Nomos FPL 3

somon

nomos

z端rich, switzerland in association with

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania London, England

127 Distinctive Numismatic Items

Winter-Spring 2010

Nomos AG, in association with Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., is pleased to present its third Fixed Price List.

Last year we remarked that 2008 had been an extraordinary year for numismatics – well, 2009 has been equally exciting.

Our second price list did very well, nearly selling out: pieces were acquired by private collectors worldwide, as well as by institutions, including the coin collections of both Harvard and Princeton Universities. We had our first public sale on the 6th of May, and it proved to be successful beyond all expectations. Beautiful and rare coins in superb condition attained new heights: a wonderful Tetradrachm from Naxos in Sicily, ex Randazzo and Lewis, sold after furious competition for a world record price to a European collector (CHF 775,000, to which a buyer’s fee of 18% would be added for a total of 914,500); another coin of Naxos, an elegant Hemidrachm, sold for 21,240 including buyer’s commission to an American collector (it came from the famous Moretti collection and had previously sold for 7,500 in 2006, then a fabulous price).

This trend has continued in sales all over Europe and in the USA: coins that are top quality in every way, whether ancient, medieval or early modern, seem to be more in demand than ever before.

This year our list contains one hundred and twenty-seven items, one more than last year’s, of which three are unusual antiquities: a weight, a wall plaque and an exciting early 4th century BC brooch in bronze or copper in the form of a Syracusan dekadrachm. And, of course, there are two lovely Syracusan silver dekadrachms as well, a wonderful unsigned piece of the master Kimon, and a splendid signed Euainetos.

Another brilliant piece is an Abdera stater bearing an elegant early classical Apollo holding a phiale, into which Nike pours a libation. But everyone looking at this list will find his or her own special favorite.

Our office is now open and we will be happy to welcome you there; though it is always best to call in advance. Our web site has been completely redesigned and now will be presenting selected coins for sale – do check! In March we have been honored by an invitation to exhibit some special coins and medals, as the art they are, in the world-famous TEFAF art show in Maastricht. Do come if you can! Finally, our next auction will be taking place on the morning of 18 May 2010 here in Zürich. We have some great coins already, but if you have some special piece you would like to consign, we would be happy to hear from you.

Dr. Alan S. Walker

Nomos AG Dr. A. Peter Weiss

NOMOS AG WWW.NOMOSAG.COM nomos@nomosag.com

Victor England

Eric J. McFadden

CNG, Inc. WWW.CNGCOINS.COM cng@cngcoins.com

Copyright CNG and Nomos

ORDERING INFORMATION 1. The point of sale for all items is Lancaster, Pennsylvania. All orders are sent from Pennsylvania.

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Greek Coinage

1.

CELTIC, Northern Gaul. Ambiani. Circa 125-100. Stater (Gold, 7.26 g 11), Gallo-Belgic Type A. Celticized laureate head of Apollo to left, taken from the coinage of Philip II but greatly changed Rev. Stylized biga with driver to left; above, below and around horse, ornaments. SCBC 2. Van Arsdel 12-1. Exceptionally clear and attractive, struck on a large flan - a choice piece. Good very fine.

The Celts adored the gold coins of Philip II of Macedon because so many Celtic mercenaries were paid with them and brought them back home after having served in his army. They were so popular that copies began to be made of them for local use as early as the later 4th century BC. These copies were initially quite close in style to the originals but they soon began to become increasingly stylized with more and more added Celtic design elements. The types on this piece are still recognizably Philip’s, but as time went on the later issues show almost no resemblance to the originals.

2.

CELTIC, Northeast Gaul. Parisii. Second Century BC. Stater (Gold, 7.10 g 2). Stylized head of Apollo to right, hair shown in waves and with a necklace of pointed wolves’ teeth Rev. Horse galloping to left; above, sail-like ornament of checker-board shape with pellets in each small square; below and before, ornaments. D&T Série 12, 83. Sills 5a and fig. 94h. A lovely piece of wonderfully flamboyant Celtic style. Very rare. Extremely fine.

Ex Vinchon 20 December 2006, 357.

The gold staters of the Parisii are probably the most elegantly Celtic of all the Celtic coinages of Europe. The head of Apollo is large and has hair that frames his head like an aureole; around are ornaments vaguely reminiscent of the dolphins that swim before the head of Arethusa on the coins of Syracuse. The reverse shows a strongly Celtic horse, quite like contemporary bronze figurines, with a large head, large eye and prominent mane. Above is a large sail decorated with a checker-board pattern, each square filled with a pellet. Both sides are, of course, ultimately derived from the gold staters of Philip II of Macedon, but the Celtic artists responsible for these coins have created a completely new type of their own.

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3.

CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 510-500 BC. Stater (Silver, 7.99 g 12). ΤΑRΑS Phalanthos riding on dolphin to right, his right hand extended to the right and his left resting on the back of the dolphin; below dolphin to left, scallop shell; around, cable border Rev. TARAS Phalanthos riding dolphin as on the obverse, but incuse; rayed border. Fischer-Bossert Group 1, 8 (V6/R7). Vlasto 65. Very rare. A fine example of late archaic art. Toned and with many remaining deposits as found, otherwise, good very fine.

4.

CALABRIA, Tarentum. Campano-Tarentine series. Circa 281-272 BC. Stater (Silver, 7.43 g 6).

Diademed head of Satyra to left, wearing pendant earring Rev. ΤΑ Nude jockey riding horse standing to right, crowning horse’s head with a wreath held in his right hand; to right, dolphin swimming downwards; below horse, rhyton ending in a prancing horse to left. HN III, 1098. SNG Copenhagen 907. Vlasto 1032. Attractively toned.

Nicely centered and with a fine head of Satyra, nearly extremely fine.

5.

BRUTTIUM, Kroton. Circa 530-500 BC. Stater (Silver, 8.45 g). JΡΟ Tripod with legs ending in lion’s feet, and with three handles and snakes rising from the bowl; cable border Rev. Same type incuse. SNG ANS 228.

SNG Lloyd 591. SNG Lockett 597. A most attractive and clear example; an exceptionally nice piece. Nicely toned and with lovely surfaces, extremely fine.

Ex Numismatic Fine Arts XXII, 1989, 179.

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6.

BRUTTIUM, Kroton. Circa 430-420 BC. Stater (Silver, 7.98 g 11), Alliance issue with Temesa. JΡΟ ΤΕ (retrograde) Tripod Rev. JΡΟ (retrograde) Crestless Corinthian helmet to right. HN III 2122. SNG ANS 448.

Cf. SNG Copenhagen 1828. Very rare. Toned, good very fine.

Alliance coinages, combining types and legends from two or more cities, were a characteristic, albeit rare, variety of the main issues struck in Magna Graecia during the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. They were produced by a number of cities in Bruttium and Lucania; this is a particularly rare coin from a series struck in Kroton to commemorate the city’s alliance with the nearby city of Temesa.

7.

SICILY, Akragas. Circa 495-480/78 BC. Didrachm (Silver, 8.99 g 9), Circa 485. ΑΚRΑ Eagle standing left with closed wings Rev. Crab seen from above; below, eagle standing left with closed wings. Jenkins, Gela pl. 37, 1. SNG Munich 45. A very rare variety. Beautifully toned and most attractive, an exceptional piece, good extremely fine.

Ex Hess-Divo 307, 7 June 2007, 1040 and Numismatica Ars Classica 9, 16 April 1996, 129.

A marvelous example of one of the rare Akragantine didrachms with a symbol: in this case the little eagle on the reverse reprises the standard obverse type.

8.

SICILY, Akragas. Circa 420-406 BC. Hemilitron (Bronze, 15.99 g 5). ΑΚ ΡΑ Eagle with spread wings, flying upwards with hare in its talons to right, preparing to alight Rev. Crab with six pellets around; above, vine leaf; below, prawn. CNS 11/2. SNG Cop 69 ff. A particularly attractive and well struck example with a fine green patina; exceptionally nice. About extremely fine.

This shows a rather unusual view of the eagle and hare typically found on the coinage of Akragas. There is clearly nothing underneath the hare, unlike virtually all the usual examples of this type, which show the hare lying on a rock, and it seems clear that we are meant to view the eagle as actually flying upwards, after striking and killing the hare, but before perching in a safe spot to eat his prey. The quality of the engraving is of the highest artistry; this is complimented by the coin’s unusually fine condition. The large hemilitra of Akragas are notorious for the worn and miserable state of preservation in which they generally appear - most of those illustrated by Calciati are very poor, indeed; those found in most public collections are equally inferior. This coin, however, is far above average in condition and is, thus, truly exceptional.

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9.

SICILY, Akragas. Circa 409-406 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.43 g 7). ΑΚΡΑΓ ΑΝΤΙΝΟΝ (second part retrograde) Nike driving galloping quadriga to left, holding the reins of three horses with her left hand (one rein is trailing on the ground in front) and a goad in her left; above, hanging on a nail, a tablet inscribed with the city name but with the spacing misjudged and the last two letters in the field; in exergue, long, thin club Rev. Two eagles standing right on dead hare lying on a rock; the closer eagle has closed wings and his head raised in triumph, while the further has open wings and his head bent to tear at the hare; behind to left, lion’s head with open mouth to left.

De Luynes 858 = Kraay/Hirmer 181 = Rizzo pl. III, 4 = Seltman, Engravers 14 . Extremely rare. A coin of great beauty and numismatic importance. Lightly toned. Some minor flatness of strike, otherwise, extremely fine.

The late coinage of Akragas, struck in the years just before the Carthaginian capture of the city in 406, was the most magnificent in the city’s history. It included the famous dekadrachm, gold pieces and a variety of quadriga/two eagles tetradrachms that are all of superb quality. Seltman suggested that some of the finest engravers in Sicily made the dies for these coin, ascribing the obverse of this piece to Kimon and the reverse, very probably, to Polykrates or one of his followers. Both sides are powerful representations: the pair of eagles are perfectly detailed and the quadriga is excitingly realistic, especially with the rein dangling from the farthest horse.

10.

SICILY, Akragas. Circa 400-380 BC. Hemidrachm (Bronze, 13.71 g 1). ΑΚΡΑΓΑΣ Head of the youthful river god Akragas, with small horn on his forehead and with his hair bound with a taenia Rev. Eagle, with head turned back, standing to left with closed wings on Ionic column capital; to right, six pellets; to left, crab. CNS 89. SNG ANS 1097. Of splendid early 4th century style and with a superb head of the river god. Attractive dark, greenish-brown patina. Some minor metal faults, otherwise, extremely fine.

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11.

SICILY, Gela. Circa 420-415 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.42 g 9). Charioteer driving quadriga moving slowly to left; above, Nike flying left to crown the horses Rev. ΓΕΛΑΣ Forepart of bearded, man-faced bull to right, his right knee bent as if lying down. Jenkins 473. Kraay/Hirmer 162. SNG ANS 93. Rare. With a reverse of exceptional beauty and of the finest classical style. With an obverse struck, as usual, from a worn die, otherwise, good extremely fine.

The coinage of Gela is, stylistically, a real mixture of abilities: there are wonderful dies from all periods of the city’s coinage (from the 490s down to 405), but the vast majority are banal at best. This reverse die on this coin is absolutely one of the very finest in the entire series: he shows a refined power that is quite at variance to the usual, more bestial creature found at Gela. The fact that this marvelous fresh die was paired with such a worn obverse shows how little the mint masters at Gela cared about the appearance of the coins they produced.

12.

SICILY, Herbessos. 334-330 BC. Drachm (Bronze, 17.24 g 9). Laureate head of Sikelia to right Rev. Eagle standing right, head turned back to left with coiled snake in its beak. CNS 6. SNG ANS -. An exceptionally fine example with a lovely dark patina. Extremely fine.

The large bronze drachms that were produced in 4th century Sicily by a variety of small cities almost invariably reused the common drachms of Syracuse for their flans, and often their original designs can be seen below those of the newer types (as the tail of Pegasos, which waves before the head of Sikelia on this piece!)

13.

SICILY, Katane. Circa 430-415/3 BC. Litra (Silver, 0.83 g 3). Bearded head of a Silen to left, wearing ivy wreath and with a pug nose and a pointed animal ear Rev. ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ Upright winged thunderbolt between two round shields. Boehringer, Kataneische Li. 5; SNG ANS 1266. SNG Munich 445. A very bold, well struck and attractive example. Some minor traces of corrosion, otherwise, extremely fine.

The Silen heads on the litrai of Katane are stylistically among the finest of all the heads found Sicilian fractional silver coins. They show a tremendous power and force that is virtually unduplicated anywhere else in such small scale works of art. It is clear that the Sicilian aristocrats who commissioned the coinage of their home cities insisted on the highest standard of workmanship for the coins that bore their cities’ names.

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14.

SICILY, Leontini. Circa 476-466 BC. Obol (Silver, 0.67 g 5). Facing lion’s scalp Rev. ΛΕΟΝ (retrograde) Wheat grain. Boehringer, Münzgeschichte 19 var. SNG ANS 216. Attractive dark patina as found. A wonderfully sharp and clear example. Good extremely fine.

15.

SICILY, Messana. 425-421 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.34 g 10). Charioteer driving biga of mules to right; above, Nike flying right to crown the mules; in exergue below, two opposed dolphins Rev. ΜΕΣΣΑΝΙΟΝ Hare springing to right above dolphin swimming to right. Caltabiano 500. SNG ANS 360. A lovely, sharply struck example. Toned and uncleaned as found, a very attractive coin, extremely fine.

16.

SICILY, Messana. 420-413 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.29 g 8). ΜΕΣΣΑΝΑ Biga of mules walking to left, driven by the Nymph Messana, standing left and holding goad in her right hand and reins in both; in exergue, two confronted dolphins Rev. ΜΕΣΣΑΝΙΟΝ Hare springing to right; below, fly seen from above. Caltabiano 516.

SNG ANS 373. Struck from a rusty obverse die and with a minor die break on the reverse, otherwise, one of the best known examples, extremely fine.

The standard types of the coinage of Messana show a biga of mules, in honor of the Olympic victory won by the tyrant Anaxilas in the mule car races (a short-lived event in the Olympics) and a hare, an animal Anaxilas supposedly introduced to Sicily. The symbol on the reverse, a fly, is particularly realistic, once again testifying to how carefully Greek artists observed the natural world around them.

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17.

SICILY, Panormos (as Ziz). Circa 405-380 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.54 g 12). Quadriga galloping to right, driven by charioteer wearing a long chiton and holding the reins in his right hand and the reins and a goad in his left; above to right, Nike flying left to crown the charioteer; below double ground line (the upper composed of pellets, the lower linear), hippocamp swimming to right with the Punic letters “sys” before Rev. Head of Tanit to left, her hair bound with a band ornamented with a star above her forehead, and wearing a triple-pendant earring and a pearl necklace; around, three dolphins (one here off the flan). Jenkins, Punic I, 28 (dies O7/R24). SNG ANS 538 (same obverse die). SNG Lloyd 1583 (same obverse die). A lovely, sharply struck coin of unusually fine style.

Nicely toned and lustrous. Slightly off center, otherwise, extremely fine.

Ex Triton VII, 112 January 2004, 74.

18.

SICILY, Syracuse. Second Democracy. Circa 466-405 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.76 g 9), Signed

by Eumenes on the reverse, circa 415-405. Quadriga galloping to left with its driver, holding the reins with both hands and goad in his right, being crowned by Nike, flying to right above, with a wreath held in both of her hands Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ Head of Arethusa to right, her hair bound tightly around her head, wearing a double-curved earring and a simple necklace; below neck, EVMHNOV; around head, four dolphins, three swimming upwards to left and one swimming downwards to right. BMC 141. De Luynes 1180. SNG ANS 256. Tudeer 19 (all from the same die pair). Lightly toned, an attractive coin struck on a broad flan. Some minor porosity, otherwise, about extremely fine.

Ex Numismatic Fine Arts XVIII, 312 March 1987, 49.

19.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. Hemilitron (Bronze, 3.27 g 7), circa 405-400. Head of Arethusa to left, her hair bound in a sphendone signed ΕΥ (= Eukleidas) over the forehead; behind head to right, grain ear Rev. ΣΥΡΑ Wheel of four spokes with two opposed dolphins in the bottom quarters. CNS 21/7. Rare. A lovely piece with a very clear signature and an attractive dark patina. Nearly extremely fine.

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20.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. Dekadrachm (Silver, 43.51 g 7), An unsigned work by Kimon, circa 404-400. Quadriga galloping to left, driven by a female charioteer who leans forward, with a kentron in her right hand and the reins in her left; above left, Nike flying right to crown the driver; in exergue below, panoply of arms on pedestal inscribed with ΑΘΛΑ Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩ Head of Arethusa to left, her hair bound in an ampyx with a net behind, and wearing a pendant earring and a pearl necklace; around her head, four dolphins: two swimming towards each other before, one swimming downwards behind, and one nestling under the neck truncation.

Gulbenkian 309. Jongkees 12. Rizzo pl. LVI, 6. Extremely rare, perfectly struck in high relief and unusually well centered. A superb piece struck from one of Kimon’s most beautiful dies. Beautifully toned, extremely fine.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 27, 12 May 2004, 121 and Bank Leu 61, 17 May 1995, 75.

This is one of Kimon’s masterpieces. It is in particularly fine condition, has marvelous, lovely surfaces and has beautiful toning; as such it ranks among the finest surviving coins of the late 5th century BC. The fact that these coins were designed for use as mercenary pay may come as a shock to many, but it shows the enormous pride the Greeks had in the way their coins looked. This was especially the case during the final quarter of the 5th century BC in Sicily, where wealthy city states like Akragas, Kamarina, Katane, and Syracuse competed to have the very finest die cutters in the Greek world design their coins. These series only came to an end with the destruction wrought by the Carthaginian invasion that destroyed so many of the issuing authorities.

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21.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. Dekadrachm (Silver, 36mm, 42.60 g 2), Signed by the engraver Euainetos on the reverse, circa 405-400. Quadriga galloping to left, driven by charioteer standing left, holding reins and kentron; above, Nike flying right to crown the charioteer; in exergue, armor for prizes set up on two steps; below left, [ΑΘΛΑ ] Rev. [ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ] Head of Arethusa to left, wearing wreath of wheat leaves, triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace; around, four dolphins: three swimming to left from behind her head on the right to before her chin, and one swimming downwards to right before her forehead; below, signature ΕΥΑΙΝΕ.

Dewing 884. Gallatin R.IV/C.IX. A particularly nice example, attractively toned, well struck and on good metal.

Obverse struck from a slightly worn die, otherwise, extremely fine.

In some ways it is amazing to think that the Syracusan dekadrachms were basically struck as mercenary pay! How could a government make such beautiful coins for such a reason? The explanation is surely that the Greeks sought to have beauty everywhere: in the coins they spent in the market or kept as a store of wealth, in the pottery they used every day, and in almost everything they touched. The dekadrachms of Euainetos were particularly popular, surely because of their large size and the beautiful head of the goddess they bore. Molds were taken from them to adorn pottery and as model for various kinds of bronze sculpture and utensils, and the head itself was copied for use on coins from mints all over the Greek world. This piece is a particularly impressive example with its powerful, high-relief head of Arethusa. For this head of Arethusa used on a contemporary brooch, see 126, below.

22.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. Drachm (Bronze, 31.96 g 3), circa 395. ΣΥΡΑ Head of Athena to left wearing Corinthian helmet with olive wreath around the bowl Rev. Sea star between two dolphins swimming upwards; between their heads, pellet. CNS 67. Very rare. A particularly nice example with a fine dark green patina accented by some reddish highlights. Nearly extremely fine.

The reign of Dionysios I was characterized by military adventures and constant activity, which resulted in enormous expenses. As a way of economizing, he ordered the issuance of a very extensive issue of bronze drachms in c. 395; his only other high value coins were silver dekadrachms and gold pieces (tetradrachms were discontinued). The vast majority of the Athena/Sea-star-andtwo-dolphins drachms have no symbol or added letter on their reverses; this piece bears a pellet and it has been theorized that this indicates the denomination. This seems quite likely and indicates that this coin was one of the very first to be issued, at a time when the new denomination was as yet unfamiliar to the populace and needed to be identified.

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23.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dion. 357-354 BC. Hemilitron (Bronze, 3.37 g 12). ΖΕΥΣ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΟΣ Laureate head of Zeus to left Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ Octopus with head at top. CNS 75/4 = Weber 1657 (same dies).

LHS 100, 23 April 2007, 189 (same dies).SNG Cop 731. SNG Morcom 737. Extremely rare and with a splendid dark green patina. One of the finest examples known. Extremely fine.

The Zeus/Thunderbolt bronzes (hemidrachms or litrai) were issued by Dion in very large numbers, but their accompanying Zeus/ Octopus fractions, as this, were very rare and were struck using only a small number of die pairs. The head of Zeus Eleutherios, ‘Zeus the Liberator’, is particularly well designed and elegant; the octopus on the reverse harks back to Syracuse’s bronze and silver fractions of the 5th century.

24.

SICILY, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. 344-317 BC. Dilitron (Bronze, 19.53 g 9), circa 339/8-334. ΖΕΥΣ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΟΣ Laureate head of Zeus to left Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ Free horse prancing to left.

Basel 499. CNS 80 st 2. SNG ANS 533-541. SNG Lloyd 1456-1457. Very rare and of splendid style. Fine applegreen patina. Extremely fine.

The dilitra of Timoleon bear a very different head of Zeus Eleutherios from those found on the coinage of Dion. Dion’s head harks back to the style of the 5th century BC and has a refined Classical elegance; that of Timoleon has a much more late Classical-early Hellenistic feel, rather like the heads of Zeus on the coinages of Philip II, Olympia and the Arkadian League. Here we have nobility and power combined in a single head of great beauty; as a series these are among the most attractive of all Greek bronzes. In fact, the obverse die of this piece was surely engraved by the same artist who produced the dies for the extremely rare Zeus/Pegasus silver stater, of which there are two examples known, one in Naples and the other in a private collection (for the Naples piece see Rizzo pl. LVIII, 2; the other is ex Tkalec, 25 October 1996, 15).

25.

SICILY, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. 344-317 BC. Dilitron (Bronze, 19.31 g 9), circa 339/8-334. ΖΕΥΣ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΟΣ Laureate head of Zeus to left Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ Free horse prancing to left.

CNS 80 st 7. SNG ANS 533-541. SNG Lloyd 1456-1457. A coin of particularly elegant style with a rather tall and elongated head of Zeus with fine features. Attractive dark green patina. Nearly extremely fine.

Note the stylistic differences between this head and the previous piece: they were clearly produced by two different artists, each with his own personal conception of the features of the king of the gods.

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26.

SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles. 317-289 BC. Bronze (Bronze, 9.70 g 2), circa 295-289. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ Head of young Herakles to left, wearing taenia Rev. Lion prowling right; above, club; in exergue, spear to right.

CNS 150, Ds 14 var. SNG ANS 740. A superb specimen with a beautiful brown patina. Extremely fine.

27.

SICILY, Unlocated Punic mints. Circa 320/315-305/300 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.03 g 11). Head of Persephone to left, wearing wreath of corn leaves, triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace; around, four dolphins Rev. Free horse prancing to left with palm tree behind. Jenkins, SNR 56, 141 (O46/R127). Nicely toned and of particularly attractive style. Minor edge flaw on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

Ex Classical Numismatic Group 58, 19 September 2001, 134.

28.

ISLANDS off SICILY, Lipara. Circa 425 BC. Tetras (Bronze, 24.91 g 3). Bearded head of Aiolos to right, wearing conical pilos Rev. ΛΙΠΑΡΑΙΟΝ (retrograde) Three pellets. CNS 5 mv 1 = Weber 1777. Very rare.

Rough dark, blackish-green patina. Good very fine.

The earliest bronze coinage of Lipara began in the last quarter of the 5th century BC and was probably struck from metal seized as booty from a victory over the Etruscans. The early pieces were quite heavy and were struck on thick, cast flans with beveled edges. The tetrantes of this early group come in two different varieties: the more common has a small head of Aiolos, a son of Poseidon and god of the winds who was closely connected to Lipara, and the rarer bears a much larger head. The present piece is a particularly nice example of the rarer variety.

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29.

THRACE, Abdera. Circa 411/0-386/5 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 12.83 g 12), Apollas, circa 367 (Chryssanthaki). Griffin rearing up to left Rev. ΕΠΙ ΑΠΟΛΛΑΔΟΣ Apollo, nude but for his laurel wreath and a chlamys over his shoulders, walking slowly to left, holding, in his left hand, a laurel branch over his left shoulder, and, in his right, a patera; above left, a small figure of Nike is alighting on his right arm and pouring a libation from an oinochoe into the patera Apollo holds in his right hand. May, Abdera 349. Extremely rare, the finest example of this rare type known. A splendid coin of superb classical style. Attractively toned, extremely fine.

This superb coin bears a type that is very reminiscent of the Apollo found on the archaic staters of Kaulonia; but here, rather than a daimon running on Apollo’s outstretched arm we have Nike alighting on it.

30.

THRACE, Dikaia. Circa 515-480 BC. Distater (Silver, 19.54 g). Bearded head of Herakles to right, wearing lion’s skin headdress Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. Cf. May, Dikaia, 13-15. Schönert-Geiss, Bisanthe cf.

1-5 (these dies not recorded). Cf. Traité II, 1767-1768. Very rare, less than ten distaters of Dikaia are known. Lightly toned and attractive, nearly extremely fine.

Herakles was the patron of Dikaia, a rather obscure Thracian city that is now primarily known from the coins it produced. The heavy distaters were almost certainly made solely for export - most published examples were found outside of Thrace.

31.

THRACE, Dikaia. Circa 515-480 BC. Stater (Silver, 9.73 g). Head of bearded Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev. Incuse square divided into four triangles, of which two are further divided in half by thin lines. ACGC 562. BMC 1. Weber 2354 (this coin). Schönert-Geiss, Bisanthe 11 (V5/R5). Very rare. Lightly toned, nearly extremely fine.

From the collections of C. S, Bement I, Naville VI, 28 January 1924, 828 and Sir Hermann Weber.

This is the half of the splendid and even rarer distater that appears above. These coins were quite exceptional, especially given their idiosyncratic weight standard, and most were undoubtedly exported to the East where they were surely melted down.

16

32.

KINGS of THRACE. Lysimachos. 305-281 BC. Stater (Gold, 8.48 g 12), Lysimachia, 297/6-282!1.

Head of Alexander the Great to right, with horn of Ammon over his ear Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ Athena seated left on low-backed throne, holding Nike, crowning the king’s name, in her right hand, a spear in her left, and with her left elbow resting on a shield ornamented with an aegis; to left, ΔΙ. Thompson 8 var. Very rare. An attractive coin, nicely struck. Good extremely fine.

This is one of the very rare life-time issues of Lysimachos from Lysimachia, his namesake city, which he founded near the site of Cardia.

33.

KINGS of THRACE. Lysimachos. 305-281 BC. Drachm (Silver, 4.29 g 1), Kolophon, 299/8-297/6.

Head of Herakles in lionskin headdress to right Rev. ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ Zeus seated left; to left, forepart of lion to left over Φ; below throne, pentagram. Thompson 127. An unusually nice example, well struck and centered. Nicely toned. Extremely fine.

34.

THRACO-MACEDONIAN TRIBES, Ichnai. Circa 485-470 BC. Octadrachm (Silver, 28.97 g). ΙΧΝΑΙΟΝ (retrograde) Ares to right, wearing kausia and leading two bulls walking slowly to right Rev. Wheel with four spokes within shallow incuse square. Jameson 946 = Svoronos Hell. Prim. p. 43, 2a, pl. IV, 5 . Extremely rare, a lovely and superb example, probably the finest known of the type. Lightly toned with some minor areas of flatness, otherwise, good extremely fine.

The various tribal silver issues of the Thraco-Macedonian area were primarily produced as a way of exploiting the rich seams of precious metal found in that area. This was especially true for the heavy octadrachms, which were a denomination ill-suited for any kind of local use. This piece shows either Ares or a local hero leading two bulls, a scene that was quite popular in northern Greece and which was used by several other issuing authorities, such as the Edonians and the Orreschii. The die used to strike the obverse of this coin is particularly well-made, and has a rude, stylistic vigor that makes it a quite exceptional example of the art of the period.

17

35.

THRACO-MACEDONIAN REGION, Siris. Circa 525-480 BC. Stater (Silver, 9.69 g). Nude, ithyphallic satyr standing right, grasping the right arm of a nymph who tries to move away from him; in field to left, pellet Rev. Incuse square, divided diagonally into four compartments. HPM pl. VII, 22 (same dies). SNG ANS 953.

Traité I, 1567 and pl. L, 6. Nicely toned and attractive. Good very fine.

36.

MACEDON, Amphipolis. 356/5 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 13.78 g 12). Laureate head of Apollo, threequarter facing to right Rev. [ΑΜΦ-I]ΠΟ-ΛΙΤ-ΩΝ Raised square frame surrounding a race torch with flames burning to left; at its base to right, ear of barley; all within a shallow incuse square. Lorber 47c and pl. XXV, 47b (this coin - the photographs of the coins described in the text as 47b and 47c are switched on Lorber’s plates; i.e., text 47b = pl. 47c and text 47c = pl. 47b). Very rare and with a superb head of Apollo of great power. Attractively toned but with somewhat porous metal, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From the collections of B. Feirstein, I, Numismatica Ars Classica 39, 16 May 2007, 22 and Dr. J. H. Judd, Bank Leu 15, 4 May 1976, 175.

This remarkable coin, which was expertly cleaned after its first appearance in the Judd sale, bears a remarkably powerful head of Apollo, free from both the overly feminizing traits he can sometimes have, and the hard masculinity that characterizes a number of his other portraits. The fact that this coin was issued solely to be used to pay state bills or in trade makes the quality of the engraving all the more admirable. Only the Greeks could have dreamt of making an object of daily use so artistically perfect.

This is especially true because facing heads are very difficult to make successfully: others from Amphipolis and elsewhere can be positively thug-like, while the insipidness of the late issues of Rhodes are a byword in numismatics.

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37.

MACEDON, Uncertain mint. Circa 520-500 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 12.86 g). Cow walking to the left, head slightly lowered Rev. Irregular incuse of roughly square form with, an amorphous and unidentifiable design and, on the right, possible monogram of ΤΕ. Giessener Münhandlung 52, 6 November 1990, 148 (same obverse die). Kagan ANSMN 33 (1988), p. 41, 4 and pl. 16, 4 = Svoronos HPM p. 16, 33 and pl. 2, 19 (same obverse die). Extremely rare, one of only three examples of this type known and the only piece with an inscription.

Attractively toned and with an insignificant striking crack. About extremely fine.

This coin is one of those special northern Greek bovines of uncertain origin that were studied by J. Kagan: he knew of two pieces.

The present example is of the greatest interest because of its enigmatic reverse: what we have is an irregular oblong incuse that contains what appears to be a design accompanied by single letter (an archaic epsilon) or, more probably, a monogram of ΤΕ. The monogram, if that is what it is, immediately suggests Terone but this seems rather unlikely since the coin types are nothing like that city’s coinage. Yet, that it comes from Macedon cannot be doubted. The curious reverse is rather reminiscent of the later issues from Skione (though there the galley-stern reverse type is immediately apparent). The cow on the obverse is very well made - she seems to be treading on a stick or a spear with her fore hooves: could this be a reference to a local myth?

38.

KINGS of MACEDON. Philip II. 359-336 BC. Stater (Gold, 8.6 g), Pella, 340-328. Laureate head of Apollo to right Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ Biga galloping to right, driver holding reins in his left hand and goad in his right; below, kantharos. Le Rider pls. 57-60. SNG Cop. 529. Well centered and of excellent style. Reverse very slightly double struck and with a few minor marks, otherwise, good extremely fine.

39.

KINGS of MACEDON. Philip II. 359-336 BC. Stater (Gold, 8.59 g), Amphipolis, 340-328. Laureate head of Apollo to right Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ Biga galloping to right, driver holding reins in his left hand and goad in his right, below right, crescent to right. Le Rider 87-106. A splendid piece, nicely struck and centered. Good extremely fine.

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40.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.21 g 10), Pella, circa 325-315. Head of youthful Herakles in lion skin headdress to right Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated to left on throne with his feet on a footstool, holding eagle with closed wings on his outstretched right hand and long scepter in his left; to left, rose with bee alighting right atop its petals. Price 206- SNG Berry 204. SNG Copenhagen 209. A very rare variety, superb and of lovely style. Extremely fine.

Other known examples of this rare variety were produced by a less skilled die cutter: the present reverse shows a Zeus who has his feet positioned in a most lively way, other known examples show him with both feet placed firmly on the ground; and the ‘bee and rose’ symbol is also shown in an unusually lifelike manner. Overall, the style of this piece is exceptionally fine.

41.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.13 g 12), Pella, circa 285-275. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated to left on backless throne, holding eagle in his right hand and long scepter with his left; to left and below throne, monogram. Price 568. Rare. Struck on a broad flan and with a powerful, fully Hellenistic head of Herakles of splendid style. Extremely fine.

42.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Drachm (Silver, 4.30 g 12), Kolophon, circa 323-319. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated to left on throne, holding eagle in his right hand and scepter with his left; below feet, footstool; below throne, wheat grain; to right, spearhead upwards. Price 1751. Toned and well centered. Good extremely fine.

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43.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Drachm (Silver, 4.29 g 11), Sardes, circa 334-323. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated facing on backless throne, his left leg and torso facing front, his head, right arm and right leg to left; holding eagle in his right and long scepter in his left; to left, torch; below throne, monogram. Price 2567. Toned and with an unusual and interesting portrayal of Zeus. Good extremely fine.

Sardes was basically the only mint with an engraver skillful enough to successfully produce a reverse bearing a semi-facing figure of Zeus. This engraver only worked at Sardes and he only produced a very limited number of dies in the late 320s BC: no other engraver is known to have produced a representation of Zeus like this anywhere else.

44.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. AE (Bronze, 5.669 g), Uncertain mint in western Asia Minor, 323-310. Head of Herakles in lion skin headdress to right Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ Bow in bowcase, club and race torch. Price 2799. SNG Munich 917. A superb piece, exceptionally well preserved, struck and centered. Very attractive, glossy, blackish green patina, good extremely fine.

45.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Drachm (Silver, 4.10 g 10), Uncertain mint in Asia Minor, circa 275. Head of Herakles wearing lionskin headdress to right Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Zeus seated left, to left, triskeles. Price-. Apparently unpublished and unknown. Extremely rare. Very attractively toned and with an especially interesting symbol. Minor marks, otherwise, extremely fine.

Ex Triton VI, 14 January 2003, 169.

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46.

KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. Stater (Gold, 8.58 g 12), Memphis, 332-323. Head of Athena to right, wearing Corinthian helmet adorned with serpent Rev. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylus; to left, thunderbolt and ΔΙ. A superb piece of the finest style, beautifully centered and struck. Good extremely fine, virtually as struck.

A remarkable coin, one of the nicest existing gold staters in the name of Alexander III struck during his lifetime.

47.

KINGS of MACEDON. Antigonos III Doson. 229-221 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.08 g 12), Amphipolis. Head of Poseidon to right, wearing wreath of sea weed Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΟΥ Apollo seated to left on prow, holding bow; below, monogram. SNG Berry 365. SNG Oxford 3264. A lovely example struck in high relief. Lightly toned, extremely fine.

Ex Leu 79, 31 October 2000, 524.

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48.

AKARNANIA, Federal Coinage (Akarnanian Confederacy). Circa 420 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 2.45 g 3), Stratos. Horned and bearded head of the river god Achelöos to right; below, crescent downwards Rev. F (retrograde) in a shallow incuse square. BCD Akarnania 2 (this coin). Imhoof-Blumer A, p. 145, 1. Traité II, IV p.

15, 7 and pl. CCLXXI, 7. Very rare. Struck from a worn die with some die rust, otherwise, clear and attractive, very fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen GmbH, Sammlung BCD, 18 October 2007, 2.

Not only were the early coins of the Akarnanian Confederacy issued in very small numbers, they were also used, apparently constantly, over a long period of time, with most surviving specimens being extremely worn (as BCD Akarnania lot 7). This piece is actually one of the finest known examples!

49.

AKARNANIA, Federal Coinage (Akarnanian Confederacy). Circa 250-200 BC. Stater (Silver, 9.92 g 11), Leukas. ΛΥΚΟΥΡΓΟΣ Head of the youthful river-god Acheloös to right Rev. ΑΚΑΡΝΑΝΩΝ Apollo, nude, seated left on a volute ornamented marble throne, holding a bow in his right hand and resting his left arm on the chair; to left, monogram of ΑΡ. BCD Akarnania 22.1 (this coin). BMC 4. Imhoof-Blumer Akarnanien 21. An attractive toned example. Good very fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen GmbH, Sammlung BCD, 18 October 2007, 22.1 and from the collection of J.S. Wilkinson, Malter, 15 November 1992, 387.

When this youthful head of a horned river god is compared with the bearded head found on the coinage of Gela, one is irresistibly reminded of the bearded head of Zeus on the tetradrachms of Philip and the beardless Herakles on those of Alexander. Why certain cities portrayed their river gods as youths while others chose more mature versions is unknown, but was probably solely due to the personal preferences of the city’s elite.

50.

AKARNANIA, Federal Coinage (Akarnanian Confederacy). Circa 250-200 BC. Drachm (Silver, 5.04 g 11), Leukas. ΛΥΚΟΥΡΓΟΣ Head of the youthful river-god Acheloös to right Rev. ΑΚΑΡΝΑΝΩΝ Apollo, nude, seated left on a volute ornamented marble throne, holding a bow in his right hand and resting his left arm on the chair; to left, monogram of ΑΡ. BCD Akarnania 30 (this coin). BMC 10 and pl. XXVII, 3 (same dies). ImhoofBlumer Akarnanien 21. Pozzi 1322 (this coin). SNG Lockett 1684 (this coin). Lightly toned and well struck with all parts of the design visible. About extremely fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen GmbH, Sammlung BCD, 18 October 2007, 30 and from the collections of R. C. Lockett, VI, Glendining & Co., 12 February1958, 1526 and S. Pozzi, Naville I, 4 April 1921, 1322.

23

51.

AKARNANIA, Federal Coinage (Akarnanian Confederacy). Circa 180-167 BC. Stater (Silver, 7.66 g 9), Leukas. ΑΚΑΡΝΑΝΩΝ Apollo, wearing long chiton and holding a patera in his right hand and his lyre with his left, sacrificing over tripod to left; all within laurel wreath Rev. ΣΩΤΙΩΝ Herakles, nude but for laurel wreath and lionskin over his left arm, standing left, resting his right hand on his club; to left in field, monogram above his right hand; to left below, forepart of lion above a second monogram. BCD Akarnania 58 (this coin). Extremely rare, apparently unique. Obverse slightly double struck and with some uncleaned horn silver, otherwise, good very fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen GmbH, Sammlung BCD, 18 October 2007, 58.

The late staters of the Akarnanian League were struck in Leukas and they are all extremely rare - this unique piece is the rarest of them all.

52.

AKARNANIA, Leukas. Circa 380-350 BC. Drachm (Silver, 2.76 g 12). Pegasos flying to left; below, Λ Rev. Head of Aphrodite facing, turned slightly to her left, and wearing a pearl necklace; to right, retrograde Σ. BCD Akarnania 211 (this coin, but with a misprinted Traité reference)- BMC Corinth p. 135, 115. Traité II, IV p. 78, 157 and pl. CCLXXVI, 15-16. Very rare. A spectacular coin, of remarkably fine style. Attractively toned. Minor flan crack, otherwise one of the finest known examples of this type, nearly extremely fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen GmbH, Sammlung BCD, 18 October 2007, 211.

This is one of the finest of all the facing heads on Greek coinage. Here we see Aphrodite as an ever-youthful goddess, her hair carefully arranged but artfully flowing behind her, perhaps ever so slightly wind-blown. Her expression is a serious one, without even a hint of a smile, not even that of Mona Lisa’s. The artist who cut the dies for this small coin, the value of an Attic tetrobol, produced a true masterpiece, one of the most attractive small denomination to be minted in the 4th century BC.

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53.

AKARNANIA, Thyrreion. Circa 94 BC. Stater (Silver, 8.15 g 2). Head of Athena Parthenos to right, wearing helmet ornamented with Pegasos and four horse protomes Rev. ΘΥΡΡΕΙΩΝ / ΛΕ-ΩΝ /ΦΑΤΝΙ/ΑΔΑ Athena Promachos, helmeted and wearing peplos and himation, hurling lance with her right hand and holding shield in her left; to left, monogram; to right, club. BCD Akarnanien 403 (this coin). K. Liampi, Ein neuer Münzfund aus Thyrreion, ALAG 174, 1 (this coin) . Extremely rare, and of unusually fine late Hellenistic style. Nicely toned, Good extremely fine.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen GmbH, Sammlung BCD, 18 October 2007, 403 and from the Thyrreion Hoard of 1987.

This coin is yet another example of the way a single hoard can change our views of an ancient city’s coinage. The late coinage of Thyrreion was hitherto only known from a coin in the ANS in New York, once in the Newell Collection and bought in a Cahn sale of 1928; but in 1987 a hoard turned up in Thyrreion itself that included a small number of other pieces, of which most went into the BCD Collection and were dispersed in 2007. Liampi carefully investigated their issue and was able to tie them to a peace treaty signed between Rome and Thyrreion in 94 B.C. Known from only two obverse and six reverse dies, all signed by the magistrates Leon and Phatniades, they must have had a solely commemorative nature and probably never circulated.

54.

AITOLIA, Aitolian League. Circa 238-228 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.97 g 12). Head of beardless Herakles in lion skin headdress to right Rev. ΑΙΤΩΛΩΝ Aitolia, wearing kausia, hunting boots and a short chiton that leaves her right breast bare, holding a spear with her right hand and a sword with her left, seated to right on a pile of Macedonian and Gallic shields; on the ground below her spear, carnyx; to right monogram of ΑΤ over ΖΗ. BCD Akarnania 429 = Tsangari 468b (this coin). De Laix p. 71, 2. Very rare. A most attractive coin of superb Hellenistic style. Nicely toned,some flatness on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the collection of BCD, Münzen und Medaillen GmbH 23, 18 October 2007, 429, J. W. Garrett, II, Bank Leu/Numismatic Fine Arts, 16-18 October 1984, 208, and C. S. Bement, I, Naville VI, 28 January 1924, 1016.

This is one of the finest of all the known tetradrachms of the Aitolian League, and it has a particularly distinguished pedigree as well. The Aitolians produced a series of tetradrachms for use in their basically unsuccesful war against Macedon in the third quarter of the 3rd century BC: most seem to have been melted down after the war and all are quite rare today (the finest survey of them can be found in Tsangari). Initially the Aitolians began striking Alexander-type tetradrachms, of which a single example is known, but since they were fighting the Macedonians they decided to vary their coin type from that of their enemies. They did so by retaining the head of Herakles but pairing him with a depiction of the statue of Aitolia in Delphi, erected to commemorate their defeat of the Celtic invaders of 279

25

55.

AITOLIA, Aitolian League. Circa 250-225 BC. Stater (Silver, 10.47 g 11). Head of Apollo to right, wearing oak wreath; below neck, ΛΥ Rev. ΑΙΤΩΛΩΝ Aitolos, nude but for his hat hanging down his back, his sword held under his left arm and his chlamys over his right leg, standing left, holding his spear in his right hand and with his right foot propped on a boulder; to left, monogram of ΝΚ; below the point of his chlamys, Α. BCD Akarnania 442 (this coin). De Laix p. 71, 7. SNG Lockett 1686). Tsangari 585b (this coin) . With a head of unusually individualistic style, nicely toned, but with a minor obverse die break. Extremely fine.

From the collections of BCD, Münzen und Medaillen Deutschland 23, 18 October 2007, 442, and A. Moretti, Münzen und Medaillen 61, 7 October 1982, 115, and ex Hess-Leu, 7 April 1960, 167.

The fact that the person portrayed on the obverse wears an oak wreath has led to a great deal of controversy over his identification.

The rather individualistic looking head on these coins have led to him being identified as a Seleukid prince, perhaps Antiochos III (though the present dating of this series makes that rather unlikely). However, he is almost certainly the Apollo of Aitolia, a god greatly venerated there (the oak wreath testifies to his local importance, in place of the usual laurel).

56.

LOKRIS, Lokris Opuntii. Circa 382-356 BC. Stater (Silver, 12.20 g 12), dated by Humpris to 370/369.

Head of Demeter to left, wearing wreath of corn leaves, triple pendant earring and pearl necklace Rev. ΟΠΟΝΤΙΩΝ Lokrian Ajax advancing to right, nude but for helmet, holding sword in his right hand and shield, ornamented with a coiled, horned snake in its interior, with his left; at his feet, broken spear. BMC 14. Gulbenkian 489 (same dies). An exceptionally fine example, well struck and perfectly centered. Obverse slightly double struck as usual, otherwise, extremely fine.

An exceptional coin in every way: the style of the head of Demeter on the obverse, based on that of Euainetos’ Arethusa on his dekadrachms from Syracuse, is extremely attractive and lifelike; while the fighting Ajax on the reverse is beautifully made, his muscles rippling as he moves to battle, walking slowly over the broken spears on the ground below him.

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57.

BOEOTIA, Tanagra. 457-448 BC. Stater (Silver, 12.39 g). Boeotian shield with rim divided into twelve compartments Rev. Τ-Α-Ν-Α, boustrophedon, from, at the top, right to left and then left to right Forepart of a horse to right, his bridle trailing over his back; all within incuse square. BCD Boiotia 254 = Locker Lampson 198 = Weber 3228 (this coin). Traité I, 1373, pl. XLI, 28. Extremely rare, the second and best example known. Nicely toned, a splendid coin, Extremely fine.

From the collection of BCD, Triton IX, 10 January 2006, 254, ex Münzen und Medaillen 61, 7 October 1982, 118, and from the collections of Comte Chandon de Briailles, Bourgey 17 June 1959, 322, G. Locker Lampson and Sir Hermann Weber.

This stater was produced just at the turning point from the archaic to the early classical style in Boeotia, and is a particularly attractive coin in all respects.

58.

BOEOTIA, Tanagra. Early-mid 4th century BC. Obol (Silver, 1.00 g). Boeotian shield Rev. ΤΑ Forepart of horse galloping to right. BCD Boiotia 275. SNG Fitzwilliam 2893. Nicely toned and attractive. About extremely fine.

From the BCD collection.

59.

BOEOTIA, Thebes. Circa 480-460 BC. Tetartemorion (Silver, 0.24 g). Boeotian shield Rev. Archaic theta, in the form of a cross within a circle; all within incuse square. BCD Boiotia 357. SNG Copenhagen 257. Very rare. Nicely toned and well-struck. Nearly extremely fine.

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60.

BOEOTIA, Thebes. Circa 405-395 BC. Stater (Silver, 11.97 g). Boeotian shield Rev. Θ-Ε Head of bearded Dionysos three-quarter facing turned slight to the right, wearing ivy wreath; all within a very shallow circular incuse. BCD Boiotia 457 (same dies). Head, Boeotia p. 41 = BMC 104, pl. XIV, 9. Jameson 1164 (same reverse die). Very rare. An attractive and splendid coin of great beauty. Lightly toned, nearly extremely fine.

This is surely the most majestic and noble facing head of Dionysos to be found anywhere on ancient Greek coinage. He has a serene beauty that is in contrast to the wild and orgiastic nature the god can have on other occasions; his eyes are clear here, and his gaze penetrating. It is interesting to note that the artist who made the dies for this coin seems to have been following a Theban tradition in not including any trace of the god’s neck, as with the facing heads of Herakles that appear on Theban staters about a generation earlier (BCD 422-423)

61.

EUBOIA, Chalkis. Circa 500 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.07 g). Eagle flying left with outspread wings and with claws at the ready Rev. Wheel of four spokes within deep incuse square. Asyut p. 54 and pl. XIV, 253 (same obverse die). BCD 114 (this coin). With a splendid late archaic eagle of great power. A very well preserved coin of great rarity. Lightly toned, extremely fine.

From the BCD collection, Numismatik Lanz 111, 25 November 2002, and ex Bank Leu 15, 4 May 1976, 220.

The eagle on the obverse was a symbol of the importance Chalkis claimed for itself, while the wheel referred to the chariots used by the city’s aristocracy. This is a particularly attractive coin with a simplicity of design that gives it impressive force and power: as an archaic issue very few others have its presence. The lack of any ethnic is testimony to the city’s pride and confidence that its issues needed no further identification than the types they bore.

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62.

EUBOIA, Chalkis. Circa 180-146 BC. Oktobol (Silver, 5.81 g 12), Zenokrates. Head of ther nymph Chalkis to right, with her hair rolled into a bun at the top of her head but with some locks falling down the back of her neck and with a triple pendant earring Rev. ΧΑΛΚΙ Eagle,with spread wings, standing right, holding the coils of a snake, rearing up before him and biting his left wing, with his left talon; to right, ΞΕΝΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ. BCD Euboia 236 = Picard 57.1 and pl. XIX, 57, 2 = SNG Lockett 1790 = Weber 3365 (this coin). Extremely rare, apparently unique. A beautiful and significant coin, finely toned and of lovely late Hellenistic style. Extremely fine.

From the BCD collection, Lanz 111, 25 November 2002, 236, Numismatic Fine Arts V, 23 February 1978, 101, amd from the collections of R. C. Lockett, III, Glendining & Co., 27 May 1959, Sir H. Weber, C. S. Bement I, Naville VI, 28 January 1924, 1066 and that of J. P. Lambros.

63.

SIKYONIA, Sikyon. Circa 431-400 BC. Stater (Silver, 12.20 g 6). Chimaera walking right; below, ΣΕ Rev. Dove flying right; above tail, Θ; all within olive wreath with ties to left. BCD Peloponnesos 203.1. BMC 51.

An unusually nice example, well centered and struck. Good extremely fine.

64.

ELIS, Olympia. 111th Olympiad. 336 BC. Stater (Silver, 12.12 g 12). ϜΑ Head of Hera to right, wearing stephanos inscribed FΑΛΕΙΩΝ, triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace Rev. Eagle with spread wings standing left on rock, head turned back to right; all within olive wreath. BCD Olympia 159 var. (same obverse die). Seltman, Temple 343 (dies FG/ιχ) . Very rare. A coin of splendid style. Attractively toned, Good very fine.

The dies used for this coin were cut by a master engraver of great skill. Hera’s head is both noble and delicate and the eagle on the reverse is particularly well made. The same artist was responsible for the most beautiful of all the later 4th century drachms of Olympia, Seltman pl. XII, 21 (see the Jameson coin (2105) = BCD 192 = Nomos Winter-Spring 2009, 59).

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65.

ARGOLIS, Argos. Circa 370-350 BC. Drachm (Silver, 5.64 g 12). Head of Hera to right, wearing stephane ornamented with palmettes and pendant earring; behind her head, sideways Σ. Rev. ΑΡΓΕΙΩΝ Diomedes, nude but for chlamys tied over his shoulders, walking to right, holding dagger in his right hand and Palladion in his left; between his legs, small Ν. BCD Peloponnesos 1067. BMC 45 = Kraay/Hirmer 518 (same obverse die).

Jameson 1255 = Traité III, 626 var. (same dies). Extremely rare. Beautifully toned and very well struck, a superb piece, one of the finest existing Argive drachms. Extremely fine.

From the BCD Collection, LHS 96, 8 May 2006, 1067, ex Leu 33, 3 May 1983, 332 and from the collection of C. Gillet, 996.

The collapse of Spartan hegemony over the Peloponnesos was caused by their defeat by the Thebans at the battle of Leuctra in 371.

To celebrate this event many Peloponnesian cities produced impressively designed prestige coinages, including Argos, Pheneos, Stymphalos and the Achaian and Arkadian Leagues. This is a perfect example of those coinages, beautifully made and of superb style.

66.

ARKADIA, Arkadian League. Circa 340 BC. Obol (Silver, 0.86 g 12), Megalopolis. Horned head of Pan to left Rev. Arkadian League monogram of outline form above syrinx. BCD 1517-1518 var. Cf. 81, 2064 (very similar obverse die, but plain monogram on the reverse). Somewhat rough surfaces and a few minor marks, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From the BCD collection.

A very attractive piece - and an unusual one given the outline monogram on the reverse.

67.

ARKADIA, Alea. Circa 380s-370s BC. Obol (Silver, 0.93 g 3). Head of Artemis to right, wearing pendant earring and with her hair tied in a bun at the back Rev. ΑΛ Strung bow. BCD 1346. BMC 1. Gorny & Mosch, 164, 154 (same dies). Very rare. Toned and with some minor marks and die flaws on the reverse, otherwise, unusually nice and extremely fine.

The obol coinage of Alea is one of the great Arkadian rarities: only a very few examples are known, most of which are corroded or have serious faults.

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68.

KINGS of PONTOS. Mithradates VI Eupator. 120-63 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.60 g 1), Year 222 = 76/75 BC. Diademed head of Mithradates VI to right, his hair flowing wildly Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ Stag feeding to left; to left, star of eight rays within crescent over monogram; to right date ΒΚΣ over monogram; below, Θ (9th month); all within ivy wreath. BMC 5. Callataÿ D34-R8. A superb example with a fine portrait, struck on a broad flan. Fresh and lightly toned, good extremely fine.

69.

BITHYNIA, Kios. Circa 350-300 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 2.52 g 12), Miletos. Laureate head of Apollo to right Rev. ΜΙΛΗΤΟΣ Prow of galley to left. SNG Copenhagen 370 ff. Lustrous and attractive. Good extremely fine.

70.

MYSIA, Kyzikos. Circa 500-450 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 2.68 g). Lion with raised mane standing left on tunny fish to left, his head turned down and facing the viewer as if licking his paw Rev. Quadripartite incuse square.

BMFA 1442. Rosen 460 SNG France 212. SNG Lockett 2692. Von Fritze 83 . A lovely example, nicely centered and very well preserved. Good extremely fine.

Is this lion licking his foot because he is wounded, or is he merely cleaning himself? The curious thing about the coinage of Kyzikos is the way the main type of the coin, whether an animal, a human or a mythical creature, interacts with the city’s symbol, the tunny fish. They stand, sit or kneel on it, sometimes they even hold it, but they never harm it.

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71.

MYSIA, Pergamon. Autonomous issues. 334-332 BC. Stater (Gold, 8.61 g 12). Head of youthful Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev. Palladium, wearing kalathos, standing facing in an archaistic manner, holding a shield over her left arm and thrusting with a spear held in her upraised right hand; in field to left, Corinthian helmet with crest; hanging from the shield, fillet ending in tassels. SNG France. Extremely rare, one of a very few examples known. An exceptional piece of great beauty. Good extremely fine.

Dated to 334-332 in the most recent sources, this may, in fact, be too early and we may have to visualize this as having been struck slightly later, after the ever increasing numbers of Alexander’s standard silver issues, with their comparable heads of Herakles, had begun to flood the markets of the ancient world. In every way this coin, accompanied by a small number of other pieces with differing symbols, must have been special: it bears no name of the authority that issued it, and only the characteristic Pergamene figure of Athena points to that city as its origin. The presence of examples of this type in the famous Saïda hoard, dating to the late 320s, makes it clear that it had to have been struck at some point during the reign of Alexander himself. If so, we might view it as a special issue designed to pay the troops who guarded Pergamon, location of one of the greatest stores of wealth in all of Alexander’s empire.

72.

ISLANDS off TROAS, Tenedos. Circa 550-470 BC. Obol (Silver, 0.67 g 8), C. 550-520 BC. Janiform head; on the left, female face to left; on the right, bearded male face to right; both wear a stephane and they share a disc earring with pendant and a necklace of pearls Rev. Double-axe within incuse square. Rosen 536.. Very rare, a particularly attractive archaic issue from Asia Minor. Nicely toned. Obverse very slightly double-struck, not affecting the attractiveness of the coin, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

The heads on the obverse of this coin represent Philonome and Tenes, the lovers who landed on Tenedos and became its rulers. This is actually one of the earliest issues of the island, with a particularly interesting incuse square, partially formed by the pelekys, the double-axe that was a symbol of the island.

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73.

ISLANDS off TROAS, Tenedos. Circa 100-70 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.27 g 12). Janiform head composed of a laureate and bearded head of Zeus to left and a diademed head of Hera to right Rev. ΤΕΝΕΔΙΩΝ Double axe; below left, monogram of ΠΑ and bunch of grapes; below right, caps of the Dioscouri; all within laurel wreath. Callataÿ, Tenedos 80 (same dies = Pozzi 2289). A splendid coin of excellent style, struck in high relief.

Minor traces of overstriking, otherwise, extremely fine.

The early coinage of Tenedos bore janiform heads similar to the one here, but on those the male head was bare and without a laurel wreath. This seems to mean that those heads portrayed two characters from a local foundation legend: Tenes, after whom the island, originally called Leucophrys, was renamed, and either his young step-mother and lover, Philonome, or his sister, Hemithea. This iconography proved confusing, even in ancient times the combination of the janiform, male/female head and the double axe on the reverse gave rise to tales of the punishment for adultery (!), and by the end of the 5th century the head on the coins of Tenedos was transformed, by the addition of a laurel wreath to the male side, into one of Zeus and Hera. What is very curious is that the coinage begins with a male head on the left, switches to having a female head on the left (some early fractions, contemporary with the earliest large denomination pieces with the male head left, also have female heads to left); and then the heads, are transformed into Hera and Zeus. After quite a long break, during which silver was only struck in the form of posthumous Lysimachus tetradrachms, Tenedos resumed minting silver during the 1st century BC with a series of tetradrachms and drachms, like the present example, once again with the male head to left.

74.

AEOLIS, Kyme. Circa 165-140 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.74 g 12), Olympios. Head of the nymph Kyme to right, her hair bound up with a broad taenia marked with either Η or Ζ at the end just before the roll of hair at the back of her head Rev. ΚΥΜΑΙΩΝ/ΟΛΥΜΠΙΟϲ Horse standing right, left foot raised; below, one-handled vase; all within olive wreath. BMC 80. Oakley 50/a. A fascinating and apparently unnoticed variant. Attractively toned, nearly extremely fine.

The importance of this coin comes from the curious letter that appears on the end of the nymph’s hair band: it could be either an eta or an upright zeta, which was often written like a tall I with very much extended serifs on the top and bottom. This letter almost certainly is the initial of the die cutter’s name and, as such, is one of the very few artists’ signatures found on Hellenistic coinage. Its very discrete placement (no previous commentator seems to have noticed it prior to its appearance in CNG 81) is quite reminiscent of the signature of the famous engraver who signed many issues of Ptolemy I with a tiny Δ hidden in the hair of the obverse portrait.

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75.

AEOLIS, Myrina. Autonomous issues. Circa 155-145 BC. Drachm (Silver, 3.92 g 12). Laureate head of Apollo to right, his hair falling down the back of his neck Rev. ΜΥΡΙΝΑΙΩΝ Apollo Gryneios standing to right, holding laurel branch in his left hand and phiale in his right; to right, omphalos and amphora; to left, monogram of ΑΥΔΡ; all within laurel wreath . SNG München; SNG Copenhagen. Extremely rare and in exceptionally fine condition. Extremely fine.

Hellenistic Myrina is best known for its extensive, and often very attractive, series of stephanophoric tetradrachms, which were issued in c. 155-145 BC. However, the tetradrachms, which are themselves not very rare as a group, were accompanied by drachms bearing the same types that are now extremely rare. This piece is surely one of the finest examples of the type in existence.

76.

LESBOS, Unattributed early mint. Circa 500-450 BC. Stater (Billon, 11.08 g). Two calf’s heads confronted, forming a single facing head; between them, laurel tree Rev. Incuse square. SNG Copenhagen SNG von Aulock 1682. Traité pl. XV, 14. Toned and very clearly struck. With a fascinating optical illusion on the obverse, unusually well-preserved. Extremely fine.

77.

LESBOS, Mytilene. Circa 454-428/7 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 2.50 g 9), circa 430. Head of a nymph, threequarter facing and turned slightly to the right, wearing a taenia that is bound up at the back of her head and a simple necklace Rev. Μ Bull protome to left. BMC 50. Bodenstedt 44 (dies a/b); SNG Fitzwilliam 4343. Very rare, one of less than ten examples known, most in museums. A very attractive piece, nicely centered and well-struck. About extremely fine.

The woman on the obverse of this coin has not been precisely identified, but since she is young and beautiful, and accompanied by a bull, one tends to assume she is Europa. In any case, the head is remarkably fine and is a superb example of the art of engraving from the late 3rd quarter of the 5th century. The appearance of the city’s initial on the reverse is most unusual for Mytilene, since most of the island’s electrum coinage is anepigraphic.

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78.

IONIA, Erythrai. Circa 550-500 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 2.59 g). Head of Herakles to left, wearing lionskin headdress Rev. Quadripartite incuse square, partially filled. BMFA 1806-1807. Extremely fine.

The Hektes of Erythrai were struck in considerable numbers during the later part of the 6th century. Most were melted down and turned into the more useful issues of Phokaia, Lesbos or Kyzikos during the course of the 5th century, which is why they are relatively uncommon today.

79.

IONIA, Herakleia ad Latmon. Circa 150-142 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.98 g 3). Head of Athena to right, wearing helmet, adorned with Pegasus flying to right, the foreparts of five horses over the visor, and tendrils at the back, and a necklace of pearls Rev. ΗΡΑΚΛΕΩΤΩΝ Club shown horizontally to right; below, Nike standing left between two monograms; all within oak wreath. BMC 1 var. SNG Lockett 2823. A lovely example, attractively toned and perfectly centered - an exceptionally nice representative of a particularly pretty series. Slightly soft struck on the reverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.

80.

IONIA, Teos. Circa 510-500 BC. Stater (Silver, 11.82 g). M-E Griffin seated to right, raising left foreleg Rev. Rough quadripartite incuse square. Balcer Group IV (A12). Traité I, 500 and pl. XIII, 4 (same dies). A powerful coin with a splendid griffin. Nicely toned, Extremely fine.

The people of Teos founded the Thracian city of Abdera, which also used a griffin as a coin type, albeit that Teos’s griffins faced right and Abdera’s left.

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81.

IONIA, Uncertain mint. Circa 600-550 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 2.32 g), Milesian standard. Forepart of Pegasos to left; below jaws, two pellets Rev. Irregular incuse square. Gorny & Mosch 164, 188 (same dies). C.f.

Weidauer 143 (hemihekte). Extremely rare. Extremely fine.

This is one of those fascinating pieces from the early days of coinage: nearly all we know about it is that it was surely struck by a mint in Ionia, though which one remains a mystery. In any case, Pegasos was a particularly Greek creature and its appearance on this coin argues that the issuing authority was either Greek or strongly influenced by Greeks.

82.

KINGS of LYDIA. Kroisos. Circa 560-546 BC. 1/12 Stater (Electrum, 0.68 g), Light standard, Sardes, C. 550-546 and later. Foreparts of lion, on the left, and bull, on the right, facing each other Rev. Irregular incuse square. CNG MBS 58, 19 September 2001, 599 (same dies). SNG Munich 9. An exceptional piece, clearly struck, sharp and lustrous. Virtually as struck.

This tiny coin was actually remarkably valuable: it was the equivalent of an Attic silver didrachm! Thus, despite its minuscule size (and there are even smaller denominations in this series), it could not be conveniently used for day-to-day purchases; it was, rather, useful for paying official salaries.

83.

CARIA, Knidos. Circa 380-360 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 1.77 g 12), Thersippos. ΚΝΙ Forepart of lion to right Rev. ΘΕΡΣΙΠΠΟΣ Head of Aphrodite to right, her hair bound in a sphendone, and wearing a pendant earring and a pearl necklace; behind neck, Corinthian helmet to right. Ashton, Late p. 87; SNG Copenhagen 260 var.

Traité II, 1648 = pl. CXLVI, 4 var. Rare. Nicely toned and unusually fine. Nearly extremely fine.

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84.

ISLANDS off CARIA, Kos. Circa 285-258 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 14.83 g 12), Leodamas. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev. ΚΩΙΟΝ / ΛΕΩΔΑΜΑΣ Crab with bow-case (gorytus) below; all within linear square made from pearls. Requier 44a (this coin). SNG Berry 1116. SNG Copenhagen 627. SNG Delepierre 2729. A lovely, attractively toned coin struck on a broad flan. Good extremely fine.

The Hellenistic tetradrachms of Kos can be, when they are not badly struck or corroded the way so many are, remarkably attractive.

The head of Herakles they bear is one of great elegance, reminiscent of those struck for Alexander in Memphis as well as those on the much earlier tetradrachms struck by Kamarina (as SNG Lloyd 871 or Kunstfreund 84).

85.

SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Antiochos IV Epiphanes. 175-164 BC. Quadruple (Bronze, 35mm, 40.70 g 12), Antioch, circa 169-168. Laureate head of Zeus to right Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥ Eagle, with closed wings, standing right on thunderbolt. SC 1412. SMA 59. SNG Spaer 979. A lovely example with a splendid brown patina. Nearly extremely fine.

The design of this coin deliberately copied that found on the coins of Antiochos IV’s Ptolemaic enemies, and was a boast of his power over them. This is a particularly fine example of the type.

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86.

PERSIA, Achaemenid Empire. Time of Darios I to Xerxes II. Circa 485-420 BC. Daric (Gold, 8.14 g). Great King of Persia running to right, wearing kidaris, holding bow in his left hand and spear with his right Rev. Rectangular incuse. BMC Arabia pl. XXIV, 26. Carradice Type IIIb A/B (pl. XIII, 27). Nearly extremely fine.

87.

PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy II Philadelphos, with Arsinöe II, Ptolemy I, and Berenike I. 285-246 BC. Tetradrachm (Gold, 13.86 g 1), Alexandria. ΑΔΕΛΦΩΝ Jugate busts of Ptolemy II, diademed and draped, and Arsinoe II, diademed and veiled, to right; behind, Gallic shield Rev. ΘΕΩΝ Jugate busts of Ptolemy I, diademed and wearing aegis, and Berenike I, diademed and veiled, to right. Svoronos 604. SNG Copenhagen 133.

Well-centered and exceptionally nice. Good extremely fine.

The double-portrait issues of Ptolemy II, with his wife and parents, were issued in very large numbers, especially the impressive Octadrachms. The Tetradrachms, however, were produced in smaller amounts and are, today, often found in rather worn condition.

This piece is one of the finest examples of the type known.

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88.

PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy III Euergetes. 246-222 BC. Diobol (Bronze, 7.71 g 12), Alexandria, circa 243 or later. Laureate bust of Ptolemy III to right, wearing aegis Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; to left, cornucopiae. SNG Copenhagen -.

Svoronos 997. Weiser -. A very rare variant, especially in this superb condition. Beautiful olive-green patina with earthen highlights, good extremely fine.

This coin formed part of the subsidy sent out by Ptolemy III to help his allies in Greece during their struggle against their enemies, especially the Spartans and Macedonians. Thus, these coins most often tend to turn up there and are usually in very worn condition (as those from the Agora in Athens and from Corinth for example). Pieces like this are, frankly, extremely rare.

89.

PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Berenike II, wife of Ptolemy III. Circa 244/3-221 BC. Pentakaidekadrachm (Silver, 51.71 g 12), Alexandria. Draped and veiled bust of Berenike to right Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΒΕΡΕΝΙΚΗΣ Cornucopiae, bound with fillet, between two laureate pilei. Svoronos 988. D. Vagi, “The Ptolemaic Pentakaidekadrachm,” SAN XX, 1 (1997), pp. 5-10. Very rare. Attractively toned and lacking the usual flan crack.

Extremely fine.

These immense coins are primarily known from a single hoard, discovered several decades ago: before that there was only the damaged example cited by Svoronos. They are actually quite remarkable and show the very great skill of the die cutters and the mint workers who struck them. It is the largest silver coin struck by the Greeks for actual circulation - the Indo-Greeks struck larger issues but they must have only been for donatives.

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90.

PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy IV Philopator. 225-205 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 13.96 g 12), Uncertain mint in Phoenicia. Diademed head of Ptolemy I to right, wearing aegis Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; above center of thunderbolt, ΥΖ; below, monogram. SNG Copenhagen -. Svoronos -. Very rare and apparently unpublished. Beautifully toned and wellcentered. Extremely fine.

91.

PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy IV Philopator. 225-205 BC. Drachm (Bronze, 63.29 g 12), Alexandria. Diademed head of Zeus Ammon to right, with ram’s horn over his ear Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; between legs, monogram of ΣΕ; to left, cornucopiae bound with diadem. SNG Copenhagen 205. Svoronos 992. Unusually nice and with an attractive dark brown patina.

Extremely fine.

From the collection of Maurice Laffaille, Monnaies et Médailles 76, 19 September 1991, 611 (there attributed to Ptolemy III).

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92.

BAKTRIA, Greco-Baktrian Kingdom. Diodotos II. As sole ruler, circa 235-225 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 16.66 g 6), Mint B, circa 235-230. Diademed head of Diodotos to right Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΟΔΟΤΟΥ Zeus striding to left, nude but for aegis draped over his left arm, hurling thunderbolt with his right hand; to left, seated before his left foot, eagle standing left with wreath above its head; behind, Β. Bopearachchi 6B. Holt D/7, 24-25. SNG ANS 88. A superb, high relief coin with an elegant and emotive portrait of great power. Exceptionally well preserved, perhaps the finest known example. Some minor flatness and a few marks on the reverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.

The Greek coinage of Baktria and India is surely the most evocative of all the moneys produced by Alexander’s successors, and is also the first example of that European fascination for the East that was to culminate, some 2000 years later, with the British Raj. Under Greek rule Baktria first began as a satrapy of the Seleukids but in the mid 3rd century it became increasingly independent until it finally threw off the Seleukid overlordship sometime in the 230s. Perhaps amazingly for a dynasty so far from the Greek heartland, the Greek kings of Baktria produced portrait coins of astonishing beauty and realism: this issue of Diodotos II bears one of the most noble and serene heads to be found in Greek coinage (it is surely influenced by Seleukid prototypes, as those of the contemporary Seleukos II, but it greatly exceeded them in beauty and power).

93.

INDIA, Kushan Empire. Vima Kadphises. Circa AD 100-127/8. 2 Dinars (Gold, 15.91 g 12), Mint A, third emission. BACIΛEYC OOH-MO KAΔΦICHC Diademed and robed figure of Vima Kadphises seated facing on clouds, head to right, wearing tiara, and holding a mace in his right hand; at his shoulders, flames; to left, tamgha Rev. maharajasa radadirajasa trarvaloga isvarasa mahisvarasa Vima Kathphshasa tratarasa (in Karosthi) Siva, ithyphallic, standing facing, head to left, holding trident in his right hand and resting his left on the shoulder of the bull Nandi, standing to right behind him; in field to left, Buddhist TriratanaM. Donum Burns 75. MK 10. Very rare.

A splendid example, very well struck and with clear designs. Good extremely fine.

Vima Kadphises was one of the greatest of the Kushan kings. The Western world first became aware of the Kushans when they toppled the Greek kingdom of Baktria in 135 B.C. and began to form a very multicultural kingdom of their own. They took over Greek, Persian and Indian elements, fusing them into a very special Baktrian koiné that was highly literate, using Greek and local languages. Under Kanishka, c. 127/8-152, they began using their own Kushan language, written in a Greek script with added letters. The present coin, one of the very rare double dinars that were produced for ceremonial reasons, bears a purely Greek legend on the obverse and a more fulsome version in Karosthi on the reverse; the types themselves are purely Indian in feel.

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Roman Republican Coinage

94.

Anonymous. Quadrigatus (Silver, 6.65Â g 6), Rome, circa 225-214/212. Laureate janiform head of the Dioscouri; at the center on the top of the head, two annulet-like curls Rev. Jupiter, holding scepter and thunderbolt, standing right in a quadriga, which is driven to right by Victory who stands beside him; below, tablet inscribed with ROMA in incuse letters. Cf. BMCRR (Romano-Campanian) 82-83, 86 and pl. lxxiv, 23 (= 82). Crawford 28/3.

Sydenham 64. Beautifully toned, of superb style and perfectly struck. A very rare coin in this state of preservation and quality. Good extremely fine.

This must be about the finest quadrigatus in existence, not only because of its superb condition, but also because of its wonderful style, high relief and perfection of strike. The janiform head of the Dioscouri has a distinct sculptural quality and the four horses on the reverse seem almost to be leaping up and off the field of the coin. We simply have to assume that this piece was among the earliest quadrigati minted, because the quality of the dies used for it are so good that they had to have been cut by a master of great talent. Compared to other examples of this relatively scarce issue the relief is clearly higher and the details of the figures on this coin are very much more carefully made: Victory, Jupiter and the horses seem to have real bodies rather than being like the cursorily rendered and lower relief ones found on virtually all the usual coins of this vast issue. The possibility that this could actually be struck from one of the prototype dies for the entire series, if not the very first of them all, has to be entertained.

95.

The Marsic Confederation. 90-88 BC. Denarius (Silver, 3.95Â g 8), uncertain Campanian mint. MVTIL. EMBRATVR (= Mutilis Imperator in Oscan script) Head of Mars to left, wearing crested helmet ornamented with a plume on the bowl Rev. C. PAAPI. C. (= C. Paapi C. in Oscan script) Oath taking scene: at the center, man kneeling left, with his head to right, holding a pig in his arms; to his left and right, soldier standing opposite each other, each leaning on a spear held in his left hand and each touching the pig with a sword held in his right. BMCRR, Social War, 40. Campana 87. HN III 428. Sydenham 640. Very rare. An exceptional piece, one of the finest examples known.

Lightly toned and with a few minor marks, Extremely fine.

This is an exceptionally fine example of a very rare coin. It was issued by the Italian allies who revolted against their treatment by the Romans, especially their lack of equality. One of their main leaders was the Samnite Gaius Paapius Gaii f. Mutilus whose name appears on this coin. The war ended when the Romans agreed to enfranchise the Italians, their chief demand. Gaius Paapius was captured by the Romans and may either have committed suicide following his condemnation by Sulla, or have survived, becoming increasingly rich, until, at the age of 80, he was proscribed and killed by the Triumvirs in 43 BC. The present coin type is based on a denarius showing an oath scene (Crawford 234/1) that was issued by T. Veturius in 137 BC to commemorate the treaty of the Caudine Forks with the Samnites in 316 BC

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96.

Julius Caesar. Denarius (Silver, 4.02 g 12), mint moving with Caesar, 49-48. CAESAR Elephant trampling serpent to right Rev. Priestly implements: culullus, aspergillum, ax with wolf’s head at the top and apex.

Babelon (Julia) 9. Crawford 443/. Sear 9. Sydenham 1006. Attractively toned and very well-centered. Some minor deposits on the reverse, otherwise, Extremely fine.

97.

T. Carisius. 46 BC. Denarius (Silver, 3.89 g 1). MONETA Head of Juno Moneta to right, wearing earring and necklace Rev. T.CARISIVS Coining implements: anvil, tongs, hammer, punch die; all within wreath. Babelon (Carisia) 1. Crawford 464/2. CRI 70. Sydenham 982. Exceptionally well preserved, nicely centered and lustrous.

Good extremely fine.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 33, 6 April 2006, 338.

This lovely coin is almost invariably found badly struck with its details unclear: it was surely issued in large numbers that were struck very, very rapidly with little quality control. Pieces as nicely struck as this one are actually remarkably rare.

98.

Julius Caesar. Denarius (Silver, 4.05 g 6), L. Livineius Regulus, 42. Laureate head of Caesar to right; behind, laurel branch; before, caduceus Rev. L LIVINEIVS REGVLVS Bull rushing to right. Babelon (Julia) 57.

Crawford 494/24. CRI 115. Sydenham 1106. Rare. Nicely toned, very well centered and unusually attractive.

Extremely fine.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 33, 6 April 2006, 376.

This coin bears a splendid and noble portrait of Caesar, one of the finest in the entire series.

45

Roman Imperial Coinage

99.

Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. Denarius (Silver, 3.60 g 6), Colonia Caesaraugusta, circa 19-18. CAESAR AVGVSTVS Bare head of Augustus to right Rev. S.P.Q.R/./CL.V on shield. BMC 333. Cohen 294. RIC 42a.

Attractively toned and well-centered. Extremely fine.

100.

Hadrian. AD 117-138. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 21.79 g 6), 119. IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG Laureate bust of Hadrian to right, drapery on far shoulder Rev. PONT MAX TR POT COS III/SECVR AVG/ S C Securitas seated left. BMC 1163. Cohen 1397. RIC 569. Attractive green patina. A particularly nice example with a fine early portrait and excellent, original surfaces. Some minor scratches, otherwise, extremely fine.

101.

Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Dupondius (Orichalcum, 12.02 g 12), 140-144. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III Radiate and draped bust of Pius to right Rev. VICTORIA AVG S C Victory in quadriga charging to right. BMC 1355 var. C. 1084 var. RIC 674 var. (all without drapery). Rare. An attractive piece with a lovely brown patina. Extremely fine.

46

102.

Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Aureus (Gold, 7.38 g 6), 152-153. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVI Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right Rev. COS IIII Togate emperor standing to left, holding globe. BMC 796. Calicó 1521. C. 309. RIC 226. Good extremely fine.

103.

Diva Faustina Senior. Died AD 140/1. Denarius (Silver, 2.81 g 6), 142. DIVA AVG FAVSTINA Draped bust of Faustina to right Rev. DEDICATIO AEDIS View of the hexastyle temple of the Deified Faustina, with a decorated pediment and with statues on the roof. BMC 306. Cohen 191. Hill 434. RIC 388. Rare. Nicely toned.

Good extremely fine.

This coin commemorates the temple dedicated to the deified empress - a sestertius exists with the same types and legend. Much of the temple still exists in Rome and forms part of the later church of S. Lorenzo in Miranda.

104.

Marcus Aurelius. AD 161-180. Aureus (Gold, 7.29 g), December 168-December 169. M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXIII Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Marcus Aurelius to right Rev. FELICITAS AVG COS III Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and scepter. BMC 489. Calicó 1850a. Cohen 177. RIC 201 . A lovely coin with a fine portrait. Good extremely fine, nearly as struck.

The reign of Marcus Aurelius was one of the most dramatic in Roman history. After the death of Hadrian he became Caesar under Antoninus Pius in 139 when he was 18 and from then on was active in working and learning about the government he was destined to lead. He was certainly one of the best educated of all the emperors but he was faced with crises almost from the beginning of his reign in 161. The Empire was assailed by Parthians and Armenians in the east and by seemingly endless waves of Germans on the north. In fact, he spent most of his reign successfully combatting these enemies. The portraits on his coins form what is probably the most attractive and instructive group of the entire Imperial series: he begins as an ideal youth, then as an elegant young man, then as an equally elegant but mature man at the height of his powers, and finally as a worn out old man, still powerful but borne down by the weight of the Empire.

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105.

Marcus Aurelius. AD 161-180. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 31mm, 28.69Â g 12), 176-177. M ANTONINVS AVG GERM SARM TR P XXXI Laureate and cuirassed bust of Marcus Aurelius to right Rev. IMP VIII COS III P P / S - C / DE GERMANIS Pile of arms including a cuirass, shields of several types, a vexillum, spears and dragontrumpets. BMC 1596 var. (bust not cuirassed) = Cohen 163 var. = RIC 1184 var. A rare type with this obverse, with a lovely portrait and with a beautifully detailed reverse. Attractive greenish-brown patina, nearly extremely fine.

Marcus Aurelius spent his last years on the frontier, fighting the Germans until, after a series of battles, he finally defeated them decisively on the Danube frontier in 178.The present coin commemorates these earlier victories and shows the varying kinds of weaponry that the Roman forces captured - the dragon-horns being particularly characteristic. This coin is quite a rare variant due to the obverse portrait: most other known examples with this reverse type have a laureate head rather than a cuirassed one (the British Museum has five of the usual type and none of this variant). Another example, from the same dies but a bit tooled on the obverse, was in the famous Bally-Herzog collection and was originally acquired in 1907 (MĂźnzen und Medaillen Deutschland GmbH 14, 16 April 204, 160).

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106.

Commodus. AD 177-192. Medallion (Bimetallic (copper and orichalcum), 42mm, 85.54 g), 192. L AELIVS AVRELIVS COMMODVS AVG PIVS FELIX Head of Commodus to right, wearing the lion-skin headdress of Hercules Rev. HERC ROM CONDITORI P M TRP XVIII / COS VII PP Commodus, as Hercules, plowing to left with team of oxen. Cohen 184. Gnecchi 23 and pl. 79, 7. Kent/Hirmer 364 (obverse)/358 (reverse).

MIR 1162 - 1/72. Toynbee pp. 74-5. A spectacular piece, with a splendid portrait of Commodus. Lovely light and dark green patina, Good very fine.

Ex Tkalec, 7 May 2006, 170.

This astonishing medal was struck during three weeks, from 10 December 192, when Commodus took up his 18th tribunician power, and the 31st,when his exasperated court had him assassinated. It shows an image of one of the reasons for his murder, his assumption, thanks to his increasing megalomania, of the name and titles of Hercules, ‘Hercules Romanus.’ Due to a terrible fire that had struck Rome in the summer Commodus decided to rebuild the city under the name Colonia Aeterna Felix Commodiana; this coin shows the emperor, as Hercules, ritually plowing the borders of that ‘new’ city. The Romans specialized in bimetallic medallions, with a red copper outside ring enclosing a bright golden orichalcum inner section. The differing patinas on this coin are lovely on their own, but one can imagine how impressive this coin would have been when it was first made.

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107.

Commodus. AD 177-192. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 33.5mm, 27.82 g 12), 192. L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL Laureate head of Commodus to right Rev. PROVIDENTIAE AVG S - C On the left, personification of Africa standing right, wearing elephant’s scalp on her head, holding sistrum in her left hand and, with her right, jointly holding wheat ears with Commodus, as Hercules, standing left, heroically nude but for a laurel wreath on his head, his right foot on prow of galley, jointly holding the wheat ears in his right hand and holding club propped on a rock in his left. Very rare, unusually well preserved and struck on a broad flan. With a splendid variegated green patina and a particularly good portrait, extremely fine.

Ex Lanz 120, 18 May 2004, 366.

By the late 180s Commodus had become more and more megalomaniacal, to the point of actual insanity. He identified himself as Hercules (as can be seen on this coin, the figure of Hercules on the reverse has the features of Commodus and even wears an imperial laurel wreath) and greatly enjoyed participating in the games in Rome as both a gladiator and a hunter of animals (while he usually pardoned his human opponents in the arena - though he often killed those he practiced with in private - he slaughtered large numbers of animals to the extent that even the Romans were disgusted). After the great fire of 191, which damaged quite a lot of Rome, Commodus decided, insofar as he believed himself to be the new Romulus, to refound Rome under the name Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana, to change many other names to include his own and to take up the consulship on 1 January 193 as a gladiator. This proved to be too much: a conspiracy was hatched in order to prevent such a massive disgrace, and it was arranged for him to be strangled in his bath by a wrestler named Narcissus on the 31st of December.

108.

Diocletian. AD 284-305. Argenteus (Silver, 3.25 g 11), Siscia, 294-295. DIOCLETIANVS AVG Laureate head of Diocletian to right Rev. VIRTVS MILITVM The four Tetrarchs sacrificing before the gate of a camp with eight turrets. Jelocnik 1. RIC 32a. A superb and lustrous piece, free from the usual flan cracks that plague these coins.

Good extremely fine.

The argemeus, a coin of good silver reintroduced by Diocletian in 294 after over a generation without any Imperial fine silver coins (discounting the slightly earlier issues of the usurper Carausius), was struck in rather large numbers at mints all over the Empire.

They were, in general, remarkably elegant with their stylized portraits and simple reverses. They fell prey to economic realities, however, and after a few decades they were replaced by the lighter siliqua. It should be noted that before the great Sisak Hoard of the late 1950s argentei were uniformly very rare

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109.

Constantius I. AD 305-306. Argenteus (Silver, 3.52 g 12), Serdica, 305-306. CONSTANTIVS AVG Laureate head of Constantius I to right Rev. VIRTVS MILITVVM /.SM.SDΔ. Camp gate with three turrets. RIC 11a var. (this officina unpublished. Extremely rare. A superb, lustrous coin. FDC. The silver argentei from Serdica are actually very rare in general - in this condition they are virtually unheard of

Byzantine Coinage

110.

Anastasius I. 491-518. Solidus (Gold, 4.40 g), Constantinople, 491-498. DN ANASTASIVS PP AVC Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Anastasius 3/4 facing to right, holding spear in his right hand and with shield over his left shoulder Rev. VICTORIA AVCCCΓ / CONOB Victory standing left, holding long cross; to right, star. DOC 3c. SB 3. A superb piece, well struck and nicely centered. Extremely fine.

111.

5th - 7th Centuries AD. A weight of 3 Unciae (Bronze with inlaid Copper and Silver, 34 x 35 x 9 mm, 80.40 g). A square bronze weight with slightly curved edges leading to a beveled top edge. The top, or upper surface is ornamented with engraved designs. At the upper corners is an inscribed flower with an inlaid silver center, the bottom corners each contain a silver inlaid Γ; the center is bordered by an inlaid copper laurel wreath with an inlaid silver ornament at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock; within the wreath are the facing busts of two nimbate, crowned and draped imperial figures, their faces inlaid in silver Rev. Plain with some scattered file marks, probably made to adjust the weight after its manufacture. Bendall 61 ff. var. L. Holland, An Unusual Bronze Coin-Weight from Caesarea Maritima, IAPN Studies, p. 94 and pl. 30, 2 (this piece). Very rare. A fascinating and attractive example of late Roman - early Byzantine metal work. The reverse and edges are as found, the top has been cleaned to reveal the design and the original contrasting colors: golden-brown bronze, red copper and grey silver. Extremely fine.

Ex LHS 102, 29 April 2008, 473.

A remarkable item. Decorated weights like this must have been used for weighing precious commodities such as spices, gold and silver and the like. The presence of the two unidentifiable Imperial busts (could they be Justin I and Justinian I or are they earlier?) implies that it was used officially, but it might also have been merely a prestigious private object. In any case it is an exceptional and very rare piece.

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Coinage of the Dark Ages

112.

MEROVINGIANS, Le Mans. C. 580/590-670. Tremissis (Gold, 1.25 g 12), The Church of Mans (Sarthe), struck by the moneyer Marcovius. +C/INNVWELEC Head to left with long hair shown in the form of pearls Rev. MARCOVIVS Cross anchrée on a globe. For a coin with the same obverse die, see Belfort 1497 = Prou 478. For another example of this coin, see Argenor, 24 April 1998, 195; now in the museum of Mans. Extremely rare, the second example known. A beautiful, sharply struck example. Good extremely fine.

As is well known, a great variety of authorities, including private entities, had the right of coinage in Merovingian times. In this case we have the major church of Le Mans acting as the minting authority as way to utilize bullion that came into the church’s possession. It should be clear that originally coins struck from these dies must have been rather common, but by the end of the 7th century, and certainly in the 8th, vast amounts of gold left Europe for the East, not to be replaced for many centuries, and the normal coinage became almost exclusively silver.

Medieval & Renaissance Coinage

113.

BELGIUM, Cambrai, Bishopric. Pierre III de Mirepoix. 1309-1324. Petit Gros (Silver, 2.02 g 11). +:PETRVS:EPISCOPVS: Bust of the Bishop facing, wearing mitre; saltires in his collar, on his crown and within the legend Rev. +AVE MARIA GRATIA PLE / CA-ME-RA-CV Large voided cross pattée dividing the inner legend.

Boudeau 2015. De Wit (Künker 121) 1381 var. Robert 311 var. An attractive coin with an apparently realistic bearded portrait of the Bishop. Nicely toned, Extremely fine.

114.

FRANCE, Royal. Charles VI le Bien-Aimé/le Fol (the Well-Beloved/the Mad). 1380-1422. Gros aux lis (Silver, 2.85 g 12), Tournai, June 1413. +KAROLVS FRANCORVM REX (triple pellet stops) Three fleurs de lis Rev. +SIT NOME DNI BENEDICTV (triple pellet stops) Floriated cross; pellet under the I of BENEDICTV = Tournai. Ciani 518. Duplessy 381. Roberts 2871. Toned and unusually nice, a superb piece. Extremely fine.

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115.

GERMANY, Nürnberg (Stadt). Karl VI. Half-Taler Klippe (Silver, 13.79 g 12), On the victories of the Allies in Spain and Brabant during the War of the Spanish Succession, Struck from dies by G. F. Nürnberger shortly after 23 May 1706. MIT GOTT DVRCH M.O.G.VND L, WIRDS VND DOR-TEN WIEDER HELL Crowned and radiant sun with a human face, with smaller crown to left, right and below; all within a laurel wreath enclosed within a double linear border; at each angle, rosette (the four crowns stand for the allies, Spain, Portugal, England and Holland Rev. Solar eclipse; above, BAR/CELONA/LIBERATA/A.1706.12.MAI/ECLIPSIS SOL=/IS.; to left, MADRI=/TVM.OCCVP./m.MAI; to right, BRABAN/TIA.OCCVP./m.MAI; below, TIRLEMONT CLA=/ DES.m.MAI above a plant bearing falling fleurs de lis; in exerge, GFN; all within a border as on the obverse.

Erlanger 2737. Julius 1172. Hawkins, Medallic History, pl. CXXIII, 13. Montenuovo 1344. Van Loon IV, p. 454. A splendid, finely toned example. With the usual minor die fault on the reverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.

The letters M, O, G and L on the obverse are the initials of the victorious allied generals Marlborough Ouwekerke Galloway and Leake. The eclipse depicted on the reverse of this coin took place on 12 May 1706 and was considered to be a symbol of the defeat of the Alliance’s principal enemy, the “Sun King”, Louis XIV.

Enlargement of No. 116 54

116.

GERMANY, Sachsen-Ernestinische Linie. Johann Friedrich I. 1552-1554. Half Taler (Silver, 14.22 g 9), Saalfeld, 1552. IO.FRIDER.SENI. NAT.ELEC.SAXO Plain bust of the Duke to left, wearing chain mail; below, shields of Electoral and Ducal Saxony Rev. CAROL.V.RO.IMP.SEMP.AVGVSTVS.1552 Crowned double-headed eagle. Slg. Merseburger 2899. Tentzel 100/VI. Extremely rare. Lightly toned and attractive, good very fine.

Johann Friedrich I was a major figure in the religious wars of the 16th century. He became Elector of Saxony in 1532 on the death of his father and spent a great deal of his rule trying to destroy the Anabaptists, executing many of them. In 1547 Johann Friedrich was captured by Charles V at the battle of Mühlberg, deprived of his electorship (given to his cousin Maurice), and imprisoned until his release in 1552. While Talers struck during his reign as Duke of Saxony are not uncommonly found, his Half Talers are extremely rare; this is one of finest known examples.

117.

ITALY, Emilia. Parma. Ranuccio I Farnese. 1592-1622. Double Ducatone (Silver, 63.37 g 6), 1604.

RAIN FARN PAR ET PLAC DVX IIII Cuirassed bust of Ranuccio I to left, his armor decorated with a griffin and a fleur de lis Rev. QVESITAM MERITIS Pallas, on the right, and Mars, on the left, holding crown with their upraised right hands over three lilies sprouting from a grassy hillock; in exergue below, L.1604.S . CNI 16. Dav. 4114. MIR 983/1. Extremely rare. Toned and fully struck. Minor marks but in exceptionally fine condition for this rare issue, very fine.

Ranuccio I Farnese was the fourth Duke of Parma and Piacenza. He was an able, albeit cruel, ruler who was famous for his support of the cultural renewal of the city of Parma, including a major building program and an expansion of the university.

55

118.

MALTA, under the Knights of Malta. Philippe Villiers de l’Isle Adam. 1522-1534. Tari (Silver, 3.04 g 11), Rome (?) or Malta, c. 1530-1534. .F.PHPS.DE.LILE ADAM.HOSPLIS.HIERLM Bearded bust of the Grand Master to left, wearing berretto and robes with a high collar Rev. DA.MI.VIRTVTEM.COTRA.HOSTES.TVO Quartered arms of the Grand Master and those of the Order. Azz. 656. F. p. 129. RS 9. Sch. pl. 1, 2. Schl. pl. XI, 20.

Extremely rare. Uncleaned and nicely toned, Nearly very fine.

Ex LHS 99, 24 October 2006, 52, Spink 63, 28 March 1988, 761 and Glendining & Co., 22 May 1974, 15.

This is probably the rarest of all the silver coins produced for circulation on Malta, and it was probably issued on the island itself.

Earlier scholars had suggested that it was struck in Rome but it seems more likely that while the dies may have been cut there, the actual minting took place on the island. This would have been done in order to make a clear statement about the new ownership of the island by the Knights; something that de l’Isle Adam would have sincerely wanted to emphasize in the face of objections by the Spanish governor of Sicily.

British Coinage

119.

Philip & Mary. 1554-1558. Groat (Silver, 2.04 g 9), Tower mint, mint mark lis. PHILIP.Z.MARIA.D:G. REX.Z.REGINA Crowned bust of Mary to left, wearing necklace and robes ornamented with pearls Rev. POSVOMVS.DEVM.ADIVTO.NOS Cross fourchée over royal arms. North 1973. SCBC 2508. Atrractively toned and well struck. Nearly extremely fine.

120.

Elizabeth I. 1558-1603. Sixpence (Silver, 3.01 g 9), Milled, London, mint mark lis, 1567. (lis) ELIZABETH.D.G.ANG.FRA.ET.HI.REGI’ Crowned bust of Elizabeth I to left, wearing ruff, necklace and royal robes; behin head, rose Rev. (lis) POSVI DEV ADIVTOREM MEV Long cross fourchée over shield bearing the royal arms; above shield, 15 67. Borden & Brown 37 (O3/R2). North 2030. SCBC 2599. An attractive, clear and nicely toned example. Minor flecking on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.

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121.

Elizabeth I. 1558-1603. Half Pound (Gold, 5.65Â g 9), London, Undated but Sixth Issue; mint mark woolpack (1594-1595/6). (woolpack) ELIZABETH:D:G:ANG:FRA:ET:HI:REGINA: Crowned bust of Elizabeth wearing elaborate robes to left Rev. (woolpack) SCVTVM.FIDEI.PROT.EGET.EAM. Crowned shield of arms between E R. North 2009. SCBC 2535. A lovely, bright and attractive coin. Minor edge marks, otherwise, extremely fine.

The half pounds of Elizabeth I bear some of her most evocative and attractive portraits, and this piece is no exception. On this coin her strong personality is beautifully expressed, but also her power and her great dignity (she was 61 or 62 when this coin was minted).

122.

Charles I. 1625-1649. Pontefract. Besieged, June 1648 - March 1649. Shilling, diamond shaped (Silver, 5.83Â g 12), 1648. DVM:SPIRO:SPERO. Large crown over C.R Rev. Castle gateway with P C flanking the central tower, OBS on the left, and hand holding vertical sword on the right; below, 1648. North 2646. SCBC 3148. More or less as made, and very rare thus. An exceptional piece, attractively toned. Good very fine.

Pontefract Castle, was an Anglo-Saxon strong point that was taken over as a Norman lordship after 1066. Originally primarily made of wood, the first stone fortifications began to be built in the late 12th century: over the succeeding centuries it developed into one of the strongest fortresses in Britain, finally becoming a royal possession under Henry IV. During the Civil War the castle changed hands several times. Captured by Parliamentary forces in 1645, it was retaken by stealth in 1648 but was lost again following a long siege that ended on 24 March, 1649. A few days after the surrender Parliament ordered it to be demolished.

57

123.

SCOTLAND. Mary. 1542-1567. Forty-four Shillings or Lion (Gold, 5.13 g 9), 1553. MARIA.DEI. GRA.R.SCOTORVM Crowned shield bearing the Lion of Scotland between I G (=-Iacobus Gubernator = James, Earl of Arran, regent and governor of Scotland) Rev. DILIGITE.IVSTICIAM.1553 Crowned monogram of Maria Regina between two cinquefoils. SCBC 5394. Rare. Toned. Good very fine.

124.

IRELAND, Hiberno-Norse. Sihtric Anlafsson. Circa 995-1020. Penny (Silver, 1.27 g 12), Phase II, Dublin, circa 1015/20-1035. ZIHTRC REX DYFL Bare-headed and draped bust of Sihtric to left, V on neck; to right, cross Rev. FAENEIN O DIYL Voided long cross with pellet in each quarter. DF 23. SCBC 6122. Very rare.

Beautifully toned and most attractive, good extremely fine.

Whether this coin was struck by Sihtric or one of his successors is at present uncertain - the type seems to have been immobilized for a short number of years. It is, however, very rare, indeed, especially in this superb condition.

125.

ANGLO-GALLIC. Henry VI. 1422-1461. Salut d’or (Gold, 3.48 g 11), Rouen, mint master Étienne Marcel , 1433-1444. hENRICVS:DEI:GRA:FRANCORV:Z:AQUINE:REX Scene of the Annunciation, Mary, on the left, and the Archangel Gabriel, on the right and holding a scroll with the word AVE, standing facing each other behind shields bearing the arms of France and England; above, rays; at the start of the legend, crowned leopard to left; below the last letter of the legend, pellet Rev. XPE⁎VINCIT⁎XPE⁎REGNAT⁎XPE⁎IMPERAT Latin cross between lis an leopard, and with h below, within tressure of ten arcs with lis at each point; below last letter of the legend, pellet; at the start of the legend, crowned leopard to left; below the last letter of the legend, pellet. Duplessy 443A. Elias 270c. Fr. 18. A splendid example, perfectly struck on a broad flan. Good extremely fine.

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126.

GREEK. Sicily & Magna Graecia. First quarter of the 4th century BC. (Bronze, 9.90 g), a decorative bronze brooch with a design taken from a Syracusan dekadrachm by Euainetos, Circa 400-375/350 BC. A large, hollow-backed, disc in the form of a shield with a flat edge and a strongly convex center. On the flat edge are thirtytwo perforations. On the raised central portion is a head of Arethusa surrounded by four dolphins, with traces of the letters ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ above Rev. Hollow, with an impression of the design found on the obverse; traces of a pin and its attachment. A fascinating and, possibly unique item of great interest. No comparable piece is known to us.

Part of the left hand edge broken away, affecting six perforations. With a rough, uncleaned green patina as found, good very fine.

This is quite an extraordinary item, which attests to the great prestige in which the dekadrachms of Syracuse were held in their own time. We know that Syracusan dekadrachms, primarily those of Euainetos, were used to make stamps that were designed to produce raised tondos at the center of pottery vessels. These were of a black-glazed ware of excellent quality made in southern Italy and Sicily, and were produced around the time the coins themselves were struck. It seems likely that actual specimens of the dekadrachm may have been mounted in silver vessels, though we know of no surviving example. As for this brooch, it seems, to our knowledge, to be unique, but it is more than likely that others exist. The perforations on the edge must have been used to facilitate attaching the bronze body to a cloth or leather backing to protect the interior and make the object stable, especially since the metal itself is relatively thin. The traces of a pin and its attachment plate show how the brooch was affixed to an individual’s clothing and proves that this was meant to be a removable item of jewelry rather than, using all those holes, a sewed-on integral part of some luxury garment.

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127.

GREEK. Levant & the Near East. A large bronze tondo, circa 1st century BC, or perhaps, Hadrianic revival, with a satyr and a nymph. A large, 137 mm in diameter disc, weighing 544.32Â g, with a plain reverse, beveled edges and a central tondo outlined by a raised circle, which bears two high relief figures. On the right, a nymph, half-nude with drapery around her waist and below and with her hair in waves and tied at the back, seated half facing to left, her left hand propped on a stone covered by some of her drapery, and her right hand clutching the right forearm of a young satyr who stands before her. He is nude, has rather florid hair and sideburns, and stands, on the left, with his back towards the viewer and his right leg slightly bent towards the nymph. His head is turned to the right and he seems to be attempting to draw off her drapery with his right hand, a process she seems to be rather languidly trying to stop. His left hand is extended to left in a gesture that seems to indicate that he wants her to get up and go that way with him. Attractive green patina and undamaged. Extremely fine.

The relation between satyrs and nymphs was a favorite theme in ancient Greek art: they commonly appear on painted pottery beginning in Geometric times but are, perhaps, best known from Attic Black and Red Figure vases; they appear in terracotta, in bronze and in stone sculpture. The earlier representations show the essential wildness of these mythological creatures: the satyrs are hairy, elemental beasts, endlessly lustful and the nymphs, or maenads they accost seem fully capable of defending themselves and giving as good as they get. However, as time went on both the nymphs and the satyrs become much more civilized. The satyrs get younger, loose their rough beards and donkey tails and change into rather attractive young men, the only hint of their supernatural origin being their curious hair. The famous Barberini Faun, now in Munich, is aperfect example of this transition, though he still has more than an hint of primal menace, which the present piece no longer shows. As for the nymphs, they too lose any hint of their old strength and become simply attractive and delicate young women. What is happening here seems to be a moreor-less amicable meeting in which the nymph is making a pro forma gesture to hold off the satyr, but her facial expression seems to show no sign of repulsion. Exactly what this heavy roundel was used for is uncertain, though it was surely part of a decorative ensemble (another piece, surely from same set, is known and has a mounting hole in the upper field). It seems more likely to have been set into the walls of a room than to have been part of a piece of furniture, since it’s large size would make it rather difficult use as part of a couch or something similar. It is a particularly impressive piece in any case.

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An Elegant Coin Case for the Connoisseur

• • • • •

Archival, premium quality materials Extra deep wells for archaic or high relief coins Will fit larger safe deposit box Holds 40 coins in two trays Separate padded protector $150 per case + shipping charges

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S103

Price List

(all amounts in USD) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

14,500 32,500 9750 2250 5500 9750 7750 3750 POR 1500 7750 5400 1750 750 5750 9750 9750 9750 2250 POR 125,000 1250 5750 2750 5750 725 15,750 4500 23,000 27,500 28,000 12,500

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

1100 POR 9750 115,000 37,500 4750 6000 3250 2850 475 900 775 1100 12,500 6250 4750 3250 4750 5750 17,500 9750 14,500 5750 8750 27,500 895 495 85,000 65,000 9750 2750 15,000

65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96

Production Credits Cataloging/Editing Victor England Eric J. McFadden Dr. Alan Walker Dr. A. Peter Weiss

Photography Travis A. Markel

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97,500 1250 3750 8500 675 12,500 145,000 750 25,500 3250 7750 5750 7500 1650 8250 4000 4000 2500 1200 18,500 1250 3450 21,000 2250 45,000 5000 2250 18,750 38,500 22,500 12,500 2450

97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127

3250 16,000 4750 4250 2500 15,000 650 17,500 7500 47,500 37,500 1650 2750 975 25,000 9750 2750 1750 7500 15,750 30,000 23,500 1975 1450 9750 17,500 9750 6750 3750 2200 37,500

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127 Distinctive Numismatic Items

Winter-Spring 2010