A Spectacular Sestertius

One of the Finest Known

676.

Extremely Fine.

Privately purchased from Numismatica Ars Classica AG; Ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 224, 13 October 2014, lot 516.

Good Extremely Fine; a superb ‘heroic’ type bust.

From a private English collection.

Ex

32, 1985

Extremely Fine. Rare.

Ex Peter Corcoran Collection;

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 98, 12 December 2016, lot 1161 (hammer: CHF 2,000);

Ex Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Auction 257, 10 October 2014, lot 8511;

Ex Numismatik Lanz München, Auction 32, 29 April 1985, lot 503.

4,500

180

1,050

A public expression of his devotion to his family, Trajan’s relatives were portrayed on his coinage to an extent not seen since the Julio-Claudian emperors. Both his natural father Marcus Ulpius Traianus and adoptive father Nerva are commemorated on his coinage, and Trajan also extended the honour to his living relatives, namely his sister Marciana, his wife Plotina and his niece Matidia.

Trajan and his elder sister Marciana maintained a particularly close relationship. The deep affection that existed between them is evident in Trajan’s decision to award her the title of Augusta, the first sister of an emperor ever to receive the title. Marciana thus became part of the imperial iconography, and her statue was placed, together with those of Trajan and his wife Plotina, over the Arches of Trajan in Ancona.

Marciana would often travel with her brother and assist him in decision making. Throughout the Roman Empire, she was honoured with monuments and inscriptions, and Trajan founded two towns named after her: Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi founded in 100 and Marcianopolis founded in 106. If there had been any doubt of the esteem in which Trajan held his beloved sister, it must surely have been dispelled when upon her death, sometime between 113 and 114, she was deified by the Senate at Trajan’s behest.

It is on this posthumous coinage of Marciana that the reverse legend CONSECRATIO is first utilised, and it was thereafter frequently employed for posthumous coinages of deified Augusti and Augustae. Following Marciana’s death, her daughter Matidia was raised to the rank of Augusta in her stead, and coinage was struck in her name also. Through Matidia, Marciana would be the great-great-great grandmother of the future emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Among the Finest Known

(same dies). 7.37g, 20mm, 7h.

Good Extremely Fine; wonderful portraits, sharply struck from dies engraved in the finest style, among the finest known specimens of the type.

Ex Auktionshaus H. D. Rauch GmbH, Auction 79, 17 November 2006, lot 2362.

21,000

Struck in AD 117 at the beginning of Hadrian’s reign and shortly after the death of Trajan on his return journey from the campaign against Parthia, this stunning aureus contains layers of symbolism hidden within its splendour.

The murky circumstances surrounding Hadrian’s accession needed to be legitimised. He had, officially, been adopted by Trajan on his deathbed. Yet whether this was actually the case, and whether it was Trajan’s uninfluenced will, were subjects of whispered debate. It was rumoured that Plotina might have compelled the dying emperor to adopt her favourite, Hadrian, or even perhaps that Trajan had died leaving no successor and that Plotina had afterwards forged Trajan’s will herself. Hadrian was therefore required to cement his own position as well as to consolidate the vast territorial gains of his predecessor, tasks that he undertook quickly and decisively.

Realising the untenable position that the annexation of Mesopotamia had created, Hadrian withdrew the legions stationed there and effectively abandoned this province, also later giving up Armenia to a local king, who was soon defeated by Parthia. Unpopular as Hadrian’s abandonment of his predecessor’s conquests in Mesopotamia would have been, it did help to stabilise the empire. These tactical withdrawals also left him able to concentrate on quelling the last pockets of resistance left over from the Kitos War, the second great Jewish-Roman war which had begun under Trajan and which was estimated by contemporaries to have cost the lives of many hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Roman citizens. As a result of the insurrection, the Legio VI Ferrata was also moved to a new permanent station at Caesarea Maritima in Judaea.

The rumour of a falsified adoption carried little weight, but in any case Hadrian was keen to emphasise the legitimacy of his position, and therefore we see on his coinage legends proudly proclaiming the deified Trajan and Nerva as his father and grandfather.

Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, AD 119-120. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate heroic bust to right, drapery on far shoulder / P M TR P COS III, Aeternitas standing facing, head to left, holding busts of Sol and Luna; AET-AVG across fields. RIC II.3 190; BMCRE 248; RSC 130. 3.09g, 19mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine; cleaning marks, lightly toned and lustrous.

From the inventory of a North American dealer; Ex Leu Numismatik AG, Web Auction 18, 18-20 December 2021, lot 2741 (since cleaned).

Hadrian AV Aureus. Rome, AD 124-125. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate bust to right, slight drapery on far shoulder / COS, she-wolf standing to right, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; III in exergue. RIC II.3 711; C. 420; BMCRE 444-447; Biaggi 597; Calicó 1231. 7.26g, 19mm, 6h.

Near Extremely Fine.

Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group.

Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, AD 124-125. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate bust to right, slight drapery on far shoulder / COS III, Roma standing facing, head to left, holding Victory and spear. RIC II.3 722; BMCRE 361-5; RSC 349. 3.44g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine; splendid iridescent tone. Ex Frank Reinhardt Collection; Ex Gitbud & Naumann, Auction 6, 4 August 2013, lot 390.

682.

Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, AD 125-128. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate bust to right, slight drapery on far shoulder / COS III, Concordia seated to left, holding patera and resting elbow on figure of Spes. RIC II.3 716; BMCRE 392; RSC 328. 3.35g, 20mm, 6h. Mint State.

Fleur De Coin

683.

Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, AD 126-127. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate bust to right, slight drapery on far shoulder / COS III, Pudicitia, veiled and draped, seated to left, holding veil with one hand and resting other on lap. RIC II.3 856; BMCRE 409; RSC 393a. 3.56g, 20mm, 7h.

Fleur De Coin.

Ex M&M, 1982

684.

Near Extremely Fine.

This coin published in J. Lacourt, Sesterces des Antonins (96-192): Vol II Hadrien (117-138) (France, 2022); From the inventory of Roberto Delzanno Mynthandel; Ex Classical Numismatic Group, Auction 106, 13 September 2017, lot 743; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 98, 12 December 2016, lot 1172; Ex Robert O. Ebert Collection (Part I), Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio, Sale 174, 11 January 2013, lot 5212; Ex Classical Numismatic Auctions, Auction XI, 3 May 1990, lot 321; Ex Münzen und Medaillen AG Basel, Auction 61, 7 October 1982, lot 431.

210

685.

Ex NAC, 1997

Hadrian Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 137-138. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head to right / Diana standing facing, head to left, holding bow and arrow; S-C across fields. RIC II.3 2400; C. 1362; Lacourt II Ag40.1; BMCRE 1542. 23.41g, 30mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine; lightly smoothed.

From the inventory of Roberto Delzanno Mynthandel; Ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger, Auction 420, 1 November 2017, lot 296; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction G, 10 April 1997, lot 1657.

Ex Leu Numismatik, 1996

1,200

Aelius (adopted son of Hadrian), as Caesar, Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 136-138. L AELIVS CAESAR, bare-headed and draped bust to right / TR [POT] COS II, Fortuna standing facing on left, head to right, holding rudder and cornucopiae beside Spes standing to left on right, holding flower and raising skirt; SC in exergue. RIC II.3 2685; C. 62 var. (draped and cuirassed); BMCRE 1912 (Hadrian). 27.67g, 32mm, 6h.

Near Extremely Fine; highly attractive patina.

Ex George C. Hopkins Collection, Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 114, 6 May 2019, lot 1557; Ex Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 65, 21-22 May 1996, lot 371.

1,500

687. 180

Antoninus Pius AR Denarius. Rome, AD 140-143. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head to right / PROVIDENTIAE DEORVM, winged thunderbolt. RIC III 80a; BMCRE 225; RSC 681. 3.35g, 18mm, 12h.

Good Extremely Fine; light cabinet tone with golden iridescence over lustrous metal.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Spring Sale, 25 May 2020, lot 1038.

Antoninus Pius Æ As. Rome, AD 140. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P, laureate and draped bust to right / TR POT COS III, Mars to right, holding spear and shield, descending through the air towards Rhea Silvia, reclining to left; S-C across lower fields. RIC III 694c; BMCRE 1372. 9.58g, 25mm, 12h.

Near Extremely Fine. Rare.

Ex collection of Z.P., Austria, Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 91, 2 December 2021, lot 907.

689.

Antoninus Pius Æ Dupondius. Rome, AD 148-149. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII, radiate head to right / COS IIII, Aequitas standing facing, head to left, holding scales and cornucopiae; S-C across fields. RIC III 858; C. 233; BMCRE 1831. 13.77g, 26mm, 11h.

Extremely Fine.

690.

Divus Antoninus Pius AV Aureus. Rome, after AD 161. DIVVS ΛNTONINVS, bare head to right / CONSECRΛTIO, pyre of four tiers, decorated with hangings and garlands, surmounted by facing quadriga. RIC III 435 (Aurelius); C. 163; BMCRE 55 (Aurelius); Biaggi 792; Calicó 1491. 6.77g, 19mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine.

Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group.

Imperial consecration ceremonies - funerals for emperors who were being deified - were spectacular affairs. A huge and elaborate pyre (or ‘ustrinum’) was constructed like that on the reverse of the present coin. Above the festooned podium forming the first tier, the second tier contained a chamber, accessed by doors which you can see on the present coin, in which body of the emperor would be placed; tiers two and three were decorated with niches containing statues, and the fourth tier held up a vast wax effigy of the deceased emperor driving a triumphal quadriga, flanked by large torches. When the preliminaries were completed, the pyre would be lit and an eagle released from within it to symbolise the soul of the emperor taking its place amongst the gods in the heavens.

691.

Diva Faustina I (wife of A. Pius) AV Aureus. Rome, after AD 141. DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust to right / AETERNITAS, Fortuna standing facing, head to left, carrying patera and rudder on ground. RIC III 349a (Pius); C. 2; BMCRE 369 (Pius); Biaggi 800; Calicó 1743a. 6.01g, 17mm, 6h.

692.

Diva Faustina I (wife of A. Pius) AV Aureus. Rome, after AD 141. DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust to right / CONSECRATIO, peacock walking to right, head to left. RIC III 384 (Pius); C. 174; BMCRE 471-472 (Pius); Biaggi 819; Calicó 1783. 7.12g, 20mm, 6h.

Acquired from Warszawskie Centrum Numizmatyczne.

693.

Marcus Aurelius AR Denarius. Rome, AD 165. M ANTONINVS AVG ARMENIACVS, laureate head to right / P M TR P XIX IMP III COS III, Roma seated to left, holding palladium and parazonium, shield at side. RIC III 138; BMCRE 368; RSC 481. 3.42g, 19mm, 6h.

Good Extremely Fine; well-centered and cleanly struck with a handsome old cabinet tone.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 94, 24 February 2022, lot 894; Ex Leu Numismatik AG, Web Auction 17, 14 August 2021, lot 2548.

694.

Faustina II (daughter of A. Pius) AV Aureus. Rome, AD 147-152. FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, draped bust to right / CONCORDIA, Concordia standing facing, head to left, holding hem of skirt and cornucopiae. RIC III 500a (Pius) var. (obv. legend); BMCRE 1078 note (Pius); Biaggi 918 var. (obv. legend); Calicó 2043 var. (Concordia looking to right); CNG 108, 642 = NAC 92, 598; G&N 10, 515. 7.36g, 21mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; possibly one of only three such variants known.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XXII, 8 October 2021, lot 809; Ex Altstetten Collection, kept in the vault of Crédit Suisse Geneva (documentation available upon request) since 26 November 1969.

3,000

695.

Lucius Verus AV Aureus. Rome, AD 161-162. IMP CAES L VERVS AVG, bare-headed and draped bust to right / PROFECTIO AVG TR P II, emperor on horseback advancing to right, holding spear; COS II in exergue. RIC III 480 (Aurelius); C. 137; BMCRE 200 (same rev. die); Biaggi -; Calicó 2144. 6.79g, 19mm, 6h.