Seleukid Empire, Seleukos I Nikator AR Stater. Attic standard. Susa, circa 288/7 BC. Head of Zeus right, wearing laurel wreath / Elephant advancing to right; spearhead above to right, ΠA monogram and AP below. SC 187.1 var. (controls not listed), cf. 179 (controls in ex. on elephant chariot type); ESM -; HGC 9, -. 16.86g, 22mm, 9h. Very Fine; weight adjustment gouge on obv. Of the greatest rarity; a unique variety of a series for which only 10 specimens are known. From the collection of A.S., Canada. Recalling the conclusion of Seleukos’ Indian campaign in 303 BC, at which time he exchanged his eastern satrapies in the Indus River Valley for a considerable force of 500 war elephants, and first introduced around the time of the tenth anniversary in c. 295 at Susa (cf. elephant chariot type, SC 177), the related motif seen on the present piece dispenses with the military aspects of the earlier types for a distinctly eastern theme. A unique variety of an extremely rare series, this stater bears the spearhead symbol used at Susa before the introduction of the Seleukid anchor, and control marks in exergue known from the earlier elephant chariot types (cf. SC 179). The specific reason for their production remains unknown however, overshadowed as they are by the more commonly found Baal/Lion staters (cf. SC 88ff), with the suggestion from Newell that they might be a localised trade or temple currency remaining the most likely reasoning posited for both series.
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Seleukid Empire, Antiochos I Soter with Seleukos I (Joint reign) AR Drachm. Ekbatana, 294-281 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, holding sceptre; ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ to right, ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ below, monogram above lion forepart to left; monogram below throne. SC 211.2 var. (secondary control not listed), cf. 210.2 (secondary control for Seleukos I); ESM -. 4.04g, 17mm, 7h. Extremely Fine. An apparently unique and unrecorded variety of an extremely rare Alexandrine type in the name of Antiochos I. From the collection of D.I., Germany, purchased before 1992. Bearing a secondary control known from the Alexandrine type tetradrachms and drachms of Seleukos I struck at Ekbatana, coupled with a primary control and field symbol attested on issues of Antiochos I, this apparently unique and unrecorded drachm would appear to confirm the assertion first made by Waggoner and followed by Houghton and Lorber in SC that the Alexandrine coinage in the name of Antiochos from Ekbatana was struck during the period of co-regency between father and son, rather than at the beginning of his sole reign. The sprawling nature of the Seleukid Empire by AD 295, which had experienced rapid growth in only seventeen years, led to the province of Persis being the first to break away through a nationalist revolt, and it was likely this crisis that led to the elevation of Antiochos. With responsibility for the eastern provinces and thus the mints within their bounds, the many control links seen among the mints attest to a degree of administrative coordination that is perhaps reflective of the young co-regent asserting his rule.
Seleukid Empire, Antiochos I Soter AR Tetradrachm. Ekbatana, circa 281-261 BC. Diademed head right / Apollo Delphios seated left on omphalos, testing arrow and resting left hand on grounded bow; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ to right, ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ to left, two monograms to inner left, forepart of horse grazing left at feet. SC 409.2g; HGC 9, 128h. 16.97g, 28mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the collection of P.R., United Kingdom.
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, AΘE 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. 16.87g, 26mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA. The presence of this particular monogram on these issues of the 'Athenian Series' coinage is confounding. It is (with the occasional inclusion or omission of a central vertical line) precisely the same monogram that appears on all of the silver tetradrachms of Andragoras, as well as the gold staters (BMC Arabia, North East Persia 1) which have been variously attributed to either a Satrap appointed by Alexander in c.331 BC, or the Seleukid satrap who declared independence in 246/5 BC. The monogram has three possible explanations: firstly, the monogram could be an engraver's signature; secondly, it could be a magistral mark, the monogram of a mint or treasury official; thirdly, it could be the monogram of the issuing authority, i.e. the satrap. If indeed as we have proposed above there was only the one Andragoras, and that his silver and gold coinage is related, it is equally possible that the monogram could belong to engraver, official or satrap. However, examining the monogram itself, one can easily read 'ANΔPAΓOPAΣ', whether the central vertical line is present or not. The implications, if this is indeed correct, are significant. It may require the reconsideration of the attribution of at least part of the 'Athenian Series' and 'Eagle Series' coinage from Sophytes to Andragoras and therefore the Ekbatana mint. The matter is not so simple though, since the 'MNA' mark that appears on some other 'Athenian Series' coins also appears on the bust truncation of the helmeted coins of Sophytes. Additionally, there are other monograms and marks which cannot be tied to either Andragoras or Sophytes. One possible answer to this puzzle is that the 'Athenian Series' was not all struck at a single 'uncertain mint in the Oxus region', and that Athenian imitations were being produced at various satrapal minting facilities in the region for the purpose of local commerce, each utilising a different control mark or set of controls. Nicolet-Pierre and Amandry also reached the same tentative conclusion (see N&A p.40). We will not presume to attempt to solve a century old mystery in the few hours available to us - this must be left to others with more time - however in this cataloguer's opinion the links between the 'Athenian Series' and the coinage of both Andragoras and Sophytes cannot be ignored, and for the time being we have elected to re-attribute part of the 'Athenian Series' and 'Eagle Series' to the mint under Andragoras' control, since the same monogram can be found across those series."
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, AΘE 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. 17.05g, 26mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
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; behind, prow and grape bunch on vine with leaf, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 330; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 3; N&A 40-42; Mitchiner -. 17.07g, 23mm, 7h. Good Extremely Fine; flan defect on obv. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
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, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45; cf. Mitchiner 24, third illustrated specimen (appears to have appropriate reverse symbols, but is not described in text and listed, probably erroneously, as local weight standard). 8.09g, 20mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
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, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45; cf. Mitchiner 24, third illustrated specimen (appears to have appropriate reverse symbols, but is not described in text and listed, probably erroneously, as local weight standard). 7.96g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
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, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45; cf. Mitchiner 24, third illustrated specimen (appears to have appropriate reverse symbols, but is not described in text and listed, probably erroneously, as local weight standard). 8.04g, 20mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
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; grape cluster on vine with leaf. Roma XIV, 332; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner -; N&A -; CNG 63, 920. 3.66g, 15mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Ekbatana(?), 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; grape cluster on vine with leaf above. Roma XIV, 334; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS 14-16; Mitchiner 26c; N&A 52-57. 3.57g, 15mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Diobol. Hekatompylos(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Laureate head of Zeus right / Eagle standing left, head right; grape cluster on vine with leaf and kerykeion above. Roma XIV, 339; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; N&A 65; SNG ANS -; cf. Mitchiner -. 1.21g, 11mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Exceedingly Rare; apparently the third known example. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Uncertain Eastern Satrapy, ‘Athenian Series’ AR Didrachm. Uncertain mint, circa 323-240 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; small grape bunch behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 342; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS 5; N&A 24-29; NAC 77, 102; Triton VIII, 608. 8.07g, 18mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Uncertain Eastern Satrapy, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint (Mesopotamia or Babylonia), circa 323-240 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right, with profile eye / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent to left, AIΓ to right. Van Alfen, Mechanisms, Group III.E.2, fig. 24; BMC Attica 271; Mitchiner 13c. 17.14g, 23mm, 11h. Good Very Fine. Unusually complete and very well preserved for the issue. Extremely Rare; one of only a dozen or so known specimens, of which six are in museums. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Uncertain Eastern Satrapy, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint, circa 323-240 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 / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE before; all within incuse square. Roma XIV, 345; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner 13a; SNG ANS 1. 16.96g, 25mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Stasanor, satrap(?). Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 321-245 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; ΣTA behind, MNA below / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig, crescent and grape bunch behind, AΘE before. Roma XVI, 346; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS -; N&A 1-3; Spink 3014, 124 = G&M 48, 604. 16.96g, 23mm, 11h. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare; one of fewer than ten known examples. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA. The ΣTA MNA mark which appears on a small number of extremely rare tetradrachms is nearly identical to a mark on a double daric (BMC Arabia p. 178, 12) attributed to Babylon. F. Imhoof-Blumer read the two clearly separate marks as one, arriving at the name 'Stamenes', who was briefly satrap of Babylonia under Alexander after the death of Mazaios, before being replaced by a Macedonian, Archon, son of Kleinias, who governed until after Alexander's death. There is however no evidence to support this attribution, and in fact the reverse punch of the double daric is considerably different in style to others of the series. Moreover, in considering the origin of that coin, which came from the Oxus hoard and entered the BM in 1881, it seems more logical to suppose, as proposed by Head (NC, 1906), that it was minted further east, perhaps under the then satrap Stasanor. The letters MNA remained unexplained to Head, but the appearance of these letters on their own, not preceded by ΣTA on 'Athenian Series' tetradrachms and the helmeted portrait issues of Sophytes, which also appear in abbreviated form as MN and M, further discredit the Stamenes theory, and strengthen the case for ΣTA being viewed independently of the second mark, MNA. For further discussion on the ΣTA-MNA marks, see N&A p. 50-54. Stasanor was a native of Soli in Cyprus who held a distinguished position among the officers of Alexander the Great. He probably entered the service after the siege of Tyre in 332 BC, but the first occasion on which his name is mentioned is during the campaign in Baktria, when he was despatched by Alexander with a strong force to reduce Arsames, then satrap of Aria, who was in revolt. As reward, Stasanor was confirmed in the now vacant position of satrap, whence he was soon promoted to Drangiana. In the Partition of Triparadisus in 321 BC, Stasanor was appointed the more important government of Baktria and Sogdiana. He is attested as having been still at his post in 316, and may possibly have remained there until his death before or in 305, when Seleukos is believed to have attacked and conquered the province. However, while an attribution of this type to Stasanor may seem attractive and even tempting, its context within this group and the rather moderate wear it has suffered suggest that it may have been produced somewhat later than the time of Stasanor, even if we accept that he may have still been at his post in 305. Moreover, in considering the redating of the coins of Sophytes (see lots 325, 364 and 365) we must admit the possibility that if MNA is an engraver or mint-master's initials, then it seems unlikely that the same engraver or mint-master would have been active for so lengthy a span of time. It then follows that ΣTA might refer to neither Stamenes nor Stasanor.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; MNA behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 349; Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; Mitchiner -; SNG ANS -; N&A -, cf. 18-19 (tetradrachms); CNG E-115, 180 (misdescribed). 7.70g, 19mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; only four other didrachms of the MNA issue in CoinArchives. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; ΦA over prow behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig, crescent and grape bunch behind, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 352; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner -; N&A 20-22; SNG ANS -. 16.66g, 24mm, 7h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, grape bunch over tail, AΘE before. Roma XIV, 354; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner 13e; N&A 13-15; SNG ANS -; Svoronos pl. 109, 8; Leu 83, 263. 16.98g, 24mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; small grape bunch behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, grape bunch over tail, AΘE to right. Roma XIV, 360; cf. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner -; N&A -; SNG ANS -. 16.72g, 23mm, 8h. Very Fine. Extremely Rare, apparently the third known example. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Hemidrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette and grape bunch on the bowl / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, grape bunch over tail, AΘE before. Roma XIV 341 corr.; cf. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A. 1.92g, 10mm, 9h. Very Fine. Very Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Bruttium, Kroton AR Hemiobol. Circa 530-500 BC. Tripod, legs terminating in lion’s paws, with ornaments on and serpents rising from the bowl; QPO to left / Incuse tripod. Unpublished in the standard references, cf. Heidelberger 64, 2014, 37 (0.16g) and Gorny & Mosch 204, 2012, 1071 (0.14g). 0.24g, 10mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics XII, 29 September 2016, lot 50; Ex private German collection.
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; M on bust truncation / Cockerel standing right; kerykeion behind, ΣΩΦYΤΟΥ to right. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 3A, pl. I, 3; SNG ANS 21-23; Mitchiner 29b; cf. Whitehead NC 1943, pp. 64, 1 and pl. III, 7-8; cf. G&M 169, 149 (MNA on bust truncation). 3.86g, 16mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare. From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Sasanian Kings, Shapur I AV Dinar. Ctesiphon, AD 260-272. Draped bust right, wearing diadem and mural crown surmounted by a korymbos; one pellet above and two below diadem ties / Fire-altar flanked by two regal attendants wearing mural crowns, symbol to left of flames. SNS type IIc/1b, style P, group d/1 (pl. 31, 143); Göbl type I/1; Saeedi AV5; Sunrise 740. 7.44g, 21mm, 3h. Mint State. Rare. In AD 253 Shapur met and annihilated a Roman army of 60,000 at the Battle of Barbalissos, and proceeded then to burn and ravage the Roman province of Syria. Armenia was conquered, and Georgia submitted to Sasanian control. With his northern borders secure, Shapur then led an army which penetrated deep into Syria, plundering all the way to Antioch which quickly fell to his forces. The Roman counter-offensive under emperor Valerian was slow, but by 257 Antioch had been recovered and the province of Syria returned to Roman control. Shapur's speedy retreat caused the Romans to launch a hasty pursuit of the Sasanians all the way to Edessa, where they were severely defeated, and Valerian along with the survivors of his army were led away into captivity. The defeat and capture of Valerian surely marks the greatest achievement in the reign of Shapur, who is also called 'the Great', and the submission of Valerian is commemorated in a mural at Naqsh-e Rustam, which shows the emperor bending the knee before Shapur on horseback. Valerian's army was sent to Bishapur, and the soldiers were used in engineering and development works, such as the Band-e Kaisar (Caesar's dam) near the ancient city of Susa.
Anonymous Æ 'Aes Grave' Cast Semis. First Punic War. Rome, circa 260-240 BC. Head of bull to right / Prow to right, S before. Crawford -; ICC 276 (uncertain central Italy); HN Italy 359; AG 103; TV 44; Haeberlin p. 157-8, 1-24, pl. 66, 5-9. 124g, 55mm, 12h. Very Fine; insufficient metal to completely fill mould. Extremely Rare. From the Andrew McCabe Collection; Ex Artemide Aste XXXVII (Vienna), 8 December 2012, lot 69; then attested by the vendor as having been outside Italy prior to 2011.
Bruttium, Kroton AR Stater. Circa 400-325 BC. Head of Hera Lakinia facing slightly right, wearing necklace and polos decorated with palmettes; B to right / Young Herakles, nude, holding cup in extended right hand and club in left, reclining left on lion skin draped over rock; KPOTΩNIATAΣ around, bow below. Attianese 138; HN Italy 2169; SNG ANS 375 (same dies); SNG Lloyd –; Gulbenkian 131 (same dies); Kraay & Hirmer 270 = de Luynes 728 (same dies). 7.73g, 23mm, 3h. Good Very Fine. Rare in this grade. Ex Giessener Münzhandlung 69, 18 November 1994, lot 85 (and coverpiece). The depiction of Hera on the obverse is that of a local aspect of the deity, whose sanctuary the Heraion Lakinion was situated 10 kilometres away from Kroton at Lakinion, now Cape Colonna. The site takes its name from the sole surviving column of the temple built upon that spot in around 470 BC, which was largely intact until the sixteenth century when it was extensively quarried. Theokritos' Korydon sings the praises of the 'Lakinian shrine that faces the dawn', and Livy 24.3.3-7 tells us that it was 'a building more famous even than the city itself and held in reverence by all the peoples there around' and that within were countless masterpieces and treasures including a column of solid gold dedicated to the goddess. By the time of Livy's writings however, the temple had long been plundered. This facing portrait of Hera can be considered to be directly inspired by Kimon's famous facing Arethusa tetradrachm that was widely admired and imitated throughout the ancient world; the difficulty of creating an attractive facing portrait apparently led to engravers considering the undertaking of such a die as a challenge and proof of their skill. Hera's headdress, a low crown known as a polos, was no longer worn in classical times but was common in Mycenaean art. Many of the terracotta figurines from late Helladic IIIA Mycenaean period circa 1400–1300 BC seem to wear poloi, and its use can thus be seen as a deliberate archaism for representing a Mother Goddess. Herakles appears on the reverse of this coin in his role as ‘founder’ of Kroton. Later Krotoniate tradition conveniently bypassed Myskellos in favour of associating the city with a past more ancient even than the Trojan War; according to myth Herakles landed at the nearby promontory with the oxen of Gerion and was hospitably received by one Kroton and his wife Laureta. Her father Lakinio however, was discovered trying to steal an ox from Herakles’ sacred herd, resulting in Herakles fighting and killing him. In the confusion, it transpired that Herakles had also mortally wounded his host Kroton. Saddened, Herakles gave Kroton an honourable burial, and predicted the founding of a great city there that would bear his name. We see also on the reverse of this coin the fabled bow of Herakles, that Philoktetes (a Greek hero of the Trojan War) was said to have taken with him to the land between Sybaris and Kroton, where he founded the non-Greek cities Petelia, Chrone, Krimisa and Makalla. A prophecy arose as in the Trojan War, that victory would be Kroton’s if the bow and arrows of Herakles would be theirs. Thus, these sacred relics of Philoktetes were removed from his tomb and deposited in the Krotoniate sanctuary of Apollo Aleos. This coin is therefore rare among Greek coins in that it may be considered to have a threefold significance - referring directly to the sanctuary of Hera, to Herakles as 'founder' of the city, and to the sanctuary of Apollo.
Cn. Baebius Tampilus AR Denarius. Rome, 194-190 BC. Helmeted head of Roma right; X behind / The Dioscuri riding right; TAMP monogram above, ROMA in linear frame below. Crawford 133/2b; RSC Baebia 1. 3.65g, 20mm, 4h. Extremely Fine. Rare; excellent quality for the issue. From the V.D.T. Collection; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 5, 25 February 1992, lot 271.
The Social War, Marsic Confederation AR Denarius. Campania, 88-87 BC. Draped bust of one of the Dioscuri, wearing laureate pileus, surmounted by star / Italia (or Minerva), holding shield in left hand, spear and reins in right, driving galloping biga right; two pellets and bucranium. Campana 153; Sydenham 633a; HN Italy 417. 3.97g, 20mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Ex SC Collection, Heritage ANA 3033, 8 August 2014, lot 23059.
L. Cossutius C. f. Sabula AR Denarius. Rome, 72 BC. Head of Medusa left, winged and entwined with serpents; SABVLA upwards behind / Bellerophon riding pegasos right, hurling spear; control mark IIII behind, L•COSSVTI•C•F below. Crawford 395/1; RSC Cossutia 1. 4.15g, 18mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; beautiful old cabinet tone. Very rare in such excellent condition. Previously sold with export licence issued by the Republic of Italy.
M. Aemilius Lepidus AR Denarius. Rome, 61 BC. Veiled and laureate head of the Vestal Virgin Aemilia right / View of the Basilica Aemilia with circular shields attached to the columns; AIMILIA above, REF to left; SC to right, M LEPIDVS below. Crawford 419/3a; RSC Aemilia 26. 3.98g, 20mm, 4h. Extremely Fine; two hairline marks on obv. Very Rare, and in excellent condition for the issue. The obverse of this type commemorates the Vestal Virgin Aemilia, who on an occasion when the Sacred Fire was extinguished, miraculously rekindled it by throwing one of her most exquisite garments upon the extinct embers. The reverse records the restoration of the Basilica Aemilia by the moneyer's father during his consulship in 78 BC, at which time he embellished it by adding clipei (shields). This moneyer would later become one of the Triumvirs along with Marc Antony and Octavian.
Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Rome, April 44 BC. C. Cossutius Maridianus, moneyer. CAESAR PARENS•PATRIAE, laureate and veiled head right; apex behind, lituus before / C•COSSVTIVS and MARIDIANVS arranged in form of cross; A A A F F in angles. Crawford 480/19; CRI 112; RSC 8; BMCRR Rome 4187. 3.82g, 22mm. Extremely Fine. Rare.
Octavian Fourrée Denarius. Octavian Fourrée Denarius. Uncertain mint, after autumn 42 BC. Helmeted and draped bust of young Mars right, spear over left shoulder; CAESAR III VIR•R•P•C around / Aquila between two signa, all set on ground line; above, trophy, holding oval shields; S-C flanking aquila. Cf. Crawford 497/3; CRI 138; RSC 248. 2.61g, 18mm, 8h. Good Very Fine; intact plating. Rare.
Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus AR Denarius. Military mint travelling with Brutus and Cassius in western Asia Minor or northern Greece, late summer-autumn 42 BC. L. Plaetorius Cestianus, moneyer. Bare head of Brutus right; BRVT above, IMP to right, L•PLAET•CEST around to left / Pileus between two daggers pointing downward; EID•MAR below. Crawford 508/3; Cahn 20c; CRI 216; Sydenham 1301; BMCRR East 68-70; RSC 15; Campana, Eidibus Martiis, 64, (O4/R9 [this coin]). 3.76g, 18mm, 12h. About Very Fine; some very minor spots of corrosion on obv. Rare. From the Eucharius Collection; Privately purchased from a Swiss collection in the 1960s. Formed, we are told, mostly in the 1950s and 60s, the Eucharius Collection comprised over 400 silver coins of the Roman Republic, including numerous rarities. Unfortunately the collector responsible for amassing this group is no longer with us, and the present owner wishes it to remain anonymous, so this beautiful collection was named for the day on which it was consigned: December 8th, the feast day of Saint Eucharius. Presented in our Auction XI were 127 of the highest quality specimens; the remainder of the collection was dispersed through Roma Numismatics’ E-Sales. This coin, undoubtedly the most valuable piece present in the collection and certainly the most iconic, was kept back until last by the present owner. Nothing resonates so deeply with those knowledgeable in ancient Roman coinage as the dramatic EID MAR type struck by Brutus in 42 BC, nor indeed is any type more sought after by connoisseurs. Herbert A. Cahn’s 1989 study entitled Eidibus Martiis noted 56 examples in silver and two in gold. Though anecdotal comments suggest the extent of the surviving population of EID MAR denarii may approximate as many as one hundred specimens - a reasonably high figure for what is considered to be an extreme rarity - no other ancient coin type has inspired such admiration, fascination, disbelief and desire in the hearts of historians, numismatists and collectors. Foremost of the reasons for the exalted position of the type in the collective consciousness is its naked and shameless celebration of the murder of Julius Caesar two years earlier in 44 BC. This brutal and bloody assassination had been prompted by the well-founded belief among the Senate that Caesar intended to make himself king, which in truth he was already in all but name. By special decree of the Senate Caesar had been made dictator perpetuo - dictator in perpetuity - and granted the extraordinary and unprecedented honour of striking coins bearing his own likeness, thus breaking the ancient taboo of placing the image of a living Roman upon a coin. By these and other affronts to the traditional values and institutions of the Republic did Caesar seal his fate. On 15 March, 44 BC, in a room adjoining the east portico of the Theatre of Pompey, Caesar was stabbed twenty three times by the gang of Senators numbering over thirty and perhaps as many as sixty, men that Caesar called his friends, and of whom many had been pardoned by him on the battlefield and now owed their ranks and offices to him. The simple but bold reverse design employed by Brutus contains the three principal elements of this ‘patriotic’ act of regicide committed to liberate the Republic from monarchical tyranny. Most striking are the two daggers of differing design, the one symbolising that wielded by Brutus himself, the other that of Cassius his co-consipirator. These flank the pileus, the cap of Liberty as worn by the divine twins and patrons of Roman armies Castor and Pollux, and which was conferred upon all freed slaves as a mark of their emancipation. The legend EID MAR is the abbreviation of EIDIBVS MARTIIS – the Ides of March. Thus, in an act of unparalleled braggadocio, we are at once presented with the murder weapons used to slay Caesar, the precise date of the deed, and the motive. While the leaders of the Second Triumvirate Antony, Octavian and Lepidus embraced the practice of striking coins bearing their own images, the hypocrisy of Brutus placing his own portrait on the obverse of the EID MAR type cannot have been lost on the Liberator. Both a betrayal of his personal devotion to the ancient traditions of the Republic, and an emulation of the tyrant he had slain, it may well be that he was convinced into allowing his image to be co-opted by the Republican party as a rallying symbol for the swiftly approaching engagement between their legions and those of the Antony and Octavian. As a descendent of Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder and first consul of the Roman Republic, who in 509 BC had sworn on a bloody dagger to overthrow the unjust rule of the Tarquin kings, the clearly drawn parallels must have been heady propaganda to the Republican cause.
Marc Antony AR Denarius. Uncertain (Corcyra?) mint, Summer 40 BC. Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, imperator. Bare head right; lituus to left; ANT•IMP•III•VIR•R•P•C around / Prow right; star above; CN•DOMIT•AHENOBARBVS IMP around. Crawford 521/2; CRI 258; RSC 10a; Sydenham 1179; BMCRR East 112. 3.82g, 20mm, 5h. Near Mint State. Very Rare, and among the finest known examples of the type. From the property of B.R.S., United Kingdom. This rare issue commemorates the reconciliation of Antony with Ahenobarbus in 40 BC. Although he had probably played no part in the assassination of Caesar, Ahenobarbus followed Brutus into Macedonia when the latter was forced to leave Rome, and was consequently condemned by the Lex Pedia in 43 BC as one of the murderers. In 42 BC, with command of a powerful fleet of fifty ships, Ahenobarbus won a considerable victory for the liberators on the first day of the Battle of Philippi, defeating Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus in the Ionian Sea as he was sailing with reinforcements from Brundisium. The triumvirate fleet was destroyed, and Ahenobarbus was saluted as Imperator. Following the Liberator defeat at Philippi, Ahenobarbus conducted operations against the triumvirate independently of Sextus Pompey, and with a fleet of seventy ships and two legions, he devastated the regions under the triumvirs, attacking Brundisium again, where he captured some of Octavian’s ships, and burnt others. In 40 BC, upon learning of the defeat of his brother Lucius and wife Fulvia in the Perusine War, Antony set sail for Italy with a small army and two hundred ships which he had built in Asia. Arriving at Athens, Antony was met by his wife Fulvia and his mother Julia, who had taken refuge with Sextus and been sent by him with warships from Sicily. She was accompanied by some leading Pompeians whose aim was to bring Antony and Sextus into alliance against Octavian. Antony’s response to the embassy was to offer alliance in case of war and reconciliation in case of peace, suggesting that Antony believed that a lasting partnership with Octavian was still possible. These new lines of communication with Sextus provided an avenue by which former supporters of the liberators could find their way back from exile; the most prominent of these was Ahenobarbus, who met Antony at sea with his whole army and his fleet rowing at a high rate of striking. Both fleets approached the other with standards flying; Antony’s lictor requested Ahenobarbus to dip his standard, as was custom when a commander met another of superior rank, and Ahenobarbus complied, with the combined fleet now moving together to Brundisium, which unsurprisingly closed its gates against Ahenobarbus and Antony.
Marc Antony AR Denarius. Uncertain (Corcyra?) mint, Summer 40 BC. Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, imperator. Bare head right; lituus to left; ANT•IMP•III•VIR•R•P•C around / Prow right; star above; CN•DOMIT•AHENOBARBVS IMP around. Crawford 521/2; CRI 258; RSC 10a; Sydenham 1179; BMCRR East 112. 3.62g, 19mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics IX, 22 March 2015, lot 574; Ex Dix Noonan Webb 126, 22 September 2014, lot 3497.
Marc Antony and Octavian AR Denarius. Military mint travelling with Antony, 41 BC. Bare head of Antony right; star below, M•ANTON•IMP•III•VIR•R•P•C around / Bare head of Octavian right, wearing slight beard; CAESAR•IMP•III•VIR•R•P•C• around. Crawford 528/2a; CRI 261; RSC 1; Sydenham 1193; BMCRR East 121. 3.80g, 20mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Rare; in excellent condition for the issue, being by far the best example present on CoinArchives.
Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Rome, 40 BC. Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, moneyer. Laureate head of Caesar right, S-C across fields / Signum, aquila, plow, and decempeda; TI•SEMPRONIVS above, GRACCVS below, Q•DES downwards to left. Crawford 525/4c; Sydenham 1128a; CRI 327. 4.15g, 19mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. From a private European collection.
Sextus Pompey AR Denarius. Sicily, 42-40 BC. The Pharos of Messana surmounted by a statue of Neptune; in foreground, galley left adorned with legionary eagle, sceptre and trident, MAG•PIVS•IMP•ITER around / Scylla left, wielding a rudder in both hands; PRÆF•CLAS•ET•ORÆ•[MAR IT•EX•S•C] around. Crawford 511/4a; CRI 335; Sydenham 1348; RSC 2. 3.07g, 18mm, 3h. Extremely Fine; attractive old cabinet tone. Rare. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 100, 29 May 2017, lot 1663.
Augustus Æ Dupondius. Uncertain mint in northwestern(?) Spain, circa 27-23 BC. IMP AVG DIVI F, bare head left; palm to left, winged caduceus to right / Celt-Iberian shield. RPC I 3; SNG Copenhagen 413. 10.91g, 26mm. Extremely Fine; beautiful light green patina. Very Rare; one of the finest known examples of this issue. Ex European private collection. It is possible that the coinage listed in RPC under the title of ‘uncertain mint’ in northwestern Spain was actually a Roman Imperial coinage similar to that of the legate Publius Carisius struck in Emerita during the Cantabrian War (29-19 BC), with which this coin shares similarities in style and obverse titulature. The lack of identification with a city or dynast (besides Augustus) strengthens the case that this coin is a military issue commemorating the war and displaying a shield of the enemy on the reverse. The Cantabri fought off the Romans with guerrilla tactics and skill with light armour, requiring the strength of eight legions and auxiliary troops to finally be defeated. Augustus himself began the campaign from Segisama in 26 BC but was forced to retire due to ill-health, leaving his legates Caius Antistius Vetus and Publius Carisius to finish the job.
Augustus AR Denarius. 27 BC-AD 14. Spanish mint (Colonia Caesaraugusta?), 19-18 BC. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right / Victory flying right, holding in both hands a round shield inscribed CL•V, and laurel branch in right; S•P•Q•R to left. RIC 47a; RSC 289e; BMCRE 342 = BMCRR Gaul 153; BN 1325. 3.80g, 21mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Rare.
Sicily, Panormos (as Ziz) AR Tetradrachm. Circa 340 BC. Charioteer, wearing long chiton and holding kentron in right hand and reins in left, driving galloping quadriga to left; above, Nike flying to right holding wreath, star of eight rays before, ZIZ in Punic script in exergue / Head of Kore-Persephone to left, wearing wreath of wheat leaves, triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace; four dolphins around; swastika below chin. Basel 394 (same obverse die); Jenkins, Punic 70 (same obverse die); Rizzo pl. LXVI, 1 (same obverse die); Jameson 691 (same obverse die); SNG Lloyd 1587 (same obverse die). 17.02g, 26mm, 9h. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare. From the collection of C.S., Germany, purchased before 1991. This type is one of the most fêted examples of Siculo-Punic coinage, having been engraved by a master die-cutter in a style of great artistic merit. The issue, along with certain other contemporaries, was inspired by the famous Syracusan dekadrachms of Euainetos, the principle details of which have been faithfully reproduced here in slightly miniaturised fashion; indeed, Jenkins notes that this reverse die is one of four Siculo-Punic dies inspired directly by Euainetos’ masterful Arethusa portraits. Apart from the replacement of the exergual details by the ethnik ‘ZIZ’, two principal details have been added to the composition. Firstly, the star before the chariot is, as noted again by Jenkins, not a derivation from any type at Syracuse or indeed elsewhere, and appears to be an artistic flourish on the part of the engraver. Secondly, the swastika motif on the obverse is also arguably without parallel in the dekadrachm series; this appears to be a detail added in order to further identify this as a coin of Panormos, which was known to have made quite extensive use of this symbol on both its fractional and tetradrachm coinage.
Augustus AR Denarius. Rome, 19/18 BC. P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right / P PETRON•TVRPILIAN•III•VIR, winged Siren standing left, holding a flute in raised right hand and another flute in left hand at her side. RIC 296; RSC 490; BMCRE 27-8. 3.62g, 20mm, 9h. Very Fine; banker's mark on obv. Extremely Rare. From the collection of Z.P., Austria.
Augustus AR Denarius. Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), July 18-17/16 BC. S•P•Q•R•CAESARI AVGVSTO, bare head right / VOT•P•SVSC•PRO•SAL•ET•RED•I•OM•SACR•, Mars, nude but for helmet and sagum from shoulders over left arm, standing to left on ground line with head reverted, holding vexillum in right hand and cradling parazonium in left. RIC 148 corr. (obv. legend); RSC 321; BMCRE 441. 3.31g, 20mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Very rare variety. From a private European collection.
Augustus AR Denarius. Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), July 18-17/16 BC. S•P•Q•R•CAESARI AVGVSTO, bare head right / VOT•P•SVSC•PRO•SAL•ET•RED•I•OM•SACR•, Mars, nude but for helmet and sagum from shoulders over left arm, standing to left on ground line, holding vexillum in right hand and cradling parazonium in left. RIC 150a; RSC 325; BMCRE 438-9 = BMCRR Rome 4459-60; BN 1242-5. 3.79g, 19mm, 4h. Extremely Fine. Attractive old tone. Rare. Ex D. Fagan Collection; Privately purchased from Numismatic Fine Arts, 16 March 1989.
Augustus AR Denarius. Uncertain mint, 17 BC. CAESAR, youthful head right (possibly Gaius Caesar), within oak-wreath / AVG-VST, to left and right of candelabrum ornamented with rams’ heads; all within wreath entwined with bucrania and paterae. RIC 540; BMCRE 684. 3.86g, 17mm, 6h. Extremely Fine; lustrous surfaces and very well centred reverse. Rare. Ex Fritz Rudolf Künker 193, 26 September 2011, lot 526; Ex Gorny & Mosch 176, 10 March 2009, lot 2074.
Augustus AR Denarius. Lugdunum, 8 BC. AVGVSTVS DIVI•F, laureate head right / C•CAES• above, Caius Caesar on horseback, galloping right, holding sword in left hand and reins in right; behind him, an aquila between two signa, AVGVS•F in exergue. RIC 199; Lyon 69; RSC 40; BMCRE 500-502 = BMCRR Gaul 223-225; BN 1461, 1463-1465, 1469. 3.90g, 19mm, 10h. Near Mint State; highly lustrous metal. Very rare in such excellent condition.
Tiberius AV Aureus. Lugdunum, AD 14-15. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / TR POT XVI, Tiberius, laureate and cloaked, in slow quadriga right, holding laurel branch and eagle-tipped sceptre; IMP VII in exergue. RIC 1; Calicó 307. 7.65g, 20mm, 3h. Near Extremely Fine. Rare. Ex Ambrose Collection; Ex Robert O. Ebert Collection, Stack's Bowers and Ponterio 174, 11 January 2013, lot 5424. This type recalls the aureus issued under Augustus in commemoration of Tiberius' triumphal procession upon his return to Rome, awarded on account of his successful campaigns in Germany and Pannonia. It was on this occasion that Tiberius' rank and powers were made equal to those of Augustus himself, an act which ensured that upon the passing of Augustus there would be no interregnum, and that Tiberius would continue to rule without possible upheaval.
Nero Claudius Drusus (father of Claudius) AR Denarius. Rome, AD 41-45. NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP, laureate head left / DE above and GERM on architrave of triumphal arch surmounted by equestrian statue to right, between two trophies, each with seated and bound captive at foot; spear in rider's hand. RIC 70; C. 2; BMCRE 97. 3.51g, 19mm, 6h. Good Very Fine. Rare.
Caligula, with Divus Augustus, AR Denarius. Lugdunum, AD 37. C•CAESAR•AVG•GERM•P•M•TR•POT COS, bare head of Gaius (Caligula) right / Radiate head of Divus Augustus right, flanked by two stars. RIC 2; Lyon 157; RSC 11; BMCRE 4-5; BN 3-8. 3.70g, 20mm, 7h. Extremely Fine, highly lustrous metal. Rare. From a private German collection.
Caligula, with Agrippina I, AV Aureus. Lugdunum, AD 37-8. C•CAESAR AVG•GERM•P•M•TR•POT•, laureate head of Caligula right / AGRIPPINA•MAT•C•CAES•AVG•GERM•, draped bust of Agrippina right, wearing hair in waves from brow downwards and knotted in a long plait at the back, one lock falls loose down the neck. RIC 13; BMCRE 14; Calicó 326. 7.63g, 19mm, 10h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Much attention has been given over the years to the seemingly base character of Gaius, known to history as Caligula (meaning ‘little soldier’s boot) after the nickname he acquired as a child from his father Germanicus’ soldiers during their campaign in Germania. Though there are few surviving sources concerning his reign, he is generally described as noble and moderate in the first six months of his rule, after which time the sources focus upon his cruelty, sadism, extravagance and sexual perversion. All surviving sources, except Pliny the Elder, characterise Caligula as insane, but given his extreme unpopularity it is difficult to separate fact from fiction in the historical record. Recent studies have attempted to ascribe a medical reason for his unusual behaviour, citing encephalitis, epilepsy or meningitis as possibilities, however the question remains unanswered. Philo of Alexandria, Josephus and Seneca state that Caligula was insane, but describe this madness as a personality trait that came through experience. Certainly the experiences in the early years of his life would have been sufficient to leave an individual severely traumatised at the very least; born in AD 12 into the perilously dysfunctional Julio-Claudian family, his father Germanicus was allegedly poisoned by an agent of Tiberius (Germanicus’ uncle) when Caligula was only seven, and his mother Agrippina and eldest brother Nero were banished by the emperor on charges of treason in 29. His other older brother Drusus was imprisoned on similar charges in AD 30, and in the same year Nero was killed or committed suicide. His mother was mistreated in exile, losing an eye during a beating from a centurion, and died in AD 33. Tacitus (Annals, 6.25) speculates that she was starved to death as was Drusus, who died after having been reduced to chewing the stuffing of his bed. Meanwhile, Caligula and his sisters were “nothing more than prisoners of Tiberius, under the close watch of soldiers” according to Suetonius (Lives of the Caesars, III.64). All the while, Caligula was forced to act as though he bore Tiberius no ill-will, whom Caligula claimed to have planned to kill with a dagger in order to avenge his mother and brother (Lives of the Caesars, IV.12). The grief felt by Caligula at the loss of his murdered parents, Germanicus and Agrippina, and his murdered brothers, Nero Caesar and Drusus Caesar, is evident in his efforts to commemorate their memories, of which his coinage provides numerous examples including the present aureus.
Caligula, with Agrippina I, AR Denarius. Lugdunum, AD 37-38. C•CAESAR•AVG•GERM•P•M•TR•POT, laureate head of Caligula right / AGRIPPINA•MAT•C•CAES•AVG•GERM, draped bust of Agrippina right, wearing hair in waves from brow downwards and knotted in a long plait at the back, one lock falls loose down the neck. RIC 14 (Rome mint); Lyon 169; RSC 2; BMCRE 15; BN 24-6. 3.77g, 18mm, 10h. Extremely Fine; area of soft strike on rev. Rare. From a private European collection.
Caligula Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 37-38. C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, laureate bust left / AGRIPPINA DRVSILLA IVLIA, the three sisters of Caligula standing facing: Agrippina, as Securitas, holds cornucopiae in right hand resting on column, with left hand on shoulder of Drusilla, as Concordia, who holds patera and cornucopiae; Julia, as Fortuna, holds rudder and cornucopiae. RIC 33; C. 4; BN 47. 28.06g, 35mm, 6h. Good Very Fine; lightly smoothed. Rare. From a central European collection; Ex Hess-Divo 332, 31 May 2017, lot 92.
Claudius AR Denarius. Rome, AD 46-47. TI CLAVD CAESAR•AVG•P•M•TR•P•VI IMP•XI, laureate head right / DE BRITANN on architrave of triumphal arch surmounted by equestrian statue to left between two trophies. RIC 34; C. 18; BMCRE 35; RSC 18. 3.85g, 19mm, 4h. Good Extremely Fine. Sound, lustrous metal. Very Rare; an outstanding example of the type, arguably the finest present on CoinArchives. In AD 43, Claudius sent the distinguished senator Aulus Plautius with four legions to Britannia after an appeal from the Roman ally Verica, ousted king of the Atrebates. The Roman invasion was contested by an alliance of tribes led by Togodumnus and Caratacus, sons of the late king of the Catuvellauni, Cunobelinus. The legions met stiff resistance at a river crossing thought to be near Rochester on the river Medway; in the course of this two-day engagement the Legio II Augusta commanded by the future emperor Vespasian forded the crossing and engaged the Britons while an auxiliary unit of Batavians swam the river and made a surprise attack on the Britons’ armed chariots. The first day ended without a decisive result, and on the second the contest was again indecisive until Gnaeus Hosidius Geta personally led his legion (probably the IX Hispana) into the fray; the legate was himself nearly surrounded, but turned the battle and defeated the enemy so resoundingly that he was awarded triumphal ornaments even though he had not yet held the consulship (Cassius Dio, LX.20). Plautius halted the advance after a further engagement at the Thames, to which the Britons had withdrawn as their next line of defence, and sent for the emperor as he had been instructed to do. Claudius brought with him reinforcements, doubtless including a sizeable part of the Praetorian Guard, heavy armaments, and a contingent of war elephants to overawe the natives. Cassius Dio relates that Claudius, taking command of the Roman forces, “crossed the stream, and engaging the barbarians, who had gathered at his approach... defeated them and captured Camulodunum, the capital of Cunobelinus. Thereupon he won over numerous tribes, in some cases by capitulation, in others by force, and was saluted as imperator several times, contrary to precedent”. For the victories won in Britannia, the Senate voted Claudius the title of ‘Britannicus’, a triumph, and that there should be two triumphal arches erected – one in the city, and the other in Gaul, whence Claudius had sailed when he crossed over to Britain. This rare denarius depicts the anticipated triumphal Arch of Claudius, commissioned in AD 43, but which would not be dedicated until AD 51. It was a conversion of one of the arches of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct where it crossed the Via Flaminia, the main road to the north of Rome, but is now lost and a fragment of the inscription is all that remains, housed in the Capitoline Museum. The full inscription has been reconstructed however from the sister-arch that was built at Gesoriacum (Boulogne-sur-Mer).
![Claudius, with Agrippina II, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 50-51. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM [P M TRIB POT P P], laureate head of Claud](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/6fbcc04c-b3dd-40f3-b901-a89b011f9549/908966f7-3392-427b-bb90-b5d6072a3f4a/468x382.jpg)
Claudius, 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. 3.66g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine; highly lustrous metal. Rare.
Claudius, 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 [AVGVST]AE, draped bust of Agrippina II right, wearing crown of corn ears, her hair in long plait behind. RIC 81; RSC 4; BMCRE 75. 3.65g, 19mm, 9h. Near Mint State; light grey cabinet tone. Rare.
Claudius, 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, 18mm, 6h. About Extremely Fine. Lightly toned. Rare. From a private European collection; Ex Fritz Rudolf Künker 257, 10 October 2014, lot 8470.
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