinii); HN Italy 2677 (uncertain issue). 2.76g, 15mm, 8h. Toned, Good Very Fine. Unique. From the Dr. Murray Gell-Mann Collection; Ex Walther Giesecke Collection. When this long lost unique coin from the Walther Giesecke collection was first published by Ernst Haeberlin in 1908, it was attributed on the suggestion of Heinrich Dressel (then Director of the Königliche Museen zu Berlin) as part of the gold Volsinii series (Vecchi, Etruscan Coins, pp. 367-8), based on a misreading of the legend below the exergual line and misinterpretation of the I below the lion as an Etruscan value mark. This erroneous conclusion was followed by Giesecke in his masterful publication, Italia Numismatica, Leipzig 1928, and this incorrect identification was perpetuated by Italo Vecchi in a preliminary study on Etruscan coins, SNR 26, 1988 p. 61, with the caveat ‘as the coin is not available the recorded weight could not checked.’ In 2001 Historia Nummorum Italy (no. 2677), without the benefit of actually seeing the coin, correctly rejected the Volsinian identification, placing it under ‘Uncertain Issues’ (pp. 198-9) and tentatively suggested that the issue may belong to Velia based on the similarity of the reverse type to the Philistion group of didrachms (Williams 406-8; HN Italy 1303-4). The welcomed reappearance of the coin in this interesting American collection after nearly 100 years confirms the suspected attribution of HN Italy, with a slightly blundered, but clear legend: … ΛNΤ IΩ ... (sic).
Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 478-455 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Confronted bulls' heads within incuse square. Bodenstedt 35; HGC 6, 961; SNG von Aulock 1695: Boston MFA 1683; BMC 36. 2.52g, 10mm, 7h. Extremely Fine. Rare.
Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 454-427 BC. Head of Athena wearing crested Corinthian helmet to right / Two confronted female heads, their faces overlapping; all within incuse square. Bodenstedt 55; HGC 6, 981; Boston MFA 1693; de Luynes 2555. 2.53g, 11mm, 1h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare (Bodenstedt lists only 8 examples), and among the finest known. This coin seems like a perfectly ordinary hekte when the obverse is first viewed; it is only when the coin is flipped to reveal its highly unusual reverse does the importance and novelty of the type become apparent. Employing a simple but effective form of optical illusion, the reverse appears to show the same female portrait both to the left and to the right. The design is deliberately intended to confound the eye and engage the viewer's attention in attempting to resolve both portraits independently of the other, which is of course impossible, thus presenting the viewer with a visual paradox. The image works by confusing the brain's figure-ground perceptual grouping process by giving it contradictory cues, thus preventing it from assigning definitive edges to the observed shapes. As a result, the human visual system will settle on one of the portraits, facing either left or right, and alternate between them. The importance of this type, both in terms of numismatic art and in the wider context of Greek art in general, cannot be understated. It is a thoroughly novel, and never to be repeated experiment in paradoxical illusion on the coinage of a Greek city-state. The Greeks were certainly familiar with the concept of a visual paradox - Plato describes the ourobouros 'tail-devouring snake' as the first living thing; a self-eating, circular being: the universe as an immortal, mythologically constructed entity. They were also aware of the power of illusions - Greek architects would apply a technique known as entasis in the construction of their temple columns. Columns formed with straight sides would appear to the observer to have an attenuated appearance, and their outlines would seem concave rather than straight. Therefore a slight convex curve would be built into the shaft of the column, resulting in a swelling in the middle parts, in order to correct this disagreeable trick of the eye. Why then, when they were clearly aware of the power of illusion and paradox, did Greek artists not employ such techniques? The answer most likely lies in the cultural shift away from the static representational art of the archaic period driven by new realistic and idealistic paradigms; artists now sought to demonstrate their skill through attempting to attain aesthetic perfection based on both observational study, and occasionally improvement of nature through idealisation of the subject's features. Thus non-practical forms of optical illusion were most likely dismissed as curious, but unlikely to earn an artist everlasting fame. It was therefore left to relatively modern artists such as Oscar Reutersvärd, who created the Penrose Stairs (also dubbed the impossible staircase), and psychologists such as Edgar Rubin, who developed the familiar Rubin's vase (sometimes known as the Rubin face or the figure–ground vase), to explore the visual and psychological implications of these images which trick the brain. The significance of this coin therefore is that it pre-dates the work of both of the aforementioned celebrated 'illusionists' by well over two millennia, and demonstrates an appreciation and understanding of optical illusions as an art form, not just a necessary practical expedience.
Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 357-326 BC. Laureate head of youthful Apollo three-quarters facing / Head of an Amazon to right wearing ornamented helmet with cheek guards up. Bodenstedt 64.3; Traité II, pl. 160, 38; BMC 94, pl. 34, 8. 2.59g, 10mm, 9h. Near Extremely Fine. The obverse of this beautiful coin was inspired by the remarkable and widely praised 'Parthenon Group' tetradrachms of Amphipolis issued during that city's short-lived war with Philip II of Macedon (see Kurt Regling, ZfN 33 (1922), p. 48, Anm. 2 and p. 60). It is a direct stylistic copy of this brief issue, which has been described as 'the most beautiful of all the facing-head tetradrachms of Amphipolis and one of the prettiest of all ancient Greek coins'.
Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 412-378 BC. Bearded head of Ares right, wearing crested helmet decorated with griffin / Head of Amazon right, wearing ornate helmet, in linear border within incuse square. Bodenstedt 65; HGC 6, 991; SNG von Aulock –; Boston MFA 1711; BMC 95–7; Gulbenkian 888; Pozzi 2330. 2.55g, 10mm, 2h. Very Fine.
Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 412-378 BC. Head of Ares right, wearing crested helmet decorated with a griffin on bowl / Facing Corinthian helmet, linear frame around; all within incuse square. Bodenstedt 66 = SNG von Aulock 1728 = Jameson 2245; BMC -; SNG Copenhagen -; Boston MFA -. 2.56g, 10mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, only three noted by Bodenstedt and just two in CoinArchives.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Hemihekte. Circa 550-500 BC. Bearded head of Poseidon to left, wearing a helmet in the form of the head of a sea monster; [below, tunny fish to right] / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze -; Hurter-Liewald (SNR 2002), 17b; SNG von Aulock 7291 (hekte). 1.42g, 4mm. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.
Calabria, Tarentum AR Drachm. Circa 302-280 BC. Zor..., magistrate. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet ornamented with Skylla hurling a stone / TAP, owl with folded wings standing right, head facing; in right field, ZOP downwards and olive branch. Vlasto 1047ff; SNG ANS 1303ff. 3.24g, 18mm, 3h. Extremely Fine. A well struck and detailed example with attractive lustre.
Calabria, Tarentum AR Drachm. Circa 281-272 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested helmet ornamented with Skylla; EY below bust truncation / TAPANTINΩN, owl standing facing with open wings; ΣΩ upwards to right. SNG Delepierre 250; Vlasto -, cf. 1077; HN Italy 1018. 3.28g, 16mm, 9h. Good Extremely Fine. Attractive style, lightly toned and lustrous.
Cilicia, Satraps AR Stater. Pharnabazos, satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia. Tarsos, circa 380-373 BC. Baaltars seated left, holding lotus tipped sceptre; astragalos below throne / Bearded male head (Ares?) left, wearing crested Attic helmet. Casabonne Series 4; Moysey Issue 2; SNG France 251; SNG Levante 72. 10.85g, 23mm, 3h. About Extremely Fine.
Phrygia, Kibyra AR Drachm. Circa 166-84 BC. Young male head right, wearing crested helmet / Helmeted and cuirassed horseman galloping right, wielding spear and shield; M and ΚΙΒΥΡΤΩΝ below. SNG von Aulock 3709; SNG Copenhagen 267. 2.89g, 17mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Struck in fine style and remarkably well preserved. One of the finest known. Very Rare. Ex Giessener Münzhandlung 46, 30 October 1989, lot 303.
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy I, as satrap, AR Tetradrachm. Alexandria, circa 309-305 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing elephant skin headdress / Athena Alkidemos advancing right; AΛEΞANΔPOY to left, Corinthian helmet, monogram, and eagle standing on thunderbolt to right. Svoronos 162; SNG Copenhagen 29. 15.69g, 26mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Attractively toned.
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy I Soter AR Tetradrachm. Alexandria, circa 303 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing elephant skin headdress / Athena Alkidemos advancing right; AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to left, Corinthian helmet, monogram, and eagle standing on thunderbolt to right. Svoronos 165; Zervos Issue 27, obv. die 392; Jenkins, Early, Group e; SNG Copenhagen -; Weber 8227 (same obv. die). 15.57g, 30mm, 1h. Good Very Fine. From the J.T.B. Collection.
Seleukid Kings of Syria, Seleukos I Nikator AV Stater. Babylon, circa 311-308 BC. In the name and types of Alexander. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet ornamented with griffin / Nike standing left, holding stylis and wreath, BAΣIΛEΩΣ to left, AΛEΞANΔPOY, to right; MHP monogram in wreath at feet to left. Price 3749; Müller 732. 8.57g, 18mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Brilliant mint lustre.
Seleukid Kings of Syria, Seleukos I Nikator AV Stater. Babylon, circa 311-300 BC. In the name and types of Alexander. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis; H below left wing, monogram in wreath below right wing; BAΣIΛEΩΣ to left, AΛEΞANΔPOY to right. Price 3707. 8.57g, 17mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine.
Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I 'the Great' AR Tetradrachm. Circa 171-145 BC. Diademed and draped heroic bust left, holding spear, wearing helmet adorned with bull's horn and ear / The Dioskouroi on horseback right, each holding spear and palm; BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY EYKPATIΔOY around, monogram to lower right. Bopearachchi 8B; SNG ANS 485; Mitchiner 179a. 16.99g, 34mm, 11h. Near Extremely Fine. A superb example of this iconic type. This remarkable tetradrachm of Eukratides I represents a pinnacle of Hellenistic numismatic portraiture. Depicting him in an unprecedented way as a helmeted warrior with a nude and muscular back, diadem ties flowing down it, and in a posture of preparing to strike with a spear or javelin. This image succeeds marvellously in evoking the romantic spirit of the by-gone golden age of Greek glory as embodied by heroes such as Leonidas and Epaminondas, who as tradition dictated, would fight in the front rank alongside their soldiers to lead and inspire by example. Such a posture was well known in Greek art and sculpture, being not only the typical stance of the Greek hoplite warrior, but also of the gods Zeus, Poseidon and Athena, most famously preserved in the form of the Artemision Bronze statue now in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Eukratides' stance is also reminiscent of the coins of Demetrios Poliorketes and Diodotos I, who both issued tetradrachms featuring a naked Poseidon and Zeus, respectively, wielding their weapons in a similar overarm stance; there however, the whole bodies were shown. Eukratides' use of this classic form to depict himself was an innovation that clearly made a lasting impression - the portrait type would be copied by successive Greek kings in India, and would later be adopted by several Roman emperors from the time of Septimius Severus onwards, as the role of the emperor became increasingly militarized in nature.
Maximinus I Æ37 'Medallion' of Tralleis, Lydia. AD 235-238. Aur. Faidreios, magistrate. AYT K Γ IOYL OYH MAXIMEINOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / EΠI ΓP AYP ΦAIΔPEIOY A TPAΛΛIANΩN, statue group of diademed Venus standing right wearing stola and palla with arms around Mars, nude but for crested helmet, standing facing, holding shield; cuirass on low column on right field ground line. F. Imhoof, Lydische Statdmünzen, Winterthur 1897, pp. 178-9, 38, pl. 7, 16. 23.63g, 37mm, 5h. About Extremely Fine. Dark green patina. Of the highest rarity; the only other known specimen is the one recorded by Imhoof in his collection. Under the Antonines there was an increased interest in depicting both aristocratic and freed men and women in mythical guise. The models for such statuary groups in the round and in the relief undoubtedly belonged to courtly circles. Even though no extant groups or coins explicitly portray an emperor or empress as Mars and Venus, such examples certainly existed. We know from Cassius Dio (81-96) that Marcus Aurelius and Faustina minor were celebrated as Mars and Venus and that she was commonly represented as Venus. Hadrian and other emperors also commonly appeared in statues in the guise of Mars. Three Roman statue groups have survived of a man and woman depicted as Mars and Venus in which portrait heads were placed on bodies based on the 5th century BC Greek so called ‘Ares Borghese’ type with attributed to the sculptor Alkamenes, now in the Louvre (MA 866; LIMC II, Ares 23). He stands in a counter-pose (contrapposto), with his right leg advanced in front and his weight resting on the left leg. In his right hand he carries a shield or lance and on his head he wears a high crested helmet. The woman also stands in counter-pose to the male figure which ultimately derives from a 4th century BC Greek so called ‘Aphrodite of Capua’ type now in the Museo Nazionale Archeologico, Naples (LIMC II, Aphrodite 627), an earlier version of the celebrated Aphrodite of Milos type now in the Louvre (LIMC II, Aphrodite 645), and close to the Venus of Arles attributed to Praxiteles, also now in the Louvre (LIMC II, Aphrodite 526). The statue probably represented the goddess admiring her reflection in the reflective surface of Ares’ shield, a motif known on coins from Corinth. (cf. Corinth, Plautilla BMC 664-6), with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist around from the hips and legs, giving the figure a dynamic and tender appearance. The earliest extant of these three groups was found on the Isola Sacra in Ostia and now in the Museo Capitolino, Rome (LIMC II, Ares/Mars 348). The woman is represented according to the Capuan Aphrodite type: she turns toward her husband and puts her left arm around his shoulders, unlike the Venus of Capua, she is clothed in a stola and palla. The man is nude, wears a helmet and short pallium and stands in the Ares Borghese counter-pose. The woman’s diademed head is coiffure with its series of overlapping locks and bun at the back of the head, is comparable to that of Faustina II on coins and portraits in the round of about AD 147. The carving of the hair style and face of the man resembles the portraits of a young Marcus Aurelius in about AD 145. This group must date from AD 145-150. The second group, formerly from the Borghese Collection and now in the Louvre (LIMC II, Ares/Mars 350) depicts the woman, probably Sabina, represented in the style of the Capuan Venus, except that she is also clothed in a stola and palla. The man is heroically nude, save for helmet and balteus with parazonium, and stands in the Ares Borghese counter-pose with a portrait that has often been identified as Hadrian during the principate of Antoninus Pius and can be dated to about AD 150-160. The third and latest group was found in the so-called Basilica at Ostia, now in the Museo Nazionale, Rome (LIMC II, Ares/Mars 347) also represents a man and woman in the style of the Venus of Capua and Ares Borghese statuary group, but now the woman is partially nude and the man is again completely heroically nude but for helmet and balteus with parazonium. The carving style of this group suggests an unknown Roman and his wife in the time of Marcus Aurelian and Faustina II to Commodus and Crispina, circa AD 175-180. Although there is no consensus amongst scholars as to the identification of these three groups as celebrating imperial personages or high status wealthy members of Roman society emulating the conceit of mythological portraiture popular among the imperial circle, there are three other lesser works with very similar representations of the general Mars/Venus group theme: the ‘Concordia group’ high relief sarcophagus panel in Palazzo Mattei, Rome (LIMC II, Ares/Mars 351); a mint of Rome medallion of Faustina II (Gnecchi II, p. 39, 10, pl. 67, 8) and a rare mint of Rome As of Faustina II (RIC III, 1680; BMC IV, 999-1001).
P. Cornelius Lentulus M.f. AR Denarius. Rome, 100 BC. Bust of Hercules right, seen from behind, holding club, shield in left field, K below pellet in right field, ROMA below / Roma standing facing, holding spear and wearing triple-crested helmet, Genius of the Roman People right crowning her and holding cornucopiae, K below pellet in left field, LENT•MAR•F in exergue, all within laurel-wreath. Crawford 329/1b; RSC Cornelia 25a. 3.78g, 19mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Exceptional condition for the type. Lightly toned.
The Social War, Marsic Confederation AR Denarius. Aesernia, circa 89 BC. Laureate head of Italia left; behind, 'Viteliu' (= Italia) in Oscan characters / Soldier in helmet and cloak, standing facing, head right, holding reversed spear; left foot placed on a Roman standard; by his side, recumbent bull; in exergue, II. Unpublished variant cf. Camapa 136 (I in exergue); cf. HN Italy 407.. 3.77g, 19mm, 5h. Very Fine.
M. Volteius M. f. AR Denarius. Rome, 75 BC. Laureate, helmeted, and draped bust of Attis right; helmet behind / Cybele driving biga of lions to right; ΠΓ above, M•VOLTEI•M•F in exergue. Crawford 385/4; RSC Volteia 4. 4.14g, 18mm, 2h. Good Very Fine. Attractive golden tone. From the Eucharius Collection.
Q. Fufius Kalenus and Mucius Cordus AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 70 BC. Jugate heads right of Honos, laureate, and Virtus, wearing crested helmet; KALENI below; HO behind; VIRT before / Italia standing right, holding cornucopiae, and Roma standing left, foot on globe and holding sceptre, clasping hands; winged caduceus and ITAL behind Italia, RO behind Roma, CORDI in exergue. Crawford 403/1; RSC Fufia 1. 3.93g, 20mm, 4h. Near Mint State. From the Eucharius Collection.
P. Fonteius P. f. Capito AR Denarius. Rome, 55 BC. P•FONTEIVS•CAPITO•III•VIR, helmeted and draped bust of Mars right; trophy behind / [MN•FONT•TR•MIL], warrior on horseback galloping right, thrusting spear downwards at kneeling enemy in Gallic helmet, who holds sword and shield; to lower left, another enemy warrior, kneeling right; Gallic helmet and shield to lower right. Crawford 429/1; RSC Fonteia 17. 4.05g, 17mm, 2h. Near Extremely Fine; minor marks and deposits.
Mn. Cordius Rufus AR Denarius. Rome, 46 BC. Corinthian helmet with crest on which an owl stands; RVFVS to left / The aegis of Minerva with head of Medusa in the centre; MN•CORDIVS around. Crawford 463/2; RSC Cordia 4. 3.91g, 18mm, 6h. Extremely Fine, exceptionally well struck for this issue. Pleasing iridescent tones. From the Eucharius Collection.
C. Vibius Varus AR Denarius. Rome, 42 BC. Bust of Minerva right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet and aegis / Hercules standing facing, holding club in right hand and with lion’s skin over left arm; C•VIBIVS downwards to right, VARVS downwards to left. Crawford 494/38; RSC Vibia 26. 4.07g, 20mm, 1h. Very Fine. Very Rare.
Augustus AR Denarius. Rome, 19 BC. Q. Rustius, moneyer. Q • RVSTIVS FORTVNÆ, Jugate, draped busts right of Fortuna Victrix, wearing round helmet, holding patera in right hand, and Fortuna Felix, wearing stephane; both busts rest on bar terminating at each end in a ram's head; ANTIAT in exergue / CAESARI AVGVSTO, ornamented rectangular altar inscribed FOR • RE set on base; EX S C in exergue. RIC 322; RSC 513; BMCRE 2-4 = BMCRR Rome 4580-2; BN 221-8. Extremely Fine. A sharply struck and very beautifully toned specimen. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 84, 20 May 2015, lot 880.
Augustus AR Denarius. Rome, 19 BC. Q. Rustius, moneyer. Q • RVSTIVS FORTVNÆ, Jugate, draped busts right of Fortuna Victrix, wearing round helmet, holding patera in right hand, and Fortuna Felix, wearing stephane; both busts rest on bar terminating at each end in a ram's head; ANTIAT in exergue / CAESARI AVGVSTO, ornamented rectangular altar inscribed FOR • RE set on base; EX S C in exergue. RIC 322; RSC 513; BMCRE 2-4 = BMCRR Rome 4580-2; BN 221-8. 3.79g, 19mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine. Pleasant old tone with hints of iridescent blue. Well preserved for the type. Ex Archer M. Huntington Collection, ANS 1001.1.22517.
Julia Titi AR Denarius. Rome, AD 80-81. IVLIA AVGVSTA TITI AVGVSTI F, draped bust right / VENVS AVGVST, Venus standing right, seen from behind, half nude with drapery hanging low beneath her posterior, holding sceptre in her left hand and helmet in her right and leaning with her left elbow on a column to her left. RIC 388 (Titus); RSC 14. 3.45g, 19mm, 5h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Attractively Toned, with a beautiful reverse. Despite the nobility and quality of her father Titus, Julia was no model of womanly virtue. Although a married woman, she and her uncle Domitian carried on an affair that gained public notoriety and was thoroughly condemned by contemporary Roman writers.
Caracalla AR Antoninianus. Rome, AD 217. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / VICT PARTHICA, Victory seated right on cuirass, inscribing VO XX in two lines on shield which she props on her left knee and holds with her left hand; shield behind and helmet below. RIC IV 314 note; BMCRE 89; RSC 656b. 4.83g, 24mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. This coin was struck in anticipation of a Roman victory over the Parthians that was to coincide with the beginning of Caracalla's twentieth year as Augustus. Caracalla had taken the opportunity of a divided Parthian kingdom, invading their lands in early AD 216. Meeting initial success and pushing the Parthians back deeper into their territory, the emperor decided to consolidate his gains and winter in Edessa. A decisive victory however eluded the emperor, as in the spring of AD 217, while on a trip to Carrhae, Caracalla was assassinated by a member of his bodyguard.
Sicily, Kamarina AV Diobol. Emergency issue, circa 406/5 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing Attic helmet decorated with winged hippocamp / KA surrounded by olive sprig with two berries. Westermark & Jenkins 206; HGC 2, 518; SNG ANS 1209; Rizzo VII, 17; Weber 1248. 1.06g, 10mm, 5h. About Good Very Fine. Very Rare. This coin, like the contemporary issues at Gela, Stiela, Akragas and Syracuse (see lot 114), was struck to finance a defence against the great Carthaginian expedition which was at that time ravaging the Greek cities of Sicily. Akragas had been sacked and razed in 406, Gela in 405. Having suffered a defeat against the Carthaginian army at Gela, the Syracusan tyrant Dionysios chose not to offer battle again, but rather to evacuate the population. Retreating to Kamarina, it appears that Dionysios immediately ordered the complete evacuation of the city, and so Kamarina in its turn was also left to the advancing Carthaginians. The people fled toward Syracuse, chased by the fear of the Carthaginians, though not by the Carthaginians themselves; the rumour among the Greeks was that Dionysios had betrayed their cause and made a deal with the enemy to cement his power over Syracuse. With this issue, the high period of coinage at Kamarina came to an abrupt end.
Constantius II AV Solidus. Nicomedia, AD 340-351. FL IVL CONSTANTIVS PERP AVG, laurel and rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / GLORIA REIPVBLICAE, shield inscribed with VOT XX MVLT XXX in four lines supported by Roma enthroned left, wearing helmet and holding spear, and Constantinopolis enthroned right, wearing mural crown, foot on prow and holding sceptre; SMNT in exergue. RIC 33; Depeyrot 3/4. 4.43g, 22mm, 7h. Good Extremely Fine. Beautiful, lustrous metal. Rare.
Galla Placidia AV Solidus. Uncertain Asian mint, struck under Theodosius II, AD 443. GALLA PLACIDIA AVG, pearl-diademed and draped bust right, wearing single-drop earring and pearl necklace, crowned by manus Dei above / IMP • XXXXII • COS XVII • P • P •, Constantinopolis, draped and wearing plumed helmet, enthroned left, left foot set on prow, holding globus cruciger in extended right hand and sceptre in left; shield set on ground to right; star to left; COMOB in exergue. RIC X 305; Depeyrot 84/6 (Constantinople mint); Biaggi –; DOCLR 834 var. (different number of •'s); G. Giacosa, Women of the Caesars (Milan, 1977), pl. lxv (this coin). 4.46g, 21mm, 6h. Extremely Fine, some minor scratches. Extremely Rare late issue. Ex Triton XVIII, 6 January 2015, lot 1269; Ex Julius Caesar and His Legacy, Numismatic Fine Arts, 13 May 1991, lot 146; Ex Numismatic Fine Arts XXII, 1 June 1989, lot 163. From the NFA sale catalogue, which was not distributed to anyone in the coin trade, but held as a 'secret' auction at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas: "The empress Galla Placidia had a most extraordinary career spanning the first half of the turbulent fifth century. Born about 388, she was the daughter of Theodosius the Great by his second wife Galla, and half-sister of Arcadius and Honorius. Taken prisoner by Alaric during the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in 410, she was eventually married to his successor, Ataulf. Following Ataulf's death she was ransomed to the Romans for 600,000 measures of grain, and in 417 married the general Constantius by whom she had a son, the future emperor Valentinian III, and a daughter, Honoria. She acted as regent for the first twelve years of her son's reign (425-437), but then gradually faded into the background as the political influence of the general Aetius increased. Her final years were devoted to the erection of sacred buildings in Ravenna, and her tomb, which contained also the remains of Honorius and Constantius III, is still to be seen in the city. Coins honouring Galla Placidia were struck both in the western empire, under her son Valentinian III, and in the East by her nephew Theodosius II. She may already have held the rank of Augusta under Honorius, but if not she certainly received it in 424 when Valentinian was created Caesar. This attractive solidus, issued from an uncertain Asian mint, may be closely dated by Theodosius II's titles which appear on the reverse. His forty-second imperatorial acclamation, corresponding to the years of his reign, covers the period 10 January 443 to 10 January 444, whilst the celebration of his eighteenth and final consulship on 1 January 444 indicates that the issue to which the present coin belongs had ceased before the end of the year 443. After the reign of Theodosius II the seated figure of Constantinopolis disappeared from the gold coinage of the eastern empire, not to be seen again until the reign of Justin II more than a century later."
Sicily, Zankle-Messana AR Diobol. Samian occupation, circa 493-488 BC. Facing lion's scalp / Prow of a Samaina (Samian galley) left, Corinthian helmet before. SNG ANS 309. 1.14g, 10mm, 3h. Very Fine. Very Rare. From the Dr. Murray Gell-Mann Collection; Ex Classical Numismatic Group 64, 24 September 2003, lot 53. In 493 BC emigrants from Samos along with some Milesians and other Ionians were invited to Sicily by Skythes, the ruler of Zankle, to assist with the founding of a new city. When the Ionian settlers were already in Italian waters, Skythes marched out with the forces of Zankle to besiege a nearby city of the native Sikels, presumably in aid of the enterprise. However at this point the Samians, who had now reached Lokroi, were persuaded by Anaxilas the tyrant of Rhegion to take advantage of the absence of the Zanklaians, and that rather than endure the hardships of founding a new colony they should take over Zankle itself while its men were away. The Samians agreed and did so; by the time Skythes had hurried back to his city he found the walls held against him. The Samians, having thus taken for themselves a new city, elected to strike coins on the Euboic standard bearing the types of the lion's scalp used at Samos and a Samian galley, though without an ethnic – presumably because they were a mixed body of Samians, Milesians and others, and thus had not yet determined a collective identity.
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