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Click here to subscribeL. Roscius Fabatus AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 64 BC. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat-skin headdress; shield behind, [L•ROSCI below] / Female standing right facing serpent; spear in left field, pellet in central field, FABATI in exergue. Crawford 412/1; RSC Roscia 3. 3.86g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine; beautiful light cabinet tone. Very rare symbols. Ex private Spanish collection.
Phoenicia, Tyre AR Quarter Shekel. Circa 450-400 BC. Dolphin leaping to right over waves, murex shell below; 'M?? GR' in Phoenician script above] / Owl of Egyptian type standing to right, crowned with crescent, carrying crook and flail; all within incuse outline. BMC -; Rouvier 1776; HGC 10, 323; Betlyon 4 corr. (denomination). 3.29g, 15mm, 7h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare, and in exceptional condition for the type. Sold with export licence issued by The Israel Antiquities Authority.
Cnaeus Pompey Junior AR Denarius. M. Poblicius, legate pro praetore. Corduba (Cordoba) mint, Summer 46-Spring 45 BC. Helmeted head of Roma right; M•POBLICI•LEG PRO•PR around / Female figure standing right, with shield slung on back, holding two spears in left hand and with right hand giving palm-branch to soldier, standing left on prow of ship; on right CN•MAGNVS•IMP upwards. Crawford 469/1e; CRI 48a; RSC 1a (Pompey the Great). 3.91g, 19mm, 8h. Near Mint State. Rare variant obv. legend arrangement. Ex private Spanish collection.
Cyprus, Lapethos AR Stater. Uncertain king, circa 425 BC. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a floral motif on the bowl / Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress, within incuse square. Tziambazis –; Traité –; BMC –; ACGC 1094 = Boston MFA Supp. 253 = Celenderis 8a (same dies); CNG 72, lot 852 (same rev. die); Münzen und Medaillen AG XIX (5 June 1959), lot 514 (same rev. die). 11.04g, 23mm, 4h. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics XIII, 23 March 2017, lot 403; Ex collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
Vitellius AV Aureus. January - December AD 69. A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P, laureate head right / CONCORDIA P R, Concordia seated left, holding patera and cornucopiae. RIC 89; C. 17; BMCRE 8; Calicó 542; BN 51; Mazzini 17 (this coin). 7.30g, 19mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Ex Gorny & Mosch 224, 13 October 2014, lot 473 (hammer: EUR 20,000); Ex Giuseppe Mazzini (1883–1961) Collection, Vol. 1 (Milan 1957), p. 180, pl. LXIV, 17.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Eagle standing left, head right; behind, grape cluster on vine with leaf. Roma XIV, 332; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner -; N&A -; CNG 63, 920. 3.58g, 15mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; metal void on rev. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Ionia, uncertain mint EL Stater. Circa 650-600 BC. Milesian standard. Striated type. Flattened, irregularly striated surface / Triple incuse punch, with narrow rectangular punch arranged vertically between two roughly square ones. Cf. Weidauer 5 (trite); Traité pl. I, 12 = BMC Ionia pg. 183, 1; for similar irregularly striated stater, cf. Triton VIII, 431. 14.29g, 21mm. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare, one of very few known irregularly striated staters. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s. According to Herodotus, the Lydians were the first to coin and use gold and silver as currency (Histories 1.94). This statement is supported by archaeological evidence as the earliest coins have been found in Asia Minor, in particular in Ionia and Lydia and are dated to circa 650 BC. The material of this early coinage reinforces this geographical origin; electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, naturally occurred in rivers in the region such as the Paktolos and therefore lends credence to this tradition. The earliest electrum coins were blank globules, standardised in weight to indicate value. Later, designs were added such as the striated pattern we see on this coin, in addition to punches of squares, rectangles and swastikas. The denominations of these issues, struck on the Lydo-Milesian standard which was used by most major city-states (except Phokaia and Samos who had their own weight standards), were divisions of a stater weighing about 14.15g on average, going down to a 1/96th stater (about 0.15g). The purpose of this early coinage was probably to transfer large sums of value, such as for the payment of mercenaries or land and property, as even the smallest fraction was of too great a value for everyday commerce. The striated stater is of particular importance for numismatists as it marks the birth of the obverse design. Explanations for the introduction of this type are varied: one theory is that the lines were functional as they stopped the coin from slipping in production. Joseph Linzalone (Electrum and the Invention of Coinage, 2011) somewhat fancifully suggested that the type emulates the effect of rippling water in the rivers of Lydia where electrum was found, while also highlighting that the design must be considered more than merely a result of mechanical efficiency since its use continued even after alternative elements started appearing. It seems likely though that the continued usage of such a simple type could stem from a combination of its aesthetic quality and the ease of producing its dies. Today the striated stater is extremely rare with not very many more than a dozen or so in existence. It is considered by many to be the first true coin.
Constantine II AV Solidus. Thessalonica, AD 337-340. CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA DD NN AVGG, Victory advancing left, holding palm and trophy; TSE in exergue. RIC 2; C -; Depeyrot 1/1; Biaggi 2099. 4.43g, 21mm, 12h. About Extremely Fine. Very Rare.
Romanus III AV Histamenon Nomisma. Constantinople, AD 1028-1034. +I?S XIS R?X R??NANTINM, Christ enthroned facing, wearing nimbus crown, pallium and colobium, and holding book of Gospels / ?C? bOH? R?MA??, the Virgin on right, and Romanus, bearded to left, both standing facing; the Virgin wears pallium and maphorium, and with her right hand crowns the emperor, who wears saccos and loros, and holds globus cruciger in left hand; M? between their heads. DOC 1a; Sear 1820. 4.30g, 21mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Rare variant showing the Virgin without nimbus. Ex ACR Auctions 15, 27 April 2015, lot 840.
Divus Vespasian AR Denarius. Struck under Titus. Rome, AD 80-81. DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, laureate head right / Empty quadriga advancing left, car ornamented with figures and surmounted by statuette of quadriga flanked by Victories holding palm fronds and wreaths; EX SC in exergue. RIC 361 (Titus); C. 146; BMCRE 119 (Titus); BN 94 (Titus). 3.40g, 20mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. Rare. Ex Gorny & Mosch 147, 6 March 2006, lot 2047.
Leo III the Isaurian, with Constantine V, AV Tremissis. Rome, dated RY 6 (AD 722/3 or 726/7?). D NO L? P A M?L, crowned bust facing, wearing chlamys, holding globus cruciger in right hand / D NO CONSTANTI, crowned bust facing, wearing chlamys, holding globus cruciger in right hand; star to left, ? to right. DOC 80; Sear 1534. 1.31g, 15mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private British collection.
C. Annius T. f. T. n. and L. Fabius L. f. Hispaniensis AR Denarius. Mint in north Italy or Spain, 82-81 BC. Diademed and draped bust of Anna Perenna right; C•ANNI•T•F•T•N•V•PRO•COS•EX•S•C• around; all within beaded border / Victory driving galloping quadriga right, holding reins and palm-branch; Q• above, E• below horses, L•FABI•L•F•HISP in exergue. Crawford 366/2b; RSC Annia 3a. 3.69g, 20mm, 9h. Near Mint State. Very rare variety, unusually complete and struck on a very large flan.
Dynasts of Lycia, Vekhssere I AR Stater. Circa 450-435 BC. Forepart of winged boar flying to left on round shield / Triskeles and small diskeles, F??SS? around; all within dotted border within incuse square. Traité II, 422; Vismara I, 13. 8.39g, 18mm. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; prow behind, A?E before. Roma XIV, 329; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS -; H. Nicolet-Pierre / M. Amandry, "Un nouveau trésor de monnaies d'argent pseudo-Athéniennes venu d'Afghanistan", RN 1994, 36-39; Mitchiner 13a = G.F. Hill, Greek coins acquired by the British Museum in 1920," in NC 1921, 17. 16.93g, 25mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Thea Neotera Æ20. 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. 5.30g, 20mm, 12h. Good Very Fine; earthen repatination, some strengthening of details. Very Rare; in exceptional condition for the issue. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 108, 16 May 2018, lot 394.
Etruria, Populonia AR 20 Asses. Circa 300-250 BC. Facing head of Metus, hair bound with diadem; XX below / Octopus. EC I, 41.15 (O10/R12); HN Italy 146. 7.01g, 21mm. Very Fine; rough surfaces. Extremely Rare; the second recorded example. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm of Egypt, Alexandria. Dated RY 5 = AD 141/142. AYT K T AI? A?P ANT?NINOC C?B ?YC, laureate head right / Achilles and the Centaur Chiron walking to right, Chiron with left foreleg raised, head and human torso turned towards Achilles, holding a helmet in his left hand, his right arm across the shoulder of the young Achilles who holds a spear in his right hand and places his left around Chiron; between them billows Achilles' cloak, L? (date) in exergue. Köln 1873 (same dies); Dattari (Savio) 2505 & 8369; K&G -; Emmett 1485.5 (R5); Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 135 (this coin). 23.86g, 34mm, 1h. Very Fine. Wonderful surfaces with a dark brown patina with hints of green and red. Extremely Rare; probably the finest known specimen of the type. Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection, Triton XXI, 9 January 2018, lot 164; Ex Kerry K. Wetterstrom Collection, Classical Numismatic Auctions XIII, 4 December 1990, lot 218. Numismatic artistry flourished at the mint of Alexandria during the early years of Antoninus Pius’ reign with the introduction of an ambitious range of new reverse types. This coin is a rarity of the mythological series, alongside which the Labours of Hercules and the signs of the Zodiac were also produced. The reason for these strikingly different pictorial types has been examined by J.G. Milne, who suggests that a masterful Greek artist was active for a limited time at Alexandria, producing imagery previously unfamiliar to Egypt and later copied in a less expert style (speaking specifically about the Hercules series, see Pictorial Coin-Types at the Roman Mint of Alexandria, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 39, 1943). This artist seemed to work exclusively on bronze drachms which in comparison to smaller silver and bronze denominations were naturally preferable for these new medallic designs. The childhood of Achilles was only briefly touched upon in the Homeric cycle; it is not until much later that the story is embellished and his early years described at length. That Achilles was tutored by the wise centaur Chiron was mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, not an unusual upbringing for a mythical hero as many other heroes including Herakles, Jason, Perseus and Theseus were also trained by Chiron as youths. The work which is the most descriptive in presenting Achilles' time with Chiron on Mount Pelion is Statius’ unfinished epic, the Achilleid, published in the first century AD, which also covers his time on Skyros where he was hidden by his mother Thetis, disguised as a girl so that he might avoid his fated death should he go to Troy and war. Statius expanded upon the surviving Greek sources for Achilles’ upbringing with Chiron, portraying the centaur as more than a teacher and mentor, adapting his role into that of a loving foster father. Thus Achilles, when later describing what he ate when growing up, refers to Chiron as such: “thus that father [pater] of mine used to feed me” (2.102). Statius may have been following a theme begun by Ovid some years earlier; in Fasti (5.412) Achilles laments at Chiron’s death, saying “Live, I beg you; don’t leave me, dear father [pater]!” It was perhaps with such thoughts in mind that the engraver here portrays Achilles and Chiron: the old centaur drapes his left arm in an affectionate, paternal manner across the youth’s shoulder, a gesture which Achilles reciprocates, as the two walk together. Chiron carries Achilles helmet, while Achilles himself rests his spear across his shoulder, the point of which emerges on the far side of Chiron, behind him. It may be that we are invited to see in this scene the end of a day’s training: “Already at that time weapons were in my hand... Never would he suffer me to follow unwarlike deer through the pathless glens of Ossa, or lay low timid lynxes with my spear, but only to drive angry bears from their resting-places, and boars with lightning thrust; or if anywhere a mighty tiger lurked or a lioness with her cubs in some secret lair upon the mountain-side, he himself, seated in his vast cave, awaited my exploits, if perchance I should return bespattered with dark blood; nor did he admit me to his embrace before he had scanned my weapons” (2.106-128)”.
P. Cornelius P. f. Lentulus Spinther AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Artemidoros, son of Damokrates, magistrate. Laodicea, 56-54 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; P LENTVLVS P F IMP in two lines above, [?]AO to left, ornate winged caduceus to right, APTEMI?OPO? ?AMOKPATOY in two lines below. Stumpf 77. 12.63g, 27mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Otho AV Aureus. Rome, January - April AD 69. IMP OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare head of Otho right / SECVRITAS P R, Securitas standing left, holding wreath in right hand and cradling sceptre in left arm. RIC 7; C. 16; BMCRE 13; Calicó 531. 7.03g, 20mm, 6h. Very Fine; a bold portrait, struck on a very broad flan. Rare. From a private European collection. According to the accounts of Plutarch and Suetonius, Otho was one of the most reckless and extravagant of the circle of young aristocrats whom Nero called his friends. This friendship ended abruptly in AD 58 however, when Otho introduced his beautiful wife Poppaea to the emperor at her insistence. Poppaea thereupon began an affair with Nero, and having securely established her position as the emperor's mistress, she divorced Otho and had the Nero send him away as governor to the remote province of Lusitania (which is now parts of both modern Portugal and Extremadura, Spain). Otho's bitterness at his estrangement from his wife, paired with his relocation to Hispania, made him a natural ally for Galba, the governor of neighbouring Tarraconensis, in his revolt against the emperor in 68. Support for Nero waned, and the emperor fled to the villa of his freedman Phaon where he ended his life, while Galba, accompanied by Otho, marched on Rome and was declared emperor. Otho expected to be named Galba’s heir as a result of his loyalty, but when Galba nominated L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus, Otho’s disappointment manifested itself as anger. He fomented a revolt amongst the Praetorians, who murdered Galba and hailed Otho as emperor in his place on 15 January AD 69. His reign was not destined to be lengthy. Whilst he had the support of Egypt, Africa and the legions of the Danube, the legions of the Rhine supported their commander Vitellius - conflict was inevitable. Otho committed to a battle before his reinforcements from Dalmatia were able to reach him, and he suffered a defeat at the Battle of Bedriacum. Ignoring the entreaties of his generals to await his reinforcements and offer battle once again, Otho took his own life, after just three months as emperor. In a dignified speech, he bade farewell to those about him, declaring: "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one". His suicide was widely recognised by his contemporaries as an honourable act, and the poet Martial later wrote in his Epigrams VI. XXXII “Sit Cato, dum vivit, sane vel Caesare maior, dum moritur, numquid maior Othone fuit?” (“Cato while he lived, he was greater than Caesar himself, when he died, was he at all greater than Otho?”).
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 500-450 BC. Satyr in kneeling-running stance to left, holding in his extended right hand a tunny fish by the tail / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 122; Boston 1461; SNG France -. 16.08g, 19mm. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Head of a goat with long beard to left; tunny fish upward behind / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 48, pl. I, 49; Rosen pl. XI 184; SNG France 186; Boston MFA 1421 = Warren 1560. 16.09g, 20mm. Very Fine. Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.
Macedon, Akanthos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 430-390 BC. Phoenician standard. Lion to right, attacking bull crouching left; counter-clockwise swastika above / AKAN?ION in shallow incuse around quadripartite square, the quarters raised and granulated. Desneux –; CNG 99, 63 (same dies); New York Sale XXX, lot 83 (same dies). 13.88g, 25mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Attractive old tone with hints of iridescence. Very rare issue unknown to Desneux, only six in CoinArchives. From a private British collection; Ex Fritz Rudolf Künker 216, 8 October 2012, lot 242.
Kingdom of Macedon, Perseus AR Tetradrachm. Pella or Amphipolis mint, circa 174-173 BC. Zoilos, mintmaster. Diademed head right / BA?I?E?? ?EP?E??, eagle with wings spread standing to right on thunderbolt, Z? (mintmaster's monogram) above, ME monogram to right, EY monogram between legs; all within oak wreath, [plough to right] in exergue. Mamroth, Perseus 4; HGC 3.1, 1091; SNG Alpha Bank -; SNG München -; SNG Saroglos -; SNG Copenhagen 1266; Bement 792; Boston MFA 720; Pozzi 982. 16.90g, 32mm, 12h. Extremely Fine; an attractive coin from the celebrated issue struck under the mintmaster Zoilos. Rare. Ex Northern California Collection, acquired from Freeman & Sear, 2003.
Etruria, Populonia AR 5 Asses. 3rd century BC. Young male head with curly hair left; V behind / Blank. EC I, 91 (O1); HN Italy 173. 1.48g, 13mm. Very Fine. Extremely Rare; one of only seven known examples, four of which are in Museum collections. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Antoninus Pius, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, AD 138. IMP T AEL CAES ANTONINVS, bareheaded and draped bust right / TRI POT COS DES II, PIE-TAS across field, Pietas, veiled and draped, standing right, holding up right hand and holding acerrum in left; to right, lighted and filleted altar. RIC 454b (Hadrian); Strack 406?? (Hadrian); Calicó 1597a (same dies); BMCRE p. 371, note 1017 (Hadrian); Biaggi -. 7.11g, 20mm, 6h. Good Very Fine. Rare. Ex Monsieur Note (1910-1982) Collection, France.
Augustus Æ Dupondius of Hadrumentum, Africa. L. Volusius Saturninus, proconsul. Struck 7-6 BC. Radiate head of Sol right; trident to left, HADR to right / Bare head of Saturninus left; L VOLVSIVS SATVR around. RPC I 778; MAA 88; SNG Copenhagen 63. 15.19g, 31mm, 6h. Very Fine - Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare.
P. Cornelius P. f. Lentulus Spinther AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Attalos, son of Bianoros, magistrate. Apamea, 57-56 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; P LENTVLVS P F IMPERATOR in two lines above, A?A to left, two flutes to right, ?TTA??? BIANOPO? below. Stumpf 71. 12.21g, 27mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare - only one example recorded by Stumpf. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Etruria, Populonia AR Unit (?). 4th - 3rd century. Octopus / Blank. EC I, Pisae 5.27 (O3, misattributed to Pisae, this coin); HN Italy 227. 1.07g, 10mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist; This coin published in I. Vecchi, Etruscan Coinage, 2012; Ex VCV Collection, Roma Numismatics X, 27 September 2015, lot 15.
P. Cornelius P. f. Lentulus Spinther AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Kratippos, magistrate. Laodicea, 56-54 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; P LENTVLVS P F IMP in two lines above, ?AO to left, winged caduceus to right, KPATI??O? below. Stumpf 79; BMC 17 = Bunbury, NC 1883, 4m; SNG Copenhagen 494. 12.49g, 26mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare - two examples recorded by Stumpf, a further three on CoinArchives. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Eagle standing left, head right; behind, grape cluster on vine with leaf, and kerykeion above. Roma XIV, 335; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner 26d; N&A 63-64. 3.55g, 15mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Sicily, The Mamertinoi Æ Hexas. Messana, circa 264-241 BC. Laureate head of youthful Ares to right; two pellets behind head, ????? before / Athena Promachos advancing to right, holding transverse spear in her right hand and resting her left on shield set on the ground before her; MAMEPTIN?N behind. CNS I 21; SNG ANS 420-422; Särström Series X, 155; SNG Morcom 631. 8.60g, 23mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. An excellent specimen of this rare type with a wonderful, intact patina. Ex Roma Numismatics VII, 22 March 2014, lot 128 (hammer: £2,800); Ex private German collection. In 270 BC mercenaries of Italian origin who had originally been hired by Agathokles of Syracuse, seized the city of Messana by treachery. Having been offered shelter by the inhabitants of the city, they butchered their hosts as they slept and took the womenfolk for themselves. Renaming themselves the Mamertines after the Oscan god of war Mamers, the mercenaries held the town for twenty years, during which time they became pirates on land and sea, raiding and pillaging nearby settlements, and preying on unwary trade ships. Eventually Hieron II, tyrant of Syracuse, resolved to deal with the threat by force; the Mamertines however invoked the protection of a nearby Carthaginian fleet, and later (uncomfortable under the Carthaginian protection) formally requested to be allowed under the protection of Rome. Though initially unwilling to come to the aid of such despicable fellows, the Romans did not wish to see Carthaginian influence come so close to Italy, and so consented. Syracuse in response allied itself with Carthage, and the series of events that would lead to the First Punic War were thus set in motion.
Ionia, Phokaia EL 1/24 Stater. Circa 560-545 BC. Head of roaring lion left; to right, small seal upwards / Incuse square punch. Bodenstedt 13; Boston MFA 1904; SNG von Aulock -. 0.64g, 7mm. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; only two examples recorded by Bodenstedt, both in public collections, a further six in CoinArchives.
Dynasts of Lycia, Kuprilli AR Stater. Circa 480-440 BC. Forepart of griffin to right, head left / Triskeles, KO?P??E around; all within dotted border within incuse square. Mørkolm-Zahle 103 var. (legend arrangement); Traité II, 255 var. (same); Savoca Numismatik 13, 270 (same dies). 8.79g, 19mm. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; behind, prow and grape bunch on vine with leaf, A?E before. Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45. 8.03g, 20mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Marc Antony AR Denarius. Mint moving with Antony, 37 BC. M•ANT•AVGVR•III•VIR•R•P•C, bare head right / IMP-TER, trophy with curved sword attached to right arm and figure-of-eight shield attached to left; at its base, two spears and two round shields. Crawford 536/1; Antonia 76; Sydenham 1203; CRI 269; RSC 16. 4.08g, 20mm, 4h. Mint State. Very Rare, and in exceptional condition for the type.
Etruria, Populonia AR 10 Units. Circa 425-400 BC. Head of Metus facing, hair bound in diadem; below, X / Blank. EC I, 8.37-45 (O6). 7.75g, 23mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare; only 10 examples of this die recorded in EC. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Kyrenaika, Kyrene AR Tetradrachm. Circa 450-420 BC. Silphium plant with two pairs of leaves and five umbels; at base of stem, two tiny leave to [left] and right / Head of Zeus Ammon to right, hair secured in a plait, with dotted neck truncation; KYP before, all within circular torque-like border. BMC -, cf. 42-43, pl. V, 16-17; Traité III -; SNG Copenhagen -; Delepierre -; McClean -; Boston MFA -; Jameson -. 17.40g, 26mm, 4h. Extremely Fine; wonderful, lustrous metal. Extremely Rare. From the Dr. Albert Potts collection; Acquired privately in Paris, 1967. Kyrene was founded in 631 BC by Dorian settlers from Thera and their leader Battos, as instructed by the Delphic oracle. Around a hundred years later as the city grew in prosperity to rival even Carthage, Kyrene began issuing silver coins of archaic style on small, thick modules. Virtually all of the coins of Kyrene display the badge of the city and the principal source of its wealth - the silphium plant. It was described as having a thick root, a stalk like fennel, large alternating leaves with leaflets like celery, spherical clusters of small yellow flowers at the top and broad leaf-like, heart-shaped fruit called phyllon. The plant was valued in ancient times because of its many uses as a food source, seasoning for food, and, most importantly, as a medication. Perfumes were made from the flowers, the stalk was used for food or fodder while the juice and root were used to make a variety of medical potions. Aside from its uses in Greco-Roman cooking (as in recipes by Apicius), the many medical applications of the plant included use to treat cough, sore throat, fever, indigestion, aches and pains, warts, and it has even been speculated that the plant may also have functioned as a contraceptive, based partly on testimony from Pliny. The plant only grew along a narrow coastal area, about 125 by 35 miles. Much of the speculation about the cause of its extinction rests on a sudden demand for animals that grazed on the plant, for some supposed effect on the quality of the meat. Overgrazing combined with over harvesting and climate change led to its extinction. Pliny reported that the last known stalk of silphium found in Kyrenaika was given to the Emperor Nero as a curiosity. The city never recovered from the extinction of its principal export, and economic decline combined with a series of devastating earthquakes led to the abandonment of the city in the 4th Century AD. The syncretic god Zeus Ammon, depicted on the obverse of this coin, combines the Greek Zeus with the Egyptian king of gods, Amun-Ra, who was often shown in Egyptian art with a ram's head. Zeus Ammon was also especially worshipped in Sparta and Thebes, both of which are recorded by Pausanias as having temples to the god (see his Description of Greece 3.18.3 and 9.16.1). The oracle was famed in later times for being visited by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and later Hannibal.
Dynasts of Lycia, Kuprilli AR Stater. Circa 480-440 BC. Forepart of griffin to right, head left / Triskeles, KO?P??E around; all within dotted border within incuse square. Mørkolm-Zahle 103; Traité II, 255. 8.79g, 19mm. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; apparently the second known example from these dies. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Constantine I AV Solidus. Antioch, AD 324-325. CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, laureate head right / ADVENTVS AVGVSTI N, Constantine on horseback to left, cloak flying, raising right hand and holding spear in left; SMAN* in exergue. RIC 48 (this coin cited); C. 11; Alföldi 5; Depeyrot 41/1. 4.42g, 20mm, 11h. Good Extremely Fine; light marks on reverse. Extremely Rare. This coin cited in H. Mattingly, et al, The Roman Imperial Coinage Vol. VII (1966); Ex Leu 91, 10 May 2004, lot 689; Ex Hess-Leu 45, 12 May 1970, lot 645; Ex Hess-Leu 24, 16 April 1964, lot 356; Ex Münzen & Medaillen 13, 17-19 June 1954, lot 762. The tetrarchy that had effectively governed the affairs of the empire since the reign of Diocletian broke down irretrievably in its third generation and culminated in the civil war between Licinius in the East and Constantine in the West. With Constantine victorious following the Battle of Chrysopolis on 18 September 324, he became the first sole emperor to rule over the Roman territories since the institution of the tetrarchy in AD 293. This coin commemorates the planned adventus (arrival) of the emperor Constantine I into the Eastern city of Antioch - formerly under the dominion of Licinius - an event for which the mint of Antioch clearly made preparations, but which was cancelled by Constantine who blamed the controversy between the bishop of Alexandria and Arius regarding the nature of Christ’s personhood as the reason for his decision not to go East as planned. This coin therefore stands as an unusual record of a celebration that never took place, which may perhaps explain its extreme rarity - the issue having either been prematurely aborted, or recalled. The adventus coin type with an emperor on horseback was first introduced by Trajan, although precursors can be found in earlier coinage. This coin follows the traditional adventus design, showing the emperor mounted and riding forward with his cloak billowing and his arm raised in a gesture of greeting with the reverse legend explicitly highlighting “the arrival of our emperor”. The adventus of an emperor was marked with great ceremony by the inhabitants of a city and normally involved processions, honours, speeches and gifts in addition to possible benefits to the city itself such as when Constantine I gave tax relief to the city of Augustodunum (modern day Autun).
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 550-500 BC. Forepart of winged bull to left; tunny fish below / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 60; Greenwell 125; Boston MFA 1439 = Warren 1546; cf. SNG France 191 (hemihekte); BMC 51; Jameson 1409; Weber 5015. 16.09g, 19mm. Very Fine. Rare. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s.
Etruria, Populonia AR 5 Asses. 3rd century BC. Head of Turms right, wearing winged petasos; V behind / Blank. EC I, 81 (O1); HN Italy 161. 1.70g, 16mm. Good Very Fine. Very Rare, and in exceptional condition for the type. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist, and outside of Italy prior to December 1992.
Kings of Thrace, Lysimachos AV Stater. Uncertain mint, circa 297-281 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander the Great right, wearing horn of Ammon / Athena Nikephoros seated left, resting left elbow on shield adorned with aegis, transverse spear behind; ???????? to right, ?Y??????Y to left crowned by Nike, monogram in inner left field. Müller 501; Thompson -. 8.42g, 20mm, 11h. Good Extremely Fine; minor surface marks. Beautiful style. Extremely Rare.
Galba AR Quinarius. Lugdunum, AD 68-69. SER GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG P M T P, laureate head right / VICTORIA GALBAE AVG, Victory, draped, standing to right on globe, holding wreath and palm. RIC 132; BMCRE 244; King 1; RSC 317. 1.51g, 14mm, 8h. Extremely Fine. Rare. Ex Áureo & Calicó, 9 November 2017, lot 22.
Lucania, Metapontion AR Drachm. Circa 540-510 BC. Barley ear of seven grains; META to right, grasshopper upwards to left / Incuse barley ear of six grains. Noe 106 (same dies); HN Italy 1473. 2.65g, 18mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. An issue of great fascination. From a private European collection, outside of Italy prior to December 1992. The most desirable of all the incuse types of Metapontion, this remarkable and brief series comprising only four known obverse dies for the staters and one for a third stater marks the first usage of adjunct symbols on the coinage of Metapontion. A series of great fascination, the meaning of the grasshopper and the dolphin (which is present on the staters) has been a subject of debate for many years. Noe advocated the symbols as representing the badges of the moneyers' houses, an argument not dissimilar to that which led the early archaic Athenian coins to be called 'wappenmünzen'. Lenormant's view that the insect has a propitiatory significance is rejected with the derisory rhetorical question 'there may have been a plague of locusts but could there have been a plague of dolphins?', while avoiding trying to explain its significance. Babelon (Traité, 1395-1396) proposed a punning reference to the hero Alybas, father of Metabos, and legendary founder of the city, however the Greek word he proposes to mean locust is incorrect, and the argument founders, still failing to explain the dolphin. It is most logical to follow Lenormant and view the appearance of the grasshopper-locust on the coins as being a propitiatory emblem or commemorating the deliverance of the city from a plague of locusts through the intervention of Apollo. Indeed, the god is closely associated with afflictions (and the relief of), and had as one of his epithets 'Parnopios', from ??????, "locust" – the expeller of locusts. Given that the dolphin was both a form he had taken and one of his sacred animals, as well as being a punning allusion to him as Apollo Delphinios, it seems eminently reasonable to determine the link between the two symbols as being in reference to a plague of locusts whose abatement was attributed to the intervention of Apollo. That the grasshopper-locust symbol recurs several times more throughout the extensive coinage of Metapontion and at appreciable intervals is hardly suggestive of descendants of a particular family holding office, as Noe suggested, but rather more likely indicative of recurrent swarms threatening the principle source of the city's wealth and food.
C. Claudius A. P. f. Pulcher AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Menophantos, magistrate. Pergamum, 55-53 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents standing by decorated bow case; C•PVLCHER PRO•COS in two lines above, monogram of Pergamum to left, staff of Asclepius to right, MHNO?ANTOC below. Stumpf 54. 12.32g, 28mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the A.F. Collection, Germany.
Etruria, Vulci AR Didrachm. 5th - 4th century BC. Winged Metus running to left, head facing, holding serpent in each hand / Cartwheel with long crossbar supported by two struts; Etruscan legend ‘?e-zi’ above and below strut. EC I, 1.8 (O1/R4, this coin); HN Italy 206 (Volci?); SNG ANS 12 (Uncertain mints); BMC Italy = PCG pl. 13, 1 (Uncertain mint of Etruria). 10.90g, 28mm, 8h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; a superb example of a classic rarity of high late archaic artistic merit that has only ever been in a public sale twice, but with different die combinations: Leu Numismatik 77 (2000), lot 26, and Numismatic Ars Classica 18 (2000), lot 1. From the collection of a Swiss Etruscologist; This coin published in I. Vecchi, Etruscan Coinage, 2012; Privately purchased from Freeman & Sear (Los Angeles), 3 May 2002. The identification of Vulci as the mint is based on single spot finds in the general vicinity of that city. The coins are of a late archaic style of high artistic merit, some with legends ‘?ezi’ and ‘?ezle’ (TLE 785-786), which have been much discussed. The most recent interpretation suggests a connection with the concept of ‘la sfera del sacro’ (cf. Bruni 1986, pp. 83-103; see also Pallotino 1975 p. 367), a sacred area, possibly within a temple compound responsible for the coinage, similar to that at the temple of Juno Moneta in Rome. The coins have no marks of value and are on a weight standard of about 5.8g, similar to the early issues of Populonia (EC I, Series 1-6) and Luca (?) (EC I, Series 11-6). The ruins of the city of Vulci (Etr. Velx-; Latin Volci) in southwest Etruria (now Lazio) lie close to the right bank of the river Armenta (Fiora), on a plateau with a commanding view of Monte Argentario and Cosa. The city grew to become an important member of the twelve populi of Etruria and flourished from the late 8th to 4th centuries BC, largely through the extraction of minerals from nearby Monte Amiata and international trade of highly developed arts and crafts, including painted vases, encouraged by the presence of Greek artists. Official and clandestine excavations at Vulci from the time of Luciano Bonaparte (1st Prince of Canino and Napoleon’s brother) have unearthed the largest group of Attic black-figure and red-figure vases extant and are today present in museums worldwide. In the second half of the 4th century BC, Vulci began to feel the pressure of Roman expansionism. The struggle to remain independent came to an end in 280 BC when, defeated, it had to relinquish a large part of its territory, including the coast, to Rome. Once it had lost its independence, the city declined and rapidly fell into obscurity.
C. Valerius Flaccus AR Denarius. Massalia, 82 BC. Draped and winged bust of Victory right; E behind / Legionary eagle between two standards inscribed H (Hastati) and P (Principes); C•VAL•FLA (ligate) upwards to left, IMPERAT upwards to right, EX• S•C below. Crawford 365/1b; BMCRR Gaul 17; RSC Valeria 12b. 3.77g, 19mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Rare. Ex private Spanish collection.
Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; behind, prow and grape bunch on vine with leaf, A?E before. Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45. 8.13g, 19mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Pamphylia, Side AR Stater. Circa 460-430 BC. Pomegranate within dot-and-cable border / Head of Athena right, wearing raised Corinthian helmet, earring and necklace; all within incuse square. Atlan 16 (O15/A14); SNG von Aulock 4762; Roma Numismatics E-Sale 13, 161 corr. (same dies, but not SNG France 627); SNG France -. 11.07g, 20mm, 11h. Near Mint State. Very Rare; among the earliest issues of Side. From a private North American collection.
Julia Domna (wife of S. Severus) AV Aureus. Rome, AD 196-211. IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / MATER DEVM, Cybele seated left on throne, towered, holding branch in right hand and resting left elbow on drum; on either side of throne, a lion crouching left. RIC 565 (Severus); C. 126; BMCRE 50; Calicó 2629 (same dies). 7.28g, 21mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the property of B.R.S., United Kingdom. Of the many titles conferred on his wife by the emperor Septimius Severus, included are Mater Senatus et Patriae (mother of the Senate and Rome), the unique title of Mater Augustorum (mother of the Augusti) and, on account of her companionship in the field, Mater Castrorum (mother of the camp). The emphasis is on Julia Domna as imperial mother not only to the two heirs Caracalla and Geta but also to segments of Roman society. This coin associates the empress with Cybele, the MATER DEVM (mother of gods), perhaps extending the reach of the imperial mother by association with the mother of the gods; as Cybele is the supreme divine mother, so Julia Domna is the supreme mother to mortals.
Jovian AV Solidus. Constantinople, June AD 363 - February AD 364. D N IOVIANVS P F PERP AVG, rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE, Roma, seated facing on left, and Constantinopolis, seated left on right with foot on prow, supporting between them round shield inscribed VOT V MVL X in four lines; CONSP in exergue. RIC 169; Depeyrot 9/2.4.49g, 21mm, 12h. Extremely Fine; minor marks. Very Rare. 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.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 500-450 BC. Head of Silenos facing; tunny fish upward to either side / Quadripartite incuse square. CNG 75, 23 May 2007, lot 336; cf. Von Fritze 77 (fractions only); SNG France -, cf. 208 (hekte); Hurter & Liewald I, 77; BMC -; Gillet -; Gulbenkian -; Jameson -; Weber -. 16.13g, 19mm. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; one of only a dozen or so known examples. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-90s. The teacher and faithful companion of the wine-god Dionysos, Silenos was described as the oldest, wisest and most drunken of the followers of Dionysos, and was said in Orphic hymns to be the young god's tutor. Originally a folkloric man of the forest with the ears of a horse (and sometimes also the tail and legs of a horse), Silenos was often depicted with thick lips and a squat nose, as is the case here, fat, and most often bald – though our Silenos may consider himself fortunate in that he sports a full head of hair. Unusual consideration has been given to symmetry in the composition of this type: though symmetrical designs do occur, as in the case of two eagles perched on an omphalos (v. Fritze 220) or the double bodied sphinx (v. Fritze 138) to name but two, this is one of a tiny minority of designs that incorporates two tunny fish for balance. Interestingly, it has been suggested that the head of Silenos on this coin very possibly served as the model for a silver issue of the slightly later Lykian dynast Teththiveibi (see BMC 88 and SNG Berry 1164). One of the principal myths concerning Silenos has him lost and wandering in Phrygia, rescued by peasants and taken to the Phrygian King Midas, who treated him kindly. In return for Midas' hospitality Silenos regaled him with tales and Midas, enchanted by Silenos' fictions, entertained him for five days and nights. When the god Dionysos found his wayward friend, he offered Midas a reward for his kindness towards Silenos, a blessing which the avaricious Midas squandered by choosing the power of turning everything he touched into gold. How fitting then, that we should see in this beautiful coin a faint reflection of that classic myth of the drunken but sage Silenos looking out at us across the millennia through this window of golden metal.
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![Kingdom of Spain, Felipe IV (1605-1665) AR Quarter Real. Madrid(?), 1643(?). [PHILIPP]VS•IIII•D[•G], bust right, between mint](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/cc72347d-a915-4657-ba47-a95300b1d467/485f28d7-f869-42bc-d359-649c314ef6c0/468x382.jpg)
