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Lot 497
Claudius Æ Diobol of Alexandria, Egypt. AD 41-54. Dated RY 3 = AD 42/3. TI KΛAY KAI CEBAC ΓEPM, laureate head right; star before / Bull butting right, AYTOKPA above; L Γ (date) in exergue. Köln 80; Dattari (Savio) 175; K&G 12.29; RPC 5138; Emmett 77.3. 10.02g, 25mm, 12h. Near Extremely Fine. Rare, and exceptionally well preserved.
Lot 351
Dynasts of Lycia, Uncertain dynast AR Obol. Circa 410-400 BC. Head of dynast left, wearing kyrbasia / Facing head of goddess, wearing kalathos, necklace, and earrings; all within incuse circle. CNG e374, 278; Falghera -; Podalia -; Traité II -; SNG Copenhagen Supp. 502 (Twelwes); SNG von Aulock -. 0.54g, 10mm, 7h. Very Fine. Extremely Rare.
Lot 742
Augustus AR Denarius. Spanish mint (Colonia Caesaraugusta?), circa 19-18 BC. Head right, wearing oak wreath / CAESAR AVGVSTVS, shield inscribed CL•V; S P Q R around, laurel branches flanking. RIC 36a; ACIP 4037; RSC 51. 3.46g, 19mm, 7h. Near Mint State. Highly lustrous metal. Rare. Ex Editions V. Gadoury, 1 December 2012, lot 38.
Lot 187
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Stater. Susa, circa 325-320 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing pendant earring, necklace and crested Corinthian helmet decorated with eagle / Nike standing to left, holding wreath in right hand and cradling stylis with left, monograms below left and right wings; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ to right. Price 3826A; SNG Berry 184. 8.59g, 19mm, 4h. Mint State. Exceedingly Rare. The gold staters in the name of Alexander struck at Susa are today comparatively rare, but even among this scarce series this issue stands out prominently both in rarity and on account of the symbol found on the helmet of Athena. Rather than the commonly seen griffin, coiled serpent or sphinx, instead here we are presented with an eagle (or dove) in flight. The reason for this departure from normal form may hold some significance, or be nothing more than the whim of the engraver - we shall never know. The highly artistic engraving of Nike deserves special mention also, as it is rich with intricate and delicate features - Nike's face is exceptionally well detailed, her wings likewise, and she clasps the laurel wreath delicately between thumb and index finger as she gazes reverentially at it.
Lot 733
Augustus AR Denarius. Emerita, circa 25-23 BC. P. Carisius, legate. IMP CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right / P CARISIVS LEG PRO PR, trophy of Celtiberian arms, consisting of helmet, cuirass, shield, and javelins, erected on heap of round shields, lances, and other arms. RIC 5 var. (obv. leg.); RSC 403; BMC -; BN 1055; C 403. 3.86g, 19mm, 4h. Fleur De Coin; light golden tone. Rare; in outstanding condition for the type, and one of the finest known examples of the type, easily surpassing the few recorded on CoinArchives.
Lot 540
Anonymous Cast Æ Quadrans. Libral standard. Rome, circa 225-217 BC. Head of Hercules left, wearing lion skin headdress; three pellets behind / Prow to left; three pellets below. Crawford 36/4; Haeberlin pl. 22, 15; HN Italy 340; ICC 91. 59.33g, 39mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare, and in excellent condition for the type.
Lot 448
Seleukid Empire, Cleopatra Thea Eueteria AR Tetradrachm. Sole reign. Ake-Ptolemais, dated SE 126/125 BC. Diademed and veiled bust of Cleopatra Thea right, wearing stephane / BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ KΛEOΠATΡAΣ ΘEAΣ EΥETHPIAΣ, double-cornucopiae tied with fillet, monogram to right, [date IΠP (= year 187) in exergue]. SC 2258.2; BMC 1 = LSM, NNM 84, 7; Houghton, CSE 803; Seyrig, Tresors II, 30.242; Spink 3014, 87 (same obverse die). 16.74g, 30mm, 12h. About Extremely Fine. Excessively Rare; the fifth known example. The life of Kleopatra Thea Eueteria (“Kleopatra the Goddess of Plenty”) would have been worthy of immortalisation in Shakespearean tragedy as few but the lives of the Ptolemies are; such was the complexity of her life and the constant intrigue that surrounded her, it is most surprising that she has never been the subject of major artistic work or representation in historical fiction. Born into the Ptolemaic royal family of Egypt in circa 164 BC, Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II, who were brother and sister. It seems that early in her life she had been betrothed to her uncle Ptolemy VIII Physcon, who was the rival King of Egypt in an uneasy triumvirate. However in 150 BC she was married to the usurper king of the Seleukid Empire, Alexander Balas, at a sumptuous ceremony in Ake Ptolemais; this marriage would produce a son, Antiochos VI Dionysos. In 145 though, her father invaded Syria, defeated Balas in battle and remarried her to Demetrios II, the son of the former king deposed by Balas, only to die himself a few days later in uncertain circumstances. With the death then of her father Ptolemy VII Philometor, Cleopatra Thea's erstwhile fiancé Ptolemy Physcon married her mother Cleopatra II, and six years later replaced her with her daughter Cleopatra III, Cleopatra Thea's sister. Cleopatra bore her new husband Demetrios II two sons who would later grow up to be kings themselves: Seleukos V Philometor, and Antiochos VII Grypos. In 139, Demetrios II was captured while fighting the Parthians, and held hostage. With the loss of the king, Demetrios’ younger brother Antiochos VII Sidetes assumed the throne, taking Cleopatra Thea as his wife the following year. She bore him too at least one son, Antiochos IX Kyzikenos. In 129, in a bid to destabilise the Seleukid Empire, the Parthians released Demetrios II to reclaim his throne and wife from his brother. Conveniently, that same year Sidetes was killed in battle against the Parthians, and thus Demetrios regained his throne, taking Cleopatra as his wife once more. By now though the empire was a shadow of its former self, and Demetrios faced difficulties maintaining his control over his reduced territories. Recollections of his old cruelties and vices, along with his humiliating defeat and apparent good treatment in Parthia, caused him to be detested. Ptolemy Physcon, now at odds with his former wife Cleopatra II, who had fled Egypt to the court of her daughter and son-in-law, set up the usurper Alexander II Zabinas in opposition to Demetrios. Alexander defeated Demetrios in battle at Damascus in 126, and fled to Ptolemais whereupon Cleopatra closed the gates against him. After this final desertion by his wife, he was captured, possibly tortured, and died a miserable death on a ship near Tyre. This coin was struck in the brief period after the death of Demetrios and before his eldest son Seleukos V became king in 125. During that time Cleopatra held the reins of empire and ruled as Queen in her own right, issuing this very brief (and today extremely rare) coinage. Seleukos V was murdered on his mother’s orders soon after his accession, and then from 125 to 121 BC Cleopatra Thea ruled jointly with Demetrios’ younger son Antiochos VIII Grypos, who was still a teenager at his crowning. Defeating Alexander II Zabinas in 123, the victorious returning king was offered a poisoned cup of wine by his mother, who apparently feared losing her control over him, but the suspicious Antiochos instead forced her to drink it herself. So perished Cleopatra Thea, though her influence was yet felt for many years: while Antiochos Grypos proved a competent king, reorganising the state and providing stability and financial recovery, all this would end in 114 when Cleopatra’s son by Antiochos Sidetes, Antiochos Kyzikenos, returned to Syria to claim the throne, sparking renewed civil war.
Lot 292
Mysia, Lampsakos AR Drachm. Memnon of Rhodes, mid 4th century BC. Pseudo-Rhodian type. Youthful head of Helios to left on radiate solar disk / Rose with buds to either side; M-E flanking. Ashton, Memnon 26; SNG France -; SNG Copenhagen 913 (Rhodes); SNG von Aulock 2769 (Megiste). 3.07g, 14mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Pleasant style. Rare. Memnon was the commander of the Greek mercenaries in the service of Darios III when Alexander launched his invasion of the Persian empire in 334 BC. Though his troops were massacred at the Granicus by the victorious Macedonians, he led a competent resistance which, had he not died of illness, would have seriously endangered Alexander’s campaign in Asia.
Lot 442
Seleukid Empire, Alexander I Balas AR Tetradrachm. Seleucia Pieria, year 166 = 147/6 BC. Laureate head of Zeus to right, with full beard and with his hair arranged in long curls of archaizing form / Thunderbolt, ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, ϚΞΡ (year) and monogram above, ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ and two monograms below; all within elaborate laurel wreath with ties to right. CSE 409; Gulbenkian 1044; A. Houghton, “A Tetradrachm of Seleucia Pieria at the Getty Museum,” J. Getty Museum Journal 10 (1982), A2/P4 and fig. F = SC 1798 = Wealth of the Ancient World 112. 16.98g, 30mm, 3h. Good Extremely Fine; in outstanding condition for the type with sound, lustrous metal. One of, if not the finest example of only approximately two dozen surviving specimens. Extremely Rare. This rare and remarkable tetradrachm represents a very interesting episode in the history of the Seleukid empire. Of humble origins, Alexander Balas pretended that he was the son of Antiochos IV Epiphanes and Laodike IV, and thus heir to the imperial throne. He was 'discovered' by Herakleides, a former minister of Antiochos IV and brother of Timarchos, an usurper in Media who had been executed by the reigning king Demetrios I Soter. Alexander's claims were recognized by the Roman Senate and Ptolemy Philometor of Egypt; he was even granted the hand in marriage of Cleopatra Thea, a daughter of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Though his revolt was initially unsuccessful, in 150 BC Alexander was able to defeat Demetrios, and claim overlordship of the empire. Despite his victory however, Alexander remained heavily dependent on Ptolemaic support. Antioch refused to acknowledge him, and struck its own series of posthumous coinage in the name of Antiochos IV. Alexander was therefore forced to strike his own coinage at Seleukeia, previously only a peripheral mint, but which at the beginning of his reign was the only city in northern Syria completely under his control. Thus we see here a tetradrachm which unlike the usual royal issues, employs types that are directly related to the city in which it was struck. The Pheidian-influenced portrait of Zeus on the obverse clearly represents Zeus Kasios, whose cult in the city of Seleukeia was well noted. The reverse type of the thunderbolt was also an important cult symbol, which Appian (Syr. 58) tells us was held in great reverence by the inhabitants of Seleukeia. Zeus Kasios was himself a Hellenisation of Ba'al Zaphon, the latter term being derived from the mountain named Hazzi (or Kasios to the Greeks), which remained in use from the 2nd millennium BC onwards. Zeus Kasios was locally venerated as a storm god renowned for his battle against the sea monster now known as Typhon, whose name and various features are derived from Zaphon.
Lot 377
Cilicia, Soloi AR Stater. 425-400 BC. Amazon, nude to the waist and seen from behind, kneeling to left and stringing her bow, wearing bonnet and with her gorytos at her hip; to right, facing head of satyr / ΣΟΛΕΩΝ, large bunch of grapes; below right, fly; all within incuse square with linear border of dots. BMC 3; SNG France 128; SNG Levante 40; SNG von Aulock 5858. 10.89g, 20mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare in this condition. From the collection of an antiquarian, Bavaria c. 1960s-1990s.
Lot 881
Gordian III AV Aureus. Contemporary (Indian?) imitation, circa AD 241-243. IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVTI AVGVSTI, Hercules standing facing, head right, resting right hand on hip and placing left on club set on rock; lion skin beside club. Cf. RIC 108; cf. Calicó 3242. 4.10g, 20mm, 2h. Good Very Fine; small contact mark on ear. Rare.
Lot 1054
Nicephorus II, with Basil II, AV Solidus. Constantinople, AD 963-969 . + IҺS XPS REX REGNANTIVM, facing bust of Christ Pantokrator / NIKHΦOP KAI BACIΛ’ AVΓ, RP’, crowned facing busts of Nicephorus, left, in loros and Basil II, right, in chlamys, holding patriarchal cross between them. DOC 2; Sear 1777. 4.31g, 21mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Very Rare.
Lot 556
The Social War, C. Papius AR Denarius. Mint moving with Papius in Campania, circa 90 BC. Helmeted and draped bust of Mars right; X• and Viteliú in Oscan characters behind/ Oath-taking scene of four soldiers, two on each side, pointing their swords at pig held by kneeling youth; C•PAAPI•C• (retrograde and in Oscan characters) in exergue. Sydenham 637; Campana 83; HN Italy 425; RBW 1225. 3.94g, 20mm, 9h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. Marcus Livius Drusus, who was Tribune of the Plebeians in 91 BC, attempted to bring Roman citizenship to the Italian allies. This, along with his land reform proposals, proved unpopular with the Senate and Roman landowners and he was assassinated before his plans were actioned. With the promise of citizenship rights removed, a rebellion of the Italian allies began, known as the Social War (cf. Livy, Periochae 71). During this war, the allies struck coins which were often inspired by the types found on Roman denarii, with some, like the present example, detailing the names of the rebel generals.
Lot 297
Kingdom of Lydia, Alyattes EL Hekte - 1/6 Stater. Sardes, circa 610-560 BC. Lion's head left with open jaws, solar-disk above forehead, confronting open jaws of lion's head right; WALWET (in Lydian retrograde script) between / Two incuse square punches. Weidauer 99. 2.37g, 10mm. Very Fine; exceptional for the type. Rare. From a private German Collection. As with the trites (see above), the hektes bear two lions' heads, though like their larger counterparts they normally suffer from being struck on flans too small for the dies, and consequently it is usual to only find one lion and a partial legend. On this example however, we see a significant portion of the second lion's head, and five out of six letters of the legend.
Lot 884
Trajan Decius AV Aureus. Rome, AD 249-251. IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right / ADVENTVS AVG, Trajan Decius on horseback left, raising right hand in salutation, holding sceptre in left. RIC 11a var. (bust also draped); Calicó 3283; Biaggi 1392. 3.78g, 18.5mm, 12h. Extremely Fine, lustrous. Very Rare. From the Ambrose Collection. Trajan Decius was acclaimed emperor by his troops while campaigning in Moesia and Pannonia on behalf of Philip I ‘the Arab’. He had been sent to quell the revolt of the usurper Pacatian, who had been proclaimed emperor himself by his troops but was, ultimately, also killed by them before the intervention of Decius. According to Zosimus, Decius was apparently reluctant and unwilling to take power. However, having taken the purple, Philip advanced against Decius and the two met in battle near Verona, though he was routed and killed. Subsequently, Decius’ accession was recognised by the Senate, who conferred on him the name Traianus in reference to his predecessor Trajan, the optimus princeps (‘best ruler’) of the Roman Empire. Taking the name of Trajan was more than simple vainglory - in the first Dacian War of AD 101-102 Trajan had reduced the Danube region to the status of a client kingdom, later absorbing it into the empire after the second Dacian War in 105-106. The new emperor, who hailed from the very same region, was seen to have already quelled a revolt in the troubled frontier area, and it was hoped he would restore the strength of the State. Seen on the obverse of this very rare and attractive aureus with a furrowed brow, we may imagine from the worries of his new position, the reverse type ADVENTVS AVG proclaims the accession of the new emperor and depicts his arrival in Rome.
Lot 428
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra VII AR Tetradrachm. Askalon, Year 64 Era of Askalon = 41/40 BC. Diademed bust of Cleopatra right, wearing necklace, hair plaited in rows and tied at back in a chignon / [ΙΕΡΑΣ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ] ΑΣΚΑΛΩ[ΝΙΤΩΝ] "Sacred and Inviolate of (the people of) Askalon", eagle standing to right, palm over left wing; monogram and dove to left, LΞΔ to right. Unpublished, but cf. Svoronos 1883 (year 52) and 1885 (year 55) = BMC Palestine 20, p.108; cf. Naville XVI, 1933, 1473 (year 66). 12.70g, 28mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Unique, unpublished and of considerable historical and numismatic interest. A marvellous example of Cleopatra's excessively rare 'Greek' silver coinage. Only three other tetradrachms issued by Cleopatra at Askalon are known to exist. That they are so exceedingly rare can only be explained if they were issued occasionally and in small numbers. The dating of the Askalon tetradrachms of Cleopatra was for many years calculated incorrectly due to the extreme rarity of the coinage and the paucity of information available. BMC Palestine initially assigned the example with the date LNE (year fifty-five) to 30/29 BC, on the basis of an era assumed by Svoronos, following Feuardent, to have begun in 84 BC. These tetradrachms bearing Cleopatra’s portrait would therefore have been struck when the queen, born in 69, would have been about forty years old. Svoronos, who saw the portrait as representing a woman of middle-age, clearly regarded this as appropriate. Indeed, Agnes Baldwin Brett (A New Cleopatra Tetradrachm of Ascalon, American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 41, 3) relates the anecdote that on the BM specimen, “Cleopatra so resembles an aged woman – children would call her a witch or a hag, with her beak of a nose and deeply wrinkled neck”. However, the V. Adda collection example (formerly S. H. Chapman collection; presented in Naville XVI 1933 1473) displayed a year 66 date which required the redating of the series: if the coins had been dated from Svoronos’ hypothetical era beginning 84 BC, the Naville specimen would have been struck some ten years after Cleopatra’s death in c. 19 BC. Now reckoned from the year of autonomy of Askalon in 104/103 BC, the present piece dated to 41/40 BC must have been struck when Cleopatra was twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. Much has been written concerning the differences in appearance of the queen on her various coinage issues, and the apparent inconsistency in depicting both her age and beauty. Collectors often wonder at her plain appearance on the surviving coins both in her sole name and those issued jointly with Marc Antony, an appearance which seems at odds with her famous seduction of two of the most powerful men in history – first, Julius Caesar in 48/47 BC when she was twenty-one, then Marc Antony in 41/40 BC, the year this coin was struck. Surviving busts of Cleopatra certainly are more flattering than her coinage; the exaggeration of certain features on the coinage can often be explained by deliberate emphasis on attributes associated with strength and power, notably the angular jaw and chin, and distinctive Ptolemaic nose. Moreover, while Svoronos erroneously assumed that the Askalon coinage emanated from a mint under Cleopatra’s direct control (an error subsequently perpetuated), in fact Askalon was an autonomous city under the protection of the Ptolemies, issuing coinage in their name only sporadically, apparently coinciding with important events and occasions (see A. Baldwin Brett, A New Cleopatra Tetradrachm of Ascalon, American Journal of Archaeology 41, 3, pp. 452-463). Cleopatra should therefore be expected to have had limited or no direct influence over her own image as portrayed on the coinage. Indeed, a further factor contributing to a stylised form of portrait may be found in the occasion for the striking of this issue, if it was produced in haste. Given the dating, the most likely events that would have occasioned its striking are either the conclusion of the alliance between Cleopatra and Antony in 41 BC, or more likely, the immediate threat posed to the city and its environs in 40 BC by the Parthian invasion of Syria led by Quintus Labienus and Pacorus. They had already forced the capitulation of Antioch, Phoenicia and Judaea, and were prevented from besieging Tyre only by the lack of a fleet; it would not be until the following year, 39, that Publius Ventidius Bassus would be dispatched east with 11 legions to drive back the invaders. It is possible therefore that this issue may have been produced in anticipation of anticipated warfare, as an appeal to Cleopatra for protection while advertising the city’s loyalty to the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Lot 314
Kingdom of Lydia, Kroisos AR Half Stater - Siglos. Sardes, circa 560-546 BC. Confronted foreparts of lion right and bull left / Two incuse square punches of unequal size. Berk 23; Traité -; SNG Kayhan -; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Copenhagen -. 5.38g, 15mm. Good Very Fine. Rare, and uncommonly sound metal.
Lot 362
Lycia, Tlos AR Diobol. Circa 400-390 BC. Helmeted head of Athena to right / Two panthers seated facing each other, each raising forepaw, diskeles below beaded ground line; all within beaded border. Müseler VII, 12; Vismara II, 188; BMC -; Babelon, Traité II/2, 441; SNG v. Aulock 4189. 1.31g, 12mm, 9h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.
Lot 804
Domitian AV Aureus. Rome, 1 January - 13 September AD 88. IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VII, laureate head right / IMP XIIII COS XIIII CENS P P P, Germania, bare-chested but wearing drapery from the waist, seated to right in attitude of mourning upon Germanic hexagonal shield, a broken spear below her. RIC 586; BMC 125; Calicó 893. 6.64g, 19mm, 6h. Very Fine. Attractive lustre. Extremely Rare; Calicó displays only a line drawing of the type. This aureus belongs to an issue which was first struck in commemoration of Domitian's campaigns against the Chatti in Germany in AD 83, for which he celebrated a triumph and was hailed Germanicus, an honour which he had been craving. The reverse type of Germania that we see here became a standard type on the coinage of Domitian and continued to be used throughout the rest of his reign; it is likely that the Domitian was simply emulating the 'Judaea Capta' series of coinage begun by his father Vespasian, and it is hard to ignore the parallel between this display of military success and the celebration of the successful First Jewish War. However, from the very outset it seems that commentators doubted the truth of Domitian's success against the Chatti and believed that his victory might have been exaggerated. Suetonius notes that before the campaign against the Chatti, the emperor had been dissuaded from "a quite unnecessary expedition into Gaul and Germany", while Tacitus in his 'Agricola' states that Domitian "felt conscious that all men laughed at his late mock triumph over Germany". That the tribe had not been decimated in battle by Domitian is confirmed by their involvement in quelling the Revolt of Saturninus in AD 89, confirming the hints left by the ancient authors that the conquest of Germania was something of a sham.
Lot 181
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III ‘the Great’ AR Tetradrachm. Myriandros, circa 330-325 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left holding sceptre; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to right, scorpion in left field, ME monogram below throne. Price 3218; Newell, Myriandros 18. 17.16g, 26mm, 10h. Near Extremely Fine; some corrosion spots. Rare.
Lot 544
Anonymous AR Quinarius. South East Italian mint, 211-210 BC. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet ornamented with griffin’s head; V behind / The Dioscuri on horseback to right, each holding couched spear; two stars above, H below, ROMA in exergue. Crawford 85/1a; Sydenham 174; King 16; RSC 33b. 2.16g, 16mm, 9h. Very Fine. Rare.
Lot 593
Cnaeus Pompeius Junior and M. Minatius Sabinus AR Denarius. Corduba, 46-45 BC. CN•MAGN IMP•F, head of Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus right / Personification of Corduba, turreted, standing right amidst heap of arms, holding transverse spear in left hand and welcoming a Pompeian soldier who debarks from stern of a ship; PR•Q to left, M•MINAT SABIN in exergue. Babelon Minatia 2 and Pompeia 11; C. 5; Sydenham 1036; Buttrey, ANSMN 9, 1960, p. 76, type A and pl. VII, obv. 3, rev. c; CRI 49; Crawford 470/1a. 3.91g, 19mm, 9h. Extremely Fine. Very Rare, and in exceptional condition for the type. The eldest son of Pompey Magnus, Cnaeus Pompeius (also commonly referred to as Pompey Junior) and his brother Sextus grew up in the long shadow of their father’s fame as the greatest general of his age. The elder Pompey had seemed to hold the whole Roman world in the palm of his hand, yet in the struggle for mastery of the Republic against his former friend and ally Caesar, Pompey was forced to abandon Italy with his family, and was utterly undone at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. Defeated, Pompey and his family took flight to Egypt where the general believed they would be safe, since the boy king Ptolemy XIII was indebted to the friendship and the help Pompey had given to his father. Upon their arrival in Egypt however, Pompey was treacherously murdered by a former comrade on the orders of the Egyptian king, who had been advised that this would forestall further civil war, and ingratiate him with Caesar. Stabbed to death by sword and daggers, his head severed and his unclothed body thrown into the sea, Pompey died the day after his sixtieth birthday. Horrified, his family put back out to sea. Cnaeus and Sextus joined the remainder of the resistance to Caesar in Africa, and after the defeat at Thapsus the brothers escaped to the Balearic islands, whence they crossed over to the Spanish mainland with Titus Labienus, a former lieutenant of Caesar. Struck at Corduba, which became the Pompeian military headquarters, this coin is laden with symbolism. The reverse is as imaginative and unusual as any reverse in the Republican series, and propagandises the welcome received by the brothers in Spain, which readily provided them with the means with which to continue the fight against Caesar. The obverse bears the first securely datable portrait of their dead father Pompey Magnus, whose success in bringing the Sertorian War to a close in 71 BC would still have been remembered in Spain. The legend names ‘Cnaeus Magnus Imperator, son’, a pious statement that the authority behind the striking of this coinage is that of the wronged and murdered Pompey Magnus, on whose behalf the resistance to Caesar was taken up by his son. This coin must have been struck only shortly before the Pompeian and Caesarian armies met on 17 March 45 BC; the extreme rarity of the issue argues for a limited production run. At the Battle of Munda, some 70,000 troops commanded by Cnaeus, Sextus, and Titus Labienus met Caesar’s battle-hardened veteran force of 40,000. The result of the contest was a decisive victory for Caesar; Labienus was killed along with around 30,000 Pompeian troops, and the brothers Cnaeus and Sextus were once again forced to flee. Cnaeus was quickly captured and executed, but Sextus would survive his brother in Sicily for over a decade.
Lot 1050
Leo VI AR Miliaresion. Constantinople, AD 886-908. IhSVS XRISTVS hICA, cross potent set on three steps atop globe / +LEωh Eh X'ω EV-SEbHS bASI-LEVS Rω-mAIωh in five lines within dotted border interspersed with eight equally spaced globules. Sear 1726; DOC 3. 2.75g, 24mm, 12h. Mint State. Rare.
Lot 940
Julian II AR Light Miliarense. Arelate, AD 360 - 26 June 363. D N FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS EXERCITVS, Soldier standing facing, head right, holding inverted spear and resting hand on shield; in right field, eagle standing with head reverted, holding wreath in beak; TCONST in exergue. C. 72 var. (P/S CONST); RIC 308. 4.14g, 22mm, 12h. Very Fine. Very Rare.
Lot 887
Herennius Etruscus, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, AD 250-251. Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C, bare-headed and draped bust right / PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Herennius Etruscus standing left, holding standard in his right hand and spear in his left. Calicó 3312 (but with a photograph of a coin of Hostilian in error); C. 32; RIC 148a; Trau 2806 (same obverse die); Nomos 13, 282 (same dies). 3.17g, 19mm, 6h. Very Fine. Extremely Rare.
Lot 510
Hadrian Æ Hemidrachm of Alexandria, Egypt. AD 117-138. Dated RY 17 = AD 132/3. AVT KAIC TPAIAN A∆PIANOC CЄB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / The great Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria with monumental entryway at base, surmounted by two Tritons, each blowing a trumpet, between them the lantern housing with statue at pinnacle which holds situla and sceptre, L-IZ (date) across fields. Köln 1082; Dattari (Savio) 1933; K&G 32.557. 14.30g, 30mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare, and one of the finest known examples.
Lot 1279
Constantine I BI Nummus. London, circa AD 311-312. CONSTANTINVS P AVG, laureate and trabeate bust left, holding scipio / PRICIPI IV-VENTVTIS, prince standing slightly left, holding globe and spear; star in right field, PLN in exergue. CT 7.07.025; RIC -. 4.19g, 22mm, 5h. Good Very Fine. Rare.
Lot 14
Britannia, the Dobunni AR Unit. Circa 50-20 BC. Moon head right with sunburst on chin, crescents for hair, various symbols in field / Triple tailed annulate horse left, animal head and radiant sun above, cockerel head below, wheel before, dispersed symbols around. ABC 2012; VA 1020-1; S. 377. 0.99g, 16mm, 12h. Extremely Fine. Rare, and in excellent condition for the type. From the estate of an English numismatist.
Lot 200
Islands off Thrace, Thasos AR Stater. Circa 412-404 BC. Bald headed and nude Satyr in kneeling-running stance to right, carrying off a protesting nymph; Φ in right field / Quadripartite incuse square. Traité -; SNG Copenhagen -; BMC -; Svoronos, L’hellénisme primitif de la Macédoine, p. 99, 24; Le Rider pl. I, 6; SNG Lockett 1219; SNG Berry 610. 8.72g, 21mm. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare. Evidently from the same series as the celebrated 'A' die (see Kraay-Hirmer 437; Gulbenkian 464; Le Rider, Thasiennes, 6; SNG Copenhagen Suppl. 103), the Φ issue shares many of the same stylistic characteristics and was probably the work of the same engraver. It is far rarer; in contrast to the several dozen examples of the 'A' issue, there appear to have been fewer than half a dozen examples of the 'Φ' issue at auction in the past couple of decades.
Lot 915
Maximinus II, as Caesar, Æ Nummus. Antioch, circa AD 309-310. MAXIMINVS NOB CAES, laureate, helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding spear over shoulder and shield decorated with battle scene: two horseman riding to left brandishing weapons, four infantrymen in combat below / SOLI INVICTAE, Sol standing in facing quadriga, raising hand and holding globe; Z below, ANT in exergue. RIC 145b. 7.78g, 23mm, 12h. Very Fine. Very Rare.
Lot 1031
Maurice Tiberius AV Solidus. Constantinople, Consular issue of AD 602. D N MAVRC TIb PP AVC, Emperor enthroned facing, crowned and wearing consular robes, holding aloft mappa and cross / VICTORIA AVGG Δ, angel standing facing, holding long staff surmounted by staurogram and globus cruciger; CONOB in exergue. DOC 2a; MIBE 2; Sear 474. 4.39g, 21mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. Light marks on rev. at 1 o'clock. Very Rare.
Lot 1161
Carausius BI Radiate. London, March - October AD 292. IMP C CARAVSIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / PAX A-VGGG, Pax standing left, holding olive branch and vertical sceptre; S-P across fields, MIXXI in exergue. RIC 141; Webb 167-8. 3.67g, 24mm, 6h. Very Fine/Fine. Very Rare.
Lot 34a
Rare Circa 1940's Men's Rolex Chronograph Model 2508 Stainless Steel Watch with Antimagnetic Dial, tachymetric and telemetric scales, small seconds and minute counter. Case Measures 35mm. Good Condition. The Gallery does not warranty the running condition of watches. Shipping $36.00 (estimate $8,000-$12,000)
Lot 185
Medieval Bird Strap-End and Buckle Group. A medieval bronze strap-end in the form of a bird, a rare type c. 12th - 13th century (50mm x 11mm, 7.5g) together with a complete buckle and plate c. 13th century (63mm x 25mm, 11.2g) and a buckle of similar date with integral forked spacer. Very fine condition.
Lot 84
Late Iron Age Decorated Bronze 'Horn Cap' A cast bronze late Iron Age Horn Cap. Cast in three pieces, an upper and lower discoidal element joined by a central, tubular section and with a decorative roundel fitted in the top. This type, with a wide cornice and flat diaphragm was classified by Sir Cyril Fox as type B III.These enigmatic objects were once thought to be chariot decorations but more recent thinking has proposed them as the heads from ceremonial maces or sceptres. What is certain is that they are extremely rare. Only around twenty examples are known to exist and, of these, only a few are decorated. This Horn Cap has wonderfully executed decoration in the form of an incised and punched la Tene style swastika, a fantastic demonstration of Celtic artistry. The swastika, or four-armed spiral (tetraskelion) was a popular motif during the Iron Age and appears on a wide variety of objects, from funerary urns to the Battersea shield, but rarely in such an elaborate fashion as here. A prestige piece such as this would certainly have belonged to an individual of high status in Iron Age society; a Chieftan, King or maybe even a Druid. A similar Horn Cap, with more rudimentary swastika decoration was discovered at Llyn Cerrig Bach on the island of Anglesey, famous sanctuary of the Druids. Other examples have have been found at Maiden Castle, Ham Hill and there have been a small cluster from the Thames Valley. This example was uncovered near Colchester in Essex, ancient Camulodunum, site of an Iron Age oppidum and the capitol of the Trinovantes and Catuvellauni tribes.c. 2nd - 1st Century BCDiscovered during a metal detecting rally in 2005 and repaired.With its own display stand and glass cover. Accompanied by a report from the British Museum, with detailed drawings.Published: The Searcher July 2006 Brendan Mac Gonagle: OF SWANS AND SWASTIKAS - A Celtic Horn Cap with Zoomorphic Swastika Decoration from Essex, EnglandCf. E. M. Jope Early Celtic Art In The British Isles plate 302 - 303Sir Cyril Fox: A Find Of The Early Iron Age From Llyn Cerrig Bach, Angelsey, pp. 14-19Dimensions 106mm x 66mm/493g
Lot 303
The Bellum Sociale, Denarius, Corfinium, c. 89 BC; AR (g 2,74; mm 20; h 7); Laureate head of Italia r.; before, X, Rv. Italia seated l. on shields, holding spear and parazonium, crowned by Victory who standing behind her; before, F; in ex. ITAL[IA]. Sydenham 624; Campana 108.Very rare, porous, about extremely fine.
Lot 304
The Bellum Sociale, Denarius, Bovianum, c. 89 BC; AR (g 3,69; mm 20; h 4); Laureate head of Italia l.; behind, VITELIù (in Oscan characters), Rv. Helmeted soldier standing facing, wearing cloak, holding reversed spear, his foot is placed on a Roman standard; on r., recumbent bull; in ex. control letter. Sydenham 627; Campana 136-138.Rare. Cabinet tone, extremely fine - good extremely fine.
Lot 335
M. Plaetorius M.f. Cestianus, Denarius, Rome, 69 BC; AR (g 3,69; mm 19; h 8); Draped female bust l., wearing winged diadem; behind, control-mark, Rv. Anguipedic monster on pediment of temple, with base inscribed M PLAETORI; in ex. CEST S C. Crawford 405/1b; Plaetoria 9; Sydenham 799a.Very rare, good very fine.
Lot 365
L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus, Denarius, Apollonia and Asia, 49 BC; AR (g 3,92; mm 18; h 1); Triskeles with winged head of Medusa in centre and corn ears between legs, Rv. Jupiter standing r., holding eagle and thunderbolt; on l., LENT - MAR; on r., COS. Crawford 445/1b; Cornelia 64, Claudia 9; Sydenham 1029.Very rare, lightly toned, extremely fine.
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