Set Description
This collection contains coins struck first in electrum (a silver-gold alloy), then in gold. There is at least one coin for each of the last 26 centuries. The first coin is from the Kingdom of Lydia, in modern-day western Turkey, from the first half of the 500's B.C. This is roughly contemporaneous with the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612, and then, the sack of Jerusalem by the Babylonian Empire in 587 B.C. The last coin is a Netherlands ducat from 2022, a representative of the longest-running extant type of coin minted in essentially the same form since at least 1586. The ducat of Venice holds the record for the longest run, from 1280 to 1797.
There are 9 ancient coins with confirmed pedigrees from pre-1970 auctions.
Set Goals
Primary Objective: Assemble a timeline of gold coins from the start of coinage through the present.
Ideally, this will be without more than 100 years between the examples for each century. The second century BC (100's BC) is a tough century to get gold coins from.
Secondary Objective: Illustrate the longest running issues of coins used in long-distance trade between neighbors, enemies, and strangers. Once coinage was developed, major international trade almost always relied on gold and silver coins. This is why Western Europe was draining out gold and silver to India and East Asia in the long run; a forerunner of today’s major trade deficits between the “West” and modern India and East Asian states.
Examples of “mini series” include the Netherlands gold ducats of 1586 to the present, Venetian ducats from the 1280’s to 1797, Islamic dinars and other gold units from about 700 to the present, Roman gold from about 0 to 1200, etc.
Tertiary Objective: Identifiable shipwreck coins, coins with good pedigree, coins of villains and heroes.
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| 610-546 BC Electrum Lydia third stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) LYDIA c.610-546 BC
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EL Third-Stater Lydia rv bipartite incuse obv lion hd w/radiate sun
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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LYDIAN KINGDOM. Alyattes or Walwet (ca. 610-546 BC). EL third-stater or trite (13mm, 4.72 gm). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 4/5. Uninscribed, Lydo-Milesian standard. Sardes mint. Head of lion right, mouth open, mane bristling, radiate globule above eye / Two square punches of different size, side by side, with irregular interior surfaces.
Linzalone 1090. Weidauer 86. Boston 1764. SNG von Aulock 2868. SNG Kayhan 1013.
I previously paid about 25% more for a worse example of this coin, and so when this came up I had to try to get it. This one is much more yellow and smooth than the other example I have removed from this collection, which was similarly graded by NGC.
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| 560-540 BC Electrum Phocaea sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, PHOCAEA c.625-522 BC
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EL Hecte Ionia, Phocaea Quadripartite. Bod. Ph24. obv African hd,; seal
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 2/5
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IONIA, Phokaia. Circa 625/0-522 BC. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (10mm, 2.57 g). Head of African left, wearing necklace; to right, seal downward / Rough incuse square. Bodenstedt Em. 24. Scratches, scrape on obverse. VF.
This is a rare coin of the ancient city of Phokaia in Ionia (modern Turkey) struck in electrum 560-545 BC. It depicts the head of a sub-Saharan African man facing left with a seal, (the seal is off the coin in this example, unfortunately), the civic badge of Phokaia behind the head.
To the Greeks, Africans were called Aethiopians and they appear regularly in Greek art. The Greeks were well acquainted with sub-Saharan Africans since they appear often in Greek literature as mythical characters and warriors.
Indeed, Africans south of the desert were known in the Greek world as early as the Minoan period. They were often mercenary soldiers – not slaves. There are records of them fighting for the Minoans as well as in the army of Memnon at Troy. Even the Persians hired black mercenary soldiers who appeared in the army of Xerxes in the battle of Marathon (see Frazer, J. G., 1913: Pausanias’ Description of Greece, II. Macmillan, London, p 434; and Graindor, P., 1908: Les Vases au Nègre. Musée Belge, p 29).
This same kind of head appears in incuse on the reverse of a silver half-stater which has only appeared at auction a couple of times, and is of an unknown mint. See NAC52, 177, https://www.flickr.com/photos/antiquitiesproject/4802203901
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| 550-500 BC Electrum Erythrae sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, ERYTHRAE c.550-500 BC
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EL Hecte Ionia, Erythrae rv quadripartite incuse obv Heracles
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Erythrae was one of the twelve cities to form the Ionian League starting around the middle 7th century BC. It's widely believed, the City States of the Ionic League minted the world's first coinage to effect the efficient flow of commerce. Coinage of the time was struck from Electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, and is the first metal used in minting coinage. Early coins had simple obverse designs such as pellets or lines, with an incuse punch reverse. This one-sixth Stater was struck in Erythrae about a century later (550-500 BC) as obverse designs evolved to depict animals and people. In this case, both.
Head of Heracles left, wearing lion-skin headdress / Quadripartite incuse square with one shallow quadrant and one filled. This symbol, thought to represent the sun, was also associated with the goddess Athena, for whom the Erythrae built a temple of worship. SNG von Aulock 1942. SNG Kayhan 737-8.
This is an example of how the "grade" of a coin based on its preservation does not line up with its attractiveness. Here is a link to a MS 5/5 example of the same coin, which I think we can all agree looks far inferior: https://www.moderncoinmart.com/ionia-erythrae-c-550-500-bc-obv-heracles-rv-quadripartite-incuse-ngc-ms-strike-5-5-surface-5-5-sku42277.html
Collector Kohaku has an example of this coin with an incuse swastika on the reverse, instead of the checkers on my coin. https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinView.aspx?sc=311563.
Abour 50 years after this coin was struck, near 453 BC, Erythrae, refusing to pay tribute, seceded from Athens' Delian League. A garrison and a new government restored the union. It was freed from Persian rule by Alexander in 334, and after his death it supported the diadochos Antigonus I Monophthalmus (one eyed). A free city in the Roman province of Asia, Erythrae was noted for its wine, goats, timber, and millstones, as well as its prophetic sibyls, Herophile and Athenais.
NGC has certified 71 of these in all grades, with 7 in "higher" grades.
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| 521-478 BC Electrum Lesbos sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ISL. OF LESBOS, MYTILENE c.521-478 BC
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EL Hecte Isl. Of Lesbos, Mytilene calf hd. l. Bod.My12. obv lion hd. r. rv incuse
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Obverse: Predator
Reverse: Lunch
Head of roaring lion right / Incuse head of calf left; rectangular punch behind. HGC 6, 937. Bodenstedt 12.
Lesbos is the third-largest island in Greece, but was once connected to present-day Turkey. It is now only barely separated from Turkey by a narrow strait, since the end of the last Ice Age 11,700 years ago. In recent news, Lesbos has become a landing place for many of the migrants seeking entry into the European Union because of its proximity to Turkey. The largest city on the island, and the capital of the present-day Greek political administrative unit, is Myteline. That's where this coin was struck. Aristotle and Epicrus lived on the island for a while during their own lifetimes (after this coin was struck)
The name is from Ancient Greek: Λέσβος Lésbos "forested" or "woody", possibly a Hittite borrowing, as the original Hittite name for the island was Lazpa. An older name for the island that was maintained in Aeolic Greek was Ἴσσα Íssa.
According to later Greek writers, Mytilene was founded in the 11th century BC by the family Penthilidae, who arrived from Thessaly and ruled the city-state until a popular revolt (590–580 BC) led by Pittacus of Mytilene ended their rule. In fact the archaeological and linguistic record may indicate a late Iron Age arrival of Greek settlers although references in Late Bronze Age Hittite archives indicate a likely Greek presence then. The name Mytilene itself seems to be of Hittite origin. According to Homer's Iliad, Lesbos was part of the kingdom of Priam, which was based in Anatolia (present day Turkey). Keep in mind that Priam was the King of Troy during the legendary Trojan War.
We can laugh about how the inhabitants of the island are all Lesbians. They are. But with a capital "L" that just means they are from this island.
NGC has certified 226 of these.
Compared to the earlier coin from Erythrae, this coin has more than just an incuse punch on the reverse. The reverse is still incuse, but now features a detailed lamb's head. The irregular rectangular punch is still there, just squeezed in behind the lamb's head. I have seen other examples of the same issue where the lamb's head is facing right, instead of left. See NGC certification number 4281474-001. I do not know of any significance to this difference.
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| 454-427 BC Electrum Lesbos sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ISL. OF LESBOS, MYTILENE c.454-427 BC
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EL Hecte Isl. Of Lesbos, Mytilene bearded male. Bod.My52. obv male head r.
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NGC AU Strike: 3/5 Surface: 5/5
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The last Lesbian coin had a lion and a lamb on it. This one has two guys.
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| 477-388 BC Electrum Phocaea sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, PHOCAEA c.477-388 BC
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EL Hecte Ionia, Phocaea Quadripartite. Bod. Ph90. obv female hd.
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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IONIA. Phokaia. EL Hekte (2.56 gms), ca. 478-387 B.C. NGC Ch AU★, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5. Fine Style.
NGC lumps all of the "Phocaea. Ca. 477-388 BC" hectes together in its population, although there are almost a dozen or more different types including this one. That population is 284 with 7 in CH AU, 2 in CH AU with a star, and just one in MS.
Bodenstedt-90. Obverse: Young female head left; below, small seal left; Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square. Probably following the Lydians, the Phocaeans were among the earliest in the world to make and use coins as money. Its earliest coins were made of electrum.
High relief and perfectly centered obverse. Just like on the other Phocaea hecte from about 100 years earlier, this coin features an unidentified and apparently regular person.
Ancient Phocaea was highly active in sea exploration and colonization in the earlier part of the millennium. Modern Marsailles in France, Velia in Italy, and Empúries in Spain were all colonies founded by Phocaea. The ancient site is now within Foça in Izmir Province, Turkey.
After the defeat of the Persians under Xerxes I by the Greeks in 480 BC, and the subsequent rise of Athenian power, Phocaea joined the Delian League, paying tribute to Athens of two talents of silver per year. In 412 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, with the help of Sparta, Phocaea rebelled along with the rest of Ionia. The Peace of Antalcidas, which ended the Corinthian War, returned nominal control of Phocaea to Persia in 387 BC. This coin is attributable to some time within this 90 year period after the defeat of Xerxes and before return to Persian rule.
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| 477-388 BC Electrum Phocaea sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, PHOCAEA c.477-388 BC
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EL Hecte Ionia, Phocaea Historical Scholar Coll. Bodenstedt Ph.96
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NGC XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Head of the mythical Io on the obverse, typical punch on the reverse. Nicely centered and engraved.
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| 477-388 BC Electrum Phocaea sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, PHOCAEA c.477-388 BC
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EL Hecte Ionia, Phocaea Historical Scholar Coll. Bodenstedt Phocaea 91
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 3/5 Surface: 5/5
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Nicely centered and engraved, just struck on a blob of electrum that wasn't tall enough for the high relief.
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| 387-326 BC Electrum Phocaea sixth stater |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, PHOCAEA c.387-326 BC
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EL Hecte Ionia, Phocaea Historical Scholar Coll. Bodenstedt Phocaea 111
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NGC XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Among the last of the independent electrum issues of Ionian city states. This could have been struck as late as the time Alexander took over everything. This type closely resembles, or is resembled by, the head of Athena showing up on Alexander's gold staters from about 336 onward.
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| 485-420 BC "Daric" or "Stater" of the Persian Empire |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ACHAEMENID EMPIRE c.5th Century BC
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AV Daric Achaemenid Empire spear. rv incuse punch. obv hero-king w/bow &
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NGC Ch F Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5
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| 420-380 BC "Daric" or "Stater" of the Persian Empire |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ACHAEMENID EMPIRE 5th-4th Centuries BC
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AV Daric Achaemenid Empire spear. rv incuse punch. obv hero-king w/bow &
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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The Persians, time of Xerxes II to Artaxerxes II. Sardes, circa 420-375. From the time of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) and great stories by guys like Thucydides (History of the Peloponnesian War) and Xenophon (March of the Ten Thousand) and not long after Herodotus (The Histories) himself.
"The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage." --Thucydides
Gold helps with freedom too. NGC has certified 435 of these in all conditions.
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| 400-336 BC "Daric" or "Stater" of the Persian Empire |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ACHAEMENID EMPIRE c.400-336 BC
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AV Daric Achaemenid Empire rv incuse punch hero-king w/bow & spear
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NGC Ch VF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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This is a later and less common gold daric, or stater, from the Achaemenid Persians, probably from deep inside the 300's B.C.
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| 350-320 BC Stater of Carthage |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ZEUGITANA, CARTHAGE c.350-320 BC
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AV Stater Zeugitana, Carthage rv horse stg. obv Tanit
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5
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ZEUGITANA. Carthage. Ca. 350-320 BC. AV stater (19mm, 9.15 gm, 1h). NGC Choice XF 4/5 - 4/5. Bust of Tanit left, hair wreathed in barley ears, wearing triple-pendant earring, and necklace with seven pendants; dotted border / Horse standing right on exergual line; three pellets to lower right, dotted border. SNG Copenhagen 129. Jenkins & Lewis 81. MAA 4.
"Elegant in its simplicity of design, the obverse of these early staters depicts Tanit, the highest and most important Carthaginian goddess, and whose Greek equivalent was Persephone. Tanit was the consort of Baal Hammon, the city's chief god. The reverse, depicting the majestic standing horse emphasizes that animal's importance to the city in battle. The overall political message of this type is that the great city of Carthage is protected by both the mightiest of the gods and goddesses and defended by the significant strength of its cavalry." I agree.
Carthage, a Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa, became a maritime powerhouse in the fifth century BC and challenged the Greek cities of Sicily and Southern Italy for control of the western Mediterranean. By the early third century BC, most of central North Africa, Spain and much of Sicily had fallen under Carthaginian control and mints were established at diverse places to produce coins used to pay the largely mercenary army. The stage was now set for the collision with Rome, newly dominant in Italy. Starting in 265 BC, Carthage and Rome fought three titanic wars that produced more death and destruction than any other conflict before the 20th century. The first gold staters struck by Carthage between 350 and 320 BC were of a nearly pure alloy and weighed more than the ubiquitous gold staters of Philip II and Alexander the Great. As time went on, this coinage was debased with silver and reduced in weight, hence the much more numerous Carthage staters produced after circa 320 BC are now termed 'electrum'. This early stater, in pure gold, shows a delicacy of style that indicates the dies were created by a Greek engraver of consummate skill.
I have wanted one of these for four years, I am glad nobody clicked again after me. NGC has graded 97 of these so far, and this coin was part of a submission to NGC of almost three dozen of these ranging in grade from CH XF to MS, with several of fine style, and none with details grades. There may be a lot of these coming to market in the next year.
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| 334-331 BC Metapontum |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) LUCANIA, METAPONTUM c.335-330 BC
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AV Third-Stater Lucania, Metapontum Molossian. Hera/grain ear Issue under Alexander the
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NGC VF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 2/5
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LUCANIA. Metapontion. Time of Alexander the Molossian, circa 334-331/0 BC. Tetrobol or Third Stater (Gold, 13 mm, 2.58 g, 10 h), Achaian standard. Head of Hera to right, wearing stephanos ornamented with palmettes and single-pendant earring. Rev. METAΠON Barley ear with leaf to right; above leaf, bird standing right. Johnston G1. HN Italy 1578. SNG ANS 395. Very rare. Minor marks and light scratches, otherwise, very fine. Bent according to NGC.
Pythagoras retired in Metapontum and his house was maintained as a museum to the philosopher until at least the time of Cicero 260 years after this coin was struck.
I only find 16 others of these on ACSearch back to 2001.
As Alexander the Molossian lay dying on an Italian battlefield he was told about one of his cousin Alexander the Great's victories over the Persians. "He fights with women" said the Molossian.
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| 325-320 BC Stater of Alexander III of Macedon "the Great" |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) KINGDOM OF MACEDON Alexander III, 336-323 BC
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AV Stater Kingdom Of Macedon The Morris Collection lifetime-early posthumous
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C. This is a late lifetime or early posthumous issue of the mint in 'Amphipolis', from about 325-319 B.C. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on head, the bowl decorated with coiled serpent / AΛEΞANΔPOY, Nike standing left, wreath in outstretched right hand, stylis cradled on left arm; cantharus in left field. Price 168. Müller 193
Where's Amphipolis? It's up round the bend on the way over to Asia Minor; almost to Macedon, halfway to the Dardanelles.
NGC has certified 1143 of these, of all varieties and conditions.
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| 295-289 BC 25 Litra of Agathocles, Tyrant of Syracuse |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) SICILY, SYRACUSE Agathocles, 317-289 BC
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AV 25-Litrai Sicily, Syracuse ex Ars Classica XVII, 272 or pentadrachm or diobol
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NGC Ch VF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5
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SICILY. SYRACUSE. AGATHOCLES, ca. 317-289 BC. Gold 25 Litrai, 1.44 g., 9 mm., struck ca. 295-289 BC.
Ex Peus 376 (2003), 200 = Peus 372 (2002), 115 = Ars Classica XVII, (10/3/1934), 272.
Ex Naville & Cie XII (10/18/1926), 985, Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne, Switzerland; Collection of Juliusz Wertheim.
https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/kundig_naville1926_10_18/0005/image
Juliusz Wertheim was a Polish pianist, composer, and conductor who had a substantial influence on Arthur Rubenstein and who died two years later of a heart attack while conducting Wagner's Meistersinger Prelude with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in a broadcast concert, on 6 May 1928. This auction also included coins from the famous archaeologist Arthur Evans who is most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete.
Obv. Wreathed head of Persephone left.
Rev. ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, bull left.
Bérend, l’or, pl. 9, 14; SNG ANS 707; SNG Lloyd 1475; Dewing 936
Agathocles, in the words of Polybius, "starting from a plebeian and humble position—having been, as Timaeus sneeringly remarks, a potter—came from the wheel, clay, and smoke, quite a young man to Syracuse." And became tyrant of Syracuse, a city that "had obtained at that time the greatest reputation and the greatest wealth of any in the world; and afterwards" was regarded as suzerain of all Sicily, and lord of certain districts in Italy. Agathocles "not only made an attempt upon Africa, but eventually died in possession of the greatness he had acquired. It is on this account that the story is told of Publius Scipio, the first conqueror of the Carthaginians, that being asked whom he considered to have been the most skilful administrators and most distinguished for boldness combined with prudence, he replied, 'the Sicilians Agathocles and Dionysius.'"
The head of Persephone with grain ears in her hair strongly resembles the head of Tanit, or at least her hairdo, featured on the gold (then later electrum) staters of Carthage preceding this coin and also contemporary with it. This may have to do with the close relationship, sometimes hostile, between Carthage and the various cities of Sicily, including Syracuse.
Scipio perhaps was influenced by Agathocles' own response to an invasion of his land by Carthaginian forces, which was to head down to Africa to bring the war to Carthage's hometown. Scipio would do the same almost 100 years later to force a favorable conclusion to the Second Punic War.
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| 284-282 BC Ptolemy I |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM Ptolemy I, 323-282 BC
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AV Tetarte Ptolemaic Kingdom rv eagle stg. on fulmen (or triobol)
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NGC VF Strike: 3/5 Surface: 3/5
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Ptolemy (the first one) had a wife who liked Pyrrhus of Epirus and married a daughter to him. It is believed by some that Ptolemy was the source of the elephants Pyrrhus brought to Tarentum in Italy and deployed against the Romans in his three famous battles there. The eagle grasping a thunderbolt on the reverse of this coin appears also on contemporaneous gold coins struck in Tarentum under Pyrrhus. Maybe Ptolemy gave Pyrrhus gold to go with the elephants.
Sixty years later, a new Ptolemy IV "Philopator" is believed by some to have been the source of gold for Rome's first short-lived issuance of gold coinage in or just after 212 BC. The sack of Syracuse could also account for the gold, but, the same eagle grasping a thunderbolt appears on the reverse of those Roman coins.
I like to believe this eagle grasping the thunderbolt signifies a connection to Ptolemaic Egypt, the biggest power of the time in that region. Ptolemaic Egypt made the biggest warships, the biggest gold coins, and the biggest library. In the early 200's BC Ptolemy I supported the invading enemy of Rome, and by the late 200's BC Ptolemy IV may have supported Rome against an invading enemy. The moral of the story? If I was an Ptolemaic Egyptian taxpayer I'd really wish these guys would stop blowing our dough on foreign wars. In the end, Ptolemaic Egypt couldn't keep up the gold coinage, got weak, and conquered.
Alexandria, from 284 BC. Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, aegis tied around neck / ΠTOΛEMAIOY-BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings spread; ΠY monogram to left. CPE 144. Svoronos 223.
There are 20 of these graded by NGC, most have some kind of issues like scratches and graffiti, but most are in less worn condition.
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| 280-272 Tarentum Intervention of Pyrrhus |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) CALABRIA, TARAS c.280-272 BC
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AV Quarter-Stater Calabria, Taras ex J.P.Morgan (9/1983), 2 intervention of Pyrrhus
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NGC Ch VF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5
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Tarentum. Time of Pyrrhos of Epeiros, ca. 276-272 B.C. AV 1/4 Stater (Triobol) (2.11 gms). NGC Ch VF, Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5.
HGC-1, 740; HN Italy-986; Fischer-Bossert-G58j (V49/R58 - this coin); Vlasto-57 (same dies). Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right; monogram to left; Reverse: Eagle, with wings spread, standing right on thunderbolt; to right, ΦΙ(?) above two stars above two amphorai; NIKAP in exergue. "A VERY RARE type" (the reverse with the aphorai is rare). I find one other example with the amphorae on acsearch.info and just six or seven of the type with all reverses
Ex: J. Pierpont Morgan Collection (Stack's - 9/1983) Lot # 2 [JPM-9].
"John Pierpont Morgan – not to be confused with his son J.P. Morgan Jnr. (1867-1943) – began collecting in earnest in the early 1900’s. The bulk of Morgan’s coins were acquired by Canessa and Sambon: in the auctions of Martinetti/Nervegna (1907), O’Hagan (1908), Benson (1909) and Hartwig (1910). Amongst Morgan’s roman gold aurei, a large portion came from the collection Marquis Carlo Strozzi (1810-1886) which had been inherited by his grandson and auctioned by Giuseppe Sangiorgi in Rome on 15- 22 April 1907. Morgan’s coins were kept until 1917 in the J.P. Mortgan Library on 36th Street, when they were loaned to the American Numismatic Library until 1949. The New York dealer Wayte Raymond (1886-1956) then acquired them en-bloc, published many in several issues of The Coin Collector’s Journal (1949-1950) and issued a fixed price list in 1953 which contained “195 pieces of Greek Gold and Silver, 8 Gold Abukir Medallions, 20 Aes Signatum and Aes Grave, 183 Roman Gold coins, 2 Roman Gold medallions, a Roman Gold bar, and 24 Silver and 30 Bronze Roman coins and medallions”. Of those, 101 pieces were acquired by a private US collector, whose collection was then sold by Stack’s on 14 September 1983."
Ex: Guiseppe Nervegna Collection # 251. November 18, 1907.
Found in Brindisi.
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| 219-217 BC Oktadrachm of Ptolemy IV Philopater bearing portrait of his father Ptolemy III Eugertes |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM Ptolemy III, 246-222 BC
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AV Octodrachm 217 B.C. Ptolemaic Kingdom rv diademed cornucopia posthumous under Ptol. IV
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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"Fine Style" according to NGC. It has some surface marks which they were kind enough not to mention. It is a huge “Oktadrachm” , or mnaion (25mm, 27.76 g, 12h). It is perfectly aligned at 12h. NGC has certified 95 of these in all conditions. Bought Raw from a CNG auction.
Posthumous issue of Ptolemy III Eugertes, issued by his son and successor Ptolemy IV Philopater. Alexandreia mint. Struck circa 219-217 BC, the coin was probably struck at the time of the Fourth Syrian War, as payment to the victorious soldiers of Ptolemy IV's army on June 13, 217 B.C. where he defeated the Seleucid army of Antiochus III at Raphia with an army that consisted partly of native Egyptian soldiers.
Ptolemy IV had these gold coins struck in memory of his father, to commemorate the great victories over the Seleucids in the Third Syrian War. Previous to the battle at Raphia in order to promote victory, the Queen, Arsinoe III, promised two gold minae for each soldier if the Ptolemaic army was successful. Following the victory, as recorded in the Raphia Decree, one-mina coins of this type were given. They were struck from a combination of the treasure captured by Alexander the Great and the fresh supply of gold from the mines of Nubia.
One week later, not that anyone in Syria or Egypt cared, on June 21, 217 B.C., Hannibal destroyed a second Roman army after leading it into a trap in the mist along the wooded shores of Lake Trasimene. If not struck within a week of the Battle at lake Tresimine, this coin's mintage is still contemporaneous with the start of the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome, in the years of Hannibal's initial catastrophic victories at the river Trebia, Lake Trasimine, and Cannae (218, 217, 216 B.C.).
This huge coin features a bust of the deified Ptolemy III right, wearing radiate diadem and aegis; trident over left shoulder, middle prong ends in a lotus finial / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY, radiate and filleted cornucopia; ΔI below. CPE 888; Svoronos 1117; Olivier & Lorber dies 3/11, 112 (this coin); SNG Copenhagen 196; Noeske 137; Boston MFA 2283; Kraay & Hirmer 803 (same obv. die). Near EF, a couple tiny die breaks and usual light die rust on obverse.
From the PRB Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 93 (22 May 2013), lot 615 (hammer $8000); Triton XV (3 January 2012), lot 1317.
One of the greatest Macedonian rulers of Egypt, Ptolemy III's powerful portrait appears on gold mnaieions struck by his son, Ptolemy IV Philopator, who succeeded him in 221 BC. The great conqueror appears almost bloated; while likely an accurate portrait, his well-fed appearance is also visual shorthand for Egypt's bountiful abundance. Ptolemy III also sports an array of godly attributes, including the rayed crown of Helios, the trident of Poseidon, and the aegis of Zeus. The reverse depicts a cornucopia, again symbolizing the plenty of Egypt. An inscription called the "Canopus Decree," dated 238 BC, takes the form of a letter from the Egyptian priesthood praising Ptolemy III and his wife Berenice as "benefactor gods" for their support of Egyptian religion, as well as for their "good governance" and generosity.
The buying power of one gold mnaieion was enormous and unprecedented, more than $1,100 just in gold at today's price of gold around $1250 per troy ounce (31.14 grams compared to the 27.7 grams in this coin) (as of May 29, 2019). This is almost equivalent to a U.S. gold double eagle (the currency kind, not the modern bullion kind). No other kingdom or empire in the ancient world could produce such large gold coins, and this display of economic clout drew thousands of mercenary soldiers into Egypt's service. This large and powerful army was put to maximum use by the third king of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-222 BC). Shortly after inheriting the throne of the Pharaohs, he launched a massive invasion of the neighboring Seleucid Kingdom of Syria. Easily crushing all resistance, he even reached Babylon, where he proclaimed himself King of Kings.
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| 211 BC Second Punic War Gold of the Roman Republic |
ANCIENT - ROMAN REPUBLIC (4th CENT BC - 1st CENT BC) ROMAN REPUBLIC Anonymous, after c.211 BC
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AV 60 Asses ex Weber (Hirsch 1908)249 Mars/eagle on fulmen
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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Second Punic War issue, among the first gold coins of the Roman Republic. Anonymous. 211-207 BC. AV 60 As (3.36 gm / 14mm). Helmeted head of Mars right; LVX, behind / Eagle standing right on thunderbolt; ROMA below. Crawford 44/2; Sydenham 226. EF with scratch and scuffs.
Video at:
https://studio.youtube.com/video/Yl3_8rNzRKE/edit
NGC has certified 16 of these, not including this one.
"Rome's capture and plundering of Syracuse in 212 BC and successes in Spain around this time provided the gold for the first large Roman coinage in that metal, circa 211 BC. Gold pieces in three denominations, with numerals setting their values at 60, 40 and 20 copper asses, were introduced alongside the silver denarius, quinarius, quadrigatus and sestertius. Although the overall coinage reform proved lasting, the gold denominations were only struck for two or three years and soon disappeared from circulation."
"When the Romans issued their second gold coinage in the war against Hannibal, they continued to make innovations to their monetary system that were borne of necessity. The first gold coinage had been issued c. 218-216 B.C., when Rome was pushed back on its heels after Hannibal’s initial successes on the battlefield. Though the Carthaginian army was still a menacing threat in Italy when this new coinage was struck c. 211-207 B.C., the tide of the war had shifted. This coinage was issued from a position of greater strength than the first.
It is comprised of coins denominated at 60, 40 and 20 asses, and its martial nature is made clear with the designs – the helmeted head of the war-god Mars, and the eagle of the supreme god Jupiter, standing upon his thunderbolt. Various resources had been tapped to issue these coins, including special levies and loot from Syracuse, which fell to the Romans in 212. Meanwhile, in 211 the Romans had forced Capua into submission, thus denying Hannibal his main supply depot in Southern Italy. In that same year the Romans finally abandoned the didrachm (‘quadrigatus’) as their silver coin in favour of the lighter denarius, which would serve as Rome’s principal coin for the next 450 years.
Unlike the first gold coinage, which would appear to have been struck in a single place, and perhaps on a single occasion, the second gold coinage was struck in much larger quantities and demonstrates a variety that suggests portions were struck at moving mints ranging as far afield as Etruria and Sicily. Beyond these final issues of the Second Punic War, the Romans struck no other gold until the Imperatorial period, beginning with aurei for Sulla in the late 80's B.C." Although, someone also struck a gold aureus of Titus Quinctius Flamininus after he "set Greece free" from Macedonian rule about 100 years before that aureus of Sulla.
The eagle on the thunderbolt on the reverse has been interpreted as an attempt to associate Rome with the Ptolemaic empire centered in Egypt. The eagle is somewhat reminiscent of the eagle that had consistently been a symbol on Ptolemaic coinage since the very beginning of the century, and it has been suggested that Ptolemy IV Philopator may have provided gold for this issue to act as a counterweight to the involvement of Philip V of Macedon on the side of Carthage. [Meadows 1998]. We know that in the First Punic War, Ptolemy II had declined to assist Carthage, because Ptolemy said he was a friend of both the Romans and the Carthaginians. An almost exactly-the-same style eagle on thunderbolt appears on a quarter-stater or triobol of Tarentum from 276-272 B.C., also facing right.
This is a coin I have been chasing for a long time. It has scars but is still more attractive than others I've seen lately within this price range. I was the second-highest bidder on both of the incredible examples of this issue that sold on Heritage in January and April this year, 2019. https://coins.ha.com/itm/roman-republic/ancient-coins-roman/ancients-anonymous-ca-211-bc-av-60-asses-15mm-334-gm-4h-ngc-choice-au-5-5-5-5/a/3073-30226.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515 . I even made an offer through Heritage to the owner of the one that sold for less in January. No deal.
There was one in a Roma Numismatics auction that ended about a week before this one, but it was withdrawn as a counterfeit.
This coin is traced back to the collection of Consul Eduard Friedrich Weber, sold with the rest of his collection at Jacob Hirsch Auction XXI, November 16, 1908, lot 249.
https://archive.org/details/AuctionsCatalog21/page/n19 ; https://archive.org/details/AuctionsCatalog21/page/n355
It had a starting price of 81 Marks. https://archive.org/details/AuctionsCatalog21/page/n415
In 1908, a German Mark was a silver coin with an actual silver weight of 0.16 troy ounces. A US Dollar in 1908 contained 0.77 actual silver weight. That's 4.8 Marks per dollar, or, a starting price of just $16.87. I don't know what it sold for.
Weber's family was originally from Bielefeld. His father David Friedrich Weber (1786-1868) moved to Hamburg and founded a company that traded successfully with South America. Eduard himself was born in 1830 and in 1877 he was appointed consul for the Hawaiian Islands, an office he held until 1902. He died September 19, 1907 in Hamburg, and his coins were auctioned off in at least two auctions, this coin in November, 1908.
According to the Forward to the auction catalog by Jacob Hirsch, Weber: "created a collection of Greek and Roman coins of scientific significance not surpassed by any other private collection in the world." "Sometimes he showed me the pieces which he acquired as a schoolboy with the expenditure of his whole pocket money." "He was attended by teachers like Theodor Mommsen and Ernst Curtius who helped to develop his curiosity and enthusiasm for collecting, which kept his personality up to old age in an admirable juvenile freshness." https://archive.org/details/AuctionsCatalog21/page/n5
German Wikipedia says: "one of the greatest German art collectors of his time, Weber was the owner of the important art collection known as "Galerie Weber", which contained mainly Old German, Dutch and Italian paintings. He also had an excellent collection of coins (Greek, Roman and Hamburg coins). Among the approximately 370 works that were open to the public were works by Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Andrea Mantegna, Hans Holbein the Elder, Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach."
The auctioneer Jacob Hirsch had galleries in Paris and Munich where he invited bidders from New York right up until World War One, when he moved to Geneva and got Swiss citizenship.
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| 215-205 BC Electrum Hannibal in Bruttium |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ZEUGITANA, CARTHAGE c.216-211 BC
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EL 3/8th Shekel Zeugitana, Carthage ex Italo Vecchi Coll. Hannibal in South Italy
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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Military coinage of the Punic War, struck to pay Carthaginian soldiers and Bretti mercenaries. It plainly imitates the circulating janiform Roman silver didrachms struck before the war, substituting the Punic goddess Tanit for the Roman dioscurii twins on the obverse.
Bruttium, Carthaginian Occupation EL 3/8 Shekel. Circa 215-205 BC. Janiform female heads (Tanit?), wearing wreaths of grain / Zeus, holding thunderbolt in right hand and sceptre in left, standing to right in quadriga driven by Nike, who holds reins. Jenkins & Lewis 487-493 (Capua); SNG ANS 146 (Capua); SNG Copenhagen 357; HN Italy 2013; HGC 1, 1382; CNG 120, 37 (hammer: USD 6,500). 2.53g, 14mm, 1h.
From the Italo Vecchi Collection;
Ex Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions, E-Auction 64, 13 January 2019, lot 104. (Hammered 1800 GBP)
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| 221-201 BC Second Punic War Gold of Carthage |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ZEUGITANA, CARTHAGE c.221-201 BC
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AV Quarter-Shekel Zeugitana, Carthage ex Schulman (6/1966),1371 Tanit-Demeter/horse
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 2/5
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This is a gold coin of Carthage from the time of the Second Punic War. Some electrum, and maybe even gold, was struck under Hannibal himself in South Italy while he occupied it. But this coin is attributed to the North African motherland itself, between 203 and 201. This range spans the year of Carthage's surrender in 201, and Hannibal's defeat in 202 to Scipio Africanus at Zama.
Ex Jacques Schulman N.V, Auction 243, June 8, 1966, Lot 1371
Even on coinarchives and ancient coin search, I do not find more than five or six of these struck in the same style. NGC has encapsulated 5 of these, including this one, with this one being technically in the "best grade" but with graffiti on the reverse. Even looking close and turning it under light it is tough to notice the graffiti, which is above the horse's rear legs.
ZEUGITANA. Carthage. Ca. 221-201 BC. AV quarter-shekel (13mm, 1.78 gm, 12h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 2/5, graffito. Head of Tanit left, wreathed in two grain ears, hook shaped leaf in the hair, another leaf protruding above forehead, wearing pendant earring and plain necklace; dotted border / Horse standing right, head looking forward, near side front leg advanced in front of the off side leg; dotted border. Jenkins-Lewis Group XIV, 464-467.
North Africa, Carthage AV Fifth Stater. Second Punic War, circa 203-201 BC. Wreathed head of Tanit left, wearing single-pendant earring, and necklace / Horse standing right. Jenkins & Lewis Group XIV, 466 (same dies); MAA 76.
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| 155-145 BC Magnesia |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, MAGNESIA c.mid-2nd Century BC
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AV Stater Ionia, Magnesia rv Nike in biga obv Artemis
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NGC AU Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5
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IONIA. Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Ca. mid-2nd century BC. AV stater (19mm, 8.47 gm, 12h). NGC AU 4/5 - 4/5. Ca. 155-145 BC, Euphemus and Pausanius, magistrates. Draped bust of Artemis right, wearing stephane, hair gathered into knot at back of head, quiver and bow over shoulder / ΜΑΓΝΗΤΩΝ, Nike driving biga galloping right, kentron in right hand, reins in left; ΕΥΦΗΜΟΣ below horses, ΠΑΥΣΑΝΙΟΥ below ground line. BMC Ionia -. SNG Von Aulock -. SNG Copenhagen
Very rare and important, part of the first and only gold emission of Magnesia known. Some die rust on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.
For a discussion of this newly emerged issue, see the note in Classical Numismatic Group 106, 13 September 2017, 376. The cataloguer is surely right in arguing that the date given in the Heritage (and, just published, Roma XIV) catalogue, circa 155-145 BC, is too early and that the emission belongs to the early years of the establishment of the Roman province of Asia. It is tempting to connect the reverse, highly unusual as it is for an autonomous issue, to a military campaign such as the Roman bellum asiaticum against Aristonikos in 133-129 BC, but we do not know if Magnesia, which had been granted autonomy by the Romans in the Treaty of Apamea, played any significant role during the revolt or not. The establishment of peace after such a devastating war would, however, certainly have been an appropriate occasion for a 'Festemission' in gold. Another possibility is to connect the issue to the sanctuary of Artemis Leukophryena and to interpret the reverse as a reference to the Leukophryeneia, the local games. The fact that an inscription of 112/1 BC mentions an Euphemos, son of Pausanias, as a neokoros of the temple of Artemis Leukophryena may support this assumption, but this argument should not be overstretched: the sanctuary would likely have played a role in possible celebrations of the ending of the bellum asiaticum or a different, unknown military campaign, too, and it is also highly unlikely that this Euphemos, son of Pausanias, the homonymous magistrate of the Magnesian Stephanophoric tetradrachms of circa 155-145 and the one on our stater are all the same person. Not only do they span a time frame of several decades, but the tetradrachms also mention a Pausanias, son of Pausanias, and a Pausanias, son of Euphemos. This confusing situation results from the common Greek habit of naming first-born sons after their paternal and second-born sons after their maternal grandfathers. Since this is not the place to reconstruct a family tree, we may simply conclude from the numismatic and epigraphic evidence that this family played an important role in Magnesia in the second half of the 2nd century. The background of the present, highly unusual emission of Magnesian gold staters therefore remains unclear for the time being and only further research and new finds can shed light on its production.
One of 69 certified by NGC as of April 10, 2024. 117 sales reported in ACsearch including this one as of April 10, 2024, the first appearing in August of 2017 and described then by Heritage as "unique". For the first couple years these appeared at auction they hammered for $17,000 and dropping from there to the high $3,000s these days. Probably a fair number of those 117 appearances in ACsearch are the same coin auctioned over again in the last 6-7 years.
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| 123-119 BC Ephesus |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) IONIA, EPHESUS c.133-88 BC
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AV Stater Ionia, Ephesus rv cult statue of Artemis obv Artemis
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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The Auctioneer says: "IONIA. Ephesus. Ca. 133-88 BC. AV stater (21mm, 8.32 gm, 11h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5. First series, ca. 133-100 BC. Draped bust of Artemis right, hair drawn into knot at back of head, wearing stephane and drop earrings, bow and quiver over shoulder / Cult statue of the Artemis Ephesia facing, fillet hanging from each hand; Ε-Φ to either side of head, lighted torch (or thymiaterion) in inner right field between statue and fillet. Jenkins, Hellenistic, pl. B, 6 (dated 123-119 BC). Head p. 69, 4 variety. Old, light scratch behind the bust of Artemis noted for accuracy."
The cult-figurine on the reverse of the coin is from within the Temple of Artemis, which was in ancient times a wonder of the world. Herostratus in the 300's B.C. wanted to become famous, and because he was a nobody, he figured a good way to do that would be by burning down the second Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (which is almost in present-day Selçuk, Turkey). He did it. In response the government of Ephesus passed the "damnatio memoriae" law which forbid anyone to mention his name, orally or in writing. (See: mass shooters). Herostratus is the early incarnation of someone who commits a criminal act in order to become famous. Sadly, this usually works.
A source says "the Hellenistic gold coinage of Ephesus is uniformly very rare. Certain other issues such as the present example appear to be part of extraordinary issue of gold struck in conjunction with an extremely rare gold stater type of Magnesia in the mid-second century. The style and fabric of both issues seem consistent with an emergency issue struck to meet an immediate expense." NGC has certified 20 of these in all conditions.
This coin is struck from the same obverse die as two other staters that Jenkins was able to securely date to 122/1 BC and 121/0 BC, so he assumed that this issue, with thymiaterion must belong to the years adjacent to these (see Jenkins, Hellenistic, p. 184).
The reverse of this coin depicts the famous cult statue of Ephesian Artemis, housed in the great temple of Artemis that is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The original image of the goddess was a wooden xoanon that had represented a pre-Hellenic goddess who the Greeks later equated with Artemis. This first image, which was kept decorated with jewelry, was possibly lost in a flood in the 8th or 7th century which destroyed the temple; excavations have discovered the tear-shaped amber drops of elliptical cross-section which must have dressed it. In circa 550 BC, when reconstruction of the temple was begun (partly financed by Kroisos), it was undertaken in grand style and was supposedly the first Greek temple to be built of marble. The wooden xoanon was replaced by a new ebony or grapewood statue sculpted by Enoidos, which presumably survived until the temple was again destroyed, this time by an act of arson on the part of one Herostratos. The second destruction of the temple coincided with the birth of Alexander the Great; Plutarch later noted that Artemis was too preoccupied with Alexander's delivery to save her burning temple.
The form of the goddess is distinctly near-eastern in appearance; characteristics such as her legs being enclosed in a tapering pillar-like term are closely related to Egyptian and Hittite images, and the curious feature of the many protuberances on her chest (usually described as breasts or eggs) are decidedly non-Greek in origin, and indeed have defied explanation or identification for centuries, though an association with fertility seems implicit.
According to the auctioneer:
"IONIA. Ephesus. Ca. 133-88 BC. AV stater (21mm, 8.32 gm, 11h). First series, ca. 133-100 BC. Draped bust of Artemis right, hair drawn into knot at back of head, wearing stephane and drop earrings, bow and quiver over shoulder / Cult statue of the Artemis Ephesia facing, fillet hanging from each hand; Ε-Φ to either side of head, lighted torch (or thymiaterion) in inner right field between statue and fillet. Jenkins, Hellenistic, pl. B, 6 (dated 123-119 BC). Head p. 69, 4 variety. Old, light scratch behind the bust of Artemis noted for accuracy.
The rare Hellenistic gold staters of Ephesus have been the subject of long-running debate over when they were struck. In the 1880s, the eminent Barklay V. Head assigned them to the period of the Mithradatic Wars, circa 88-86 BC, when Ephesus briefly came under the control of the Pontic King Mithradates VI Eupator. However, as more varieties were discovered over the next century, it became clear they were struck over a much longer period of time. G.K. Jenkins, in a 1987 article, placed them in two groups starting in the later second century BC, after the Roman takeover of Asia Province in 133 BC, and linked the reverse symbols present on several varieties to similar symbols found on the common cistophoric tetradrachm coinage of the Roman era. Staters with a simpler two-letter ethnic, including the present example, belong to the earlier period, prior to 100 BC, while coins with a longer form come later in the series."
My own observation is that the portrait of Artemis on this coin resembles that of Artemis on a silver drachm of the Aitolian League from about 100 years earlier, 250-225 BC. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces153883.html
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| 88-86 BC Stater of Mithradates VI |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) PONTIC KINGDOM Mithradates VI, 120-63 BC
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AV Stater 88-86 BC Pontic Kingdom Alexander III/Athena std. Callatis. Lysimachus type
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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PONTIC KINGDOM. Mithradates VI (120-63 BC). AV stater (20mm, 8.28 gm, 1h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5. By this time, the source of the previous coin in this collection, Ephesus, and most of modern-day Turkey, were in the hands of Mithradates VI King of Pontus.
Types of Lysimachus of Thrace, Callatis, ca. 88-86 BC. Diademed head of deified Alexander III right, wearing horn of Ammon / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΛYΣΙΜΑΧΟY, Athena enthroned left, Nike crowning royal name in right hand, left arm leaning on grounded shield, transverse spear beyond; HPO monogram below right arm, KAΛ on throne, filleted trident left in exergue. Müller 265. There are more than 1,000 of these graded by NGC, many in this grade or finer. That said, many even in mint state are sloppily cut dies. This one is pretty good for this run. There is another series struck by Mithradates VI in gold also during his wars with Rome, but, it features a realistic portrait of himself and a different reverse. Those cost 8 times more than this kind.
Mithradates, in Greek, Μιθραδάτης, Μιθριδάτης, from Old Persian Miθradāta, "gift of Mithra") (135–63 BC), also known as Mithradates the Great (Megas) and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120–63 BC. Mithridates is remembered as one of the Roman Republic’s most formidable and successful enemies, who engaged three of the prominent generals from the late Roman Republic in the Mithridatic Wars: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. He has been called the greatest ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus.
Mithridates presided over the massacre of Romans and Italians in Asia in May of 88 BC. In Bithynia Mithridates got advice from a prominent Greek philosopher at his court, Metrodoros of Skepsis, who was known as ho misoromaios (the Roman-hater). Metrodoros suggested that in order to bind the communities of the Roman province to the Pontic cause the king should arrange for the extermination of all Romans in the province without regard to age or sex and force the participation of all the Greek civic authorities, thus shaking off Roman rule permanently and irrevocably. Sort of a burn the ships on the beach move.
The massacre was carefully planned and co-ordinated to take the victims by surprise, in every community and all at once. In writing to all the civic authorities of the province, detailing the measures to be taken, the king stipulated that the killings were to be carried out exactly one month after the date of his letter. The date in question is not recorded but fell around early May 88 BC.
What took place on that day profoundly affected Roman/Hellenistic relations. Appian states that 80,000 Romans and Italians were killed in these "Asiatic Vespers", while Plutarch gives a much higher number. Not long after, Sulla would be at the walls of Athens, and not in a good way. This did not reflect well on Greeks, even though let's face it, Mithridates was just part Greek.
Mithridates VI was a prince of Persian and Greek ancestry. He claimed descent from Cyrus the Great, the family of Darius the Great, the Regent Antipater, the generals of Alexander the Great as well as the later kings Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator.
He developed resistance to most poisons by regularly dosing himself with small amounts of them over his lifetime. This was inspired by the poisoning of his father. He is the subject of a good book called "The Poison King." At the end of his own life, he was not able to kill himself with poison as his enemies closed in. Frustrated, he needed his companion to stab him with a sword.
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| 60-50 BC Ambiani Stater from Gallic Wars |
ANCIENT - CELTIC (4TH CENT BC - 1ST CENT AD) GAUL, AMBIANI c.mid 1st Century BC
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AV Stater Gaul, Ambiani blank/disjointed horse Gallic War issue
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NGC Ch VF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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Picasso was a gaul. Caesar fought these barbarians and got rich from their gold.
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| 46 BC Julius Caesar |
ANCIENT - ROMAN IMPERATORIAL (1st CENT BC) ROMAN IMPERATORIAL Julius Caesar, d.44 BC
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AV Aureus Pietas-Vesta/implements c46 BC. A.Hirtius praetor
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NGC Ch F Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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Rome, struck by Aulus Hirtius, 46 BC. C • CAESAR-COS • TER, veiled female head (Vesta or Pietas?) right, (with features of Julius Caesar?) / A HIRTIVS P R (The "S" is barely evident; just a slanted line against an almost as compressed "P") lituus, capis and securis, all turned left (emblems of Caesar's augurate and pontificate. Caesar was the Pontifex Maximus since an early age, making him literally the Pope of Roman religion). Crawford 466/1. Sydenham 1017-1018. Hirtia 1 and Julia 22. Calicó 37c.
Aulus Hirtius was a key supporter of Caesar. He was an experienced soldier and served as one of Caesar's legates in Gaul from about 54 BC and was an envoy to Pompey in 50 BC. He served Caesar loyally during the Civil War against Pompey and his successors 48-45 BC and was appointed as Caesar's mintmaster in Rome in 46 BC, when he struck the first truly large issue of gold aurei from the spoils of Caesar's campaigns. These aurei, which bear a rather enigmatic veiled female head on the obverse, were used to pay Caesar's soldiers after the great triumphal parade. After Caesar's assassination, Hirtius initially supported Mark Antony but, after taking over as Consul in 43 BC, he raised an army against Antony at the instigation of Cicero and Octavian. His army defeated Antony at Mutina in April of 43 BC, but Hirtius was killed in the fighting; his consular colleague Pansa died days later, leaving Octavian and Antony masters of Rome. Modern historians owe Hirtius a debt of gratitude for preserving and editing Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic and Civil Wars.
NGC reports 204 Caesar Aureii graded, but, these include not just this type with Hirtius, but also other types including the slightly later issue under L. Munatius Plancus.
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| 43-42 BC Stater of Thrace, thought to be struck by or for Brutus and Cassius in their fight against Marc Antony and Octavian |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) THRACIAN OR SCYTHIAN Coson, after 54 BC
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AV Stater 43-42 BC Thracian Or Scythian rv eagle w/wreath+scepter obv procession, monogram
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NGC Ch MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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The date offered by NGC, "After 54 B.C.," is the most conservative date range to assign this coin. These coins have been attributed for more than 180 years to Brutus, assassin of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.
Or, one source has it, these were minted for Brutus, by Coson, a King of Thrace, to whom Brutus granted permission to strike money in his own name shortly before the battle of Philippi, in 43-42 B.C, where Brutus and Cassius were defeated.
The earlier date of 54 B.C. is given as the earliest date because of the obverse depiction of the three figures proceeding in a line. They are "lictors" carrying axes. The monogram in the bottom left quadrant is to be read as "BR" or "LBR" for L. Brutus. Almost the same design appears on a silver denarius minted in Rome in 54 B.C. under supervision of Brutus as a moneyer for that year (Crawford 433/1). It is presumed that this gold coin is based on, or inspired by, that denarius obverse. The eagle on the reverse of this coin is said to be gripping a wreath and "scepter." From research of silver denarii, I believe the "sceptre" may actually be a measuring stick, or "decempeda." A decempeda is associated with the measurement of land, and symbolizes redistribution of land. Besides nice gold coins, armies of soldiers and officers need to be promised redistribution of land after their victory.
There is also a reference in Appian to gold and silver coins bearing the face of Brutus himself struck from the treasure entrusted to Brutus by Polemocratia, the widow of a Thracian king Sadalas. King Sadalas had been murdered by his enemies. Those coins bearing the portrait of Brutus and the words "eid mar" are of course a lot more valuable than this example.
These coins in mint state are extremely affordable, and according to one source, they are "at least 100 times more rare" than the gold staters of Alexander III "the Great," which are substantially more expensive. But, I can see that NGC has certified 1,365 of these! In "Choice Mint State" there are 211 of them. I only see 1,140 Alexander III "Lifetime - early posthumous" certified at NGC. I don't think that source is accurate.
I can find an example of one of these coins sold in 1913 in Chicago for $12.
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| 2 BC - 4 AD Augustus |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Augustus, 27 BC-AD 14
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AV Aureus 2 BC - 4 AD rv Gaius & Lucius Caesars Lugdunum
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NGC VF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5
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| 62 Nero |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Nero, AD 54-68
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AV Aureus rv Roma inscribes shield
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NGC VF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5
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Struck 61-62 featuring a young healthy-weight Nero. The reverse shows Roma inscribing a shield. There are more than 550 aureii of Nero in all varieties and conditions graded by NGC. This type, or any type with a younger thinner Nero, is a little more scarce. Nero's reign produced a lot of coins for everyone to be able to collect.
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| 69-79 Vespasian |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Vespasian, AD 69-79
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AV Aureus 70 Jan-Jun ex ArsClass.XV (1930)1943 rv Pax std.
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NGC VG Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Struck Jan-Jun of 70, early in his reign. He looks lean.
Ex Ars Classica S.A, Auction 15, July 2, 1930, Lot 1463. I don't know why NGC put lot 1943 on the label. I have seen the catalog, it's 1463.
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| 80-81 Domitian |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Domitian, AD 81-96
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AV Aureus 81 Ex Henry Chapman Jr. (1859-1935) rv garland altar w/flame issued as Caesar
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NGC Ch F Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Domitian, as Caesar, AV aureus (19mm, 7.13 gm, 7h). NGC Choice Fine 5/5 - 4/5. Rome, AD 80-81. CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII, laureate head of Domitian right / PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS, lit garlanded altar. RIC II.1 (under reign of Titus) 265. Calicó 918.
Ex Henry Chapman, Philadelphia (1859-1935), private sale with old dealer paper envelope marked #6 and includes paper tag
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| 136 Hadrian |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Hadrian, AD 117-138
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AV Aureus 136 rv Liberalitas stg.
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NGC Ch F Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Struck near the end of his 21-year reign in 136.
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| 155-156 Antoninus Pius |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Antoninus Pius,AD 138-161
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AV Aureus 155/156 A.D. rv Victory advancing
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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From the peak of the "Pax Romana." Attributed to the year 155/156 A.D. Evidently a rare variety with the drapery on both shoulders of the emperor's bust.
Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161). AV aureus (19mm, 7.31 gm, 5h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 5/5. Rome, AD 155-156. ANTONINVS AVG-PIVS P P IMP II, bare bust of Antoninus Pius right, drapery across both shoulders / TR POT-XIX-COS IIII, Victory, draped, advancing left, wreath upward in right hand, cradling palm frond in left arm. RIC III 255 var. (bust type). Calicó 1671.
In 155, Pius started a new war against the Parthians who were led by Vologases IV. The war was brief and resulted in an inconclusive peace. Perhaps this is what the Victory on the Reverse is referring to. Also this year Rome took the position that while it would not be recognized as an official religion, Judaism must be tolerated. To restore peace between the Jews and Romans, Antoninus re-legalized circumcision. The Romans began to abandon Hadrian's Wall.
The aureus (pl. aurei, 'golden', used as a noun) was a gold coin of ancient Rome originally valued at 25 pure silver denarii. The aureus was regularly issued from the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 4th century AD, when it was replaced by the solidus. The aureus was about the same size as the denarius, but heavier due to the higher density of gold (as opposed to that of silver.)
Before the time of Julius Caesar the aureus was struck infrequently, probably because gold was seen as a mark of un-Roman luxury. (A token of those effeminate easterners, like Greeks). Caesar struck the coin more often, and standardized the weight at 1/40 of a Roman pound (about 8 grams). That is pretty close to, but a little lighter than, the gold staters struck for hundreds of years around the Greek world. Augustus (r. 29 BC – 14 AD) tariffed the value of the sestertius as 1/100 of an aureus.
The mass of the aureus was decreased to 1/45 of a pound (7.3 g) during the reign of Nero (r. 54–68). At about the same time the purity of the silver coinage was also slightly decreased. My understanding is that this coin adheres to the same standard set by Nero, which persisted until the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, who immediately followed Pius' reign. Marcus Aurelius further reduced the weight of these coins.
That all said, I have found examples of these coins from the reign of Pius which are neither clipped nor filed, but weigh ranging from 7.19 grams to 7.55 grams.
NGC would tell you they have certified 210 of these in all conditions, but that includes all the aurei of all years of Antoninus, and there are many different varieties. There are several on acsearch in poorer condition, no others have sold on Heritage of this variety. One of almost the same variety in duller AU condition did not sell on Heritage at an August 1, 2017 auction, lot 34068. That example was of a slightly different variety that appears just slightly more common (RIC 255(b)) which is distinguished by the emperor having NO drapery on the left (back) side of his bust, but only on the right (front) side. This example here has drapery on both shoulders, and, I find only one example of this on acsearch, which appears to be the same coin sold twice at Kuenker auctions in 2011 and 2016, as VF ex jewelry. There are also examples with the same reverse motif, attributed to the same date, but with no drapery on either side of the emperor's bust. I find more of those in the archives.
This is my first Roman Emperor, and certainly my last for a long time. This coin puts a dent in the 400-year gap I need to fill between about 42 B.C. and 393 A.D.
I won this coin sitting in the kitchen in Thailand on my phone using Heritage Live during the auction, just moments before my wife came down. Not a moment too late.
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| 198-200 Septimius Severus Aureus |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Sept. Severus, AD 193-211
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AV Aureus rv Fortuna stg., prow
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 2/5
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Septimius Severus (AD 193-211). AV aureus (20mm, 7.25 gm, 6h). NGC Choice XF 4/5 - 2/5, Fine Style, edge bend. Rome, AD 198-200. L SEPT SEV AVG IMP-XI PART MAX, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus right, seen from front / FORTVNAE-AVGG, Fortuna standing facing, head right, cornucopia cradled in right arm, grounded rudder in left; prow to left. RIC IV.I -. Calicó -. No examples in sales archives.
On his deathbed in York, Severus begged his sons to "Be good to each other, pay the soldiers well, and the rest can go to hell." He died on 4 February AD 211, at the age of 65.
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| 239 Gordian III |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Gordian III, AD 238-244
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AV Aureus 239 Ex Vicompte de Sartiges ex ArsClass.18 (1938),395 ex Magnaguti(10/1951),264
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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GORDIANUS III. 238-244, Aureus of late-end 239. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG Laurel, draped and armored bust r. Rs: P M TR P II COS P P Virtus stands l. with shield and spear. C. 193. R.I.C. 25. Calico 3212a. 5.28g, nicely centered. Rare.
Ex Vicomte de Sartiges (1859-1924) Collection. Ex Ars Classica 18, October 10 1938, at Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne, Switzerland, Lot No. 395, cataloged by Jacob Hirsch, the same guy who presided over the 1908 auction of our Roman 60 asses coin of the Second Punic War. This 1938 sale was called "Very important collection of Roman coins formed by a long-deceased foreign diplomat, whose sale will take place at public auctions". The catalog has been scanned and is available at https://archive.org/details/MonnaiesRomainesXVIII , showing this coin as "Superbe" and hammering at 125 Swiss Francs (just over $25 at the time, in the midst of the Great Depression). At this same auction was sold a giant rare gold 20 gram medallian of Honorius, which sold for 10,500 Francs, and is referred to in correspondence from American historian and art connoisseur Royall Tyler to American Diplomat Robert Woods Bliss, September 27, 1938, now part of the Dumbarton Oaks archive, at: https://www.doaks.org/resources/bliss-tyler-correspondence/letters/27sep1938 . The same letter refers to the author taking some comfort in a letter of the same day from President Roosevelt to Adolf Hitler regarding the threat of war in Europe, on account of Hitler's threats to invade the Sudentenland of Czechoslovakia.
This coin later was also ex Magnaguti Collection (Santamaria 23/10/1951 Lot No. 264). Ex collection B.d.B. (NAC 49, 2008, lot no.348).
After the end of the Gordianii, the Senate elected Pupienus and Balbinus as emperors against Maximinus Thrax and provided them with the grandson of Gordianus I as Caesar. After a good three months, the two emperors were murdered by the Praetorians and the 13-year-old Gordianus III was proclaimed Augustus. In contrast to his older predecessors, he was able to hold the imperial throne for about 6 years. On a campaign against the Sassanids, he died of a wound or from a conspiracy by his Praetorian prefect and successor, Philip the Arab.
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| 260-272 Sasanian Shahpur I |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) SASANIAN EMPIRE Shahpur I, AD 240-272
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AV Dinar 260-272 Sasanian Empire ex Italo Vecchi Coll. obv bust. rv fire altar
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Sasanian Kingdom, Shapur I AV Dinar. Mint I ("Ctesiphon"), Phase 2, circa AD 260-272. Draped bust to right, wearing diadem and mural crown surmounted by a korymbos / Fire-altar flanked by two regal attendants each wearing mural crown with ribbons and korymbos and holding staff surmounted by pellet-in-crescent; two pellets above. SNS type IIc/1b, style P; Göbl type I/1; Saeedi AV4 var. (no pellets on rev.); Sunrise 739 var. (same). 7.40g, 23mm, 3h.
Extremely Fine.
From the Italo Vecchi Collection;
Ex private European collection, Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 92, 16 December 2021, lot 706 (Hammer $2800).
Shapur was the second shahanshah (king of kings) of the Sasanian empire, apparently joining his father Ardashir I as king in joint rule in AD 240, and then succeeding in around 242 as sole ruler. Shapur had accompanied his father on campaign against the Parthians who then still controlled much of the Iranian plateau, and already before his accession was praised for his intelligence and learning, as well as for boldness and kind-heartedness.
Continuing his father's war with the Roman empire, Shapur conquered the Mesopotamian fortresses of Nisibis and Carrhae, advancing into Syria, which required the young emperor Gordian III to set out with a vast army to counter the Sasanian threat. Gordian's army won battle after battle, at last routing the Sasanian army at Rhesaena, forcing Shapur to hand back all of his gains. Gordian's death and the succession of Philip 'the Arab' ended the Roman campaign against Shapur, who was able to extract considerable advantages from Philip including an enormous indemnity in gold.
Shapur soon resumed his attacks on Rome, and in 253 met and annihilated a Roman army of 60,000 at the Battle of Barbalissos, and proceeded then to burn and ravage the Roman province of Syria. Armenia was conquered, and Georgia submitted to Sasanian control. With his northern borders secure, Shapur then led an army which penetrated deep into Syria, plundering all the way to Antioch which quickly fell to his forces. The Roman counter-offensive under emperor Valerian was slow, but by 257 Antioch had been recovered and the province of Syria returned to Roman control. Shapur's speedy retreat caused the Romans to launch a hasty pursuit of the Sasanians all the way to Edessa, where they were severely defeated by the Persians, and Valerian along with the survivors of his army were led away into captivity.
The defeat and capture of Valerian surely marks the greatest achievement in the reign of Shapur, who is also called 'the Great', and the submission of Valerian is commemorated in a mural at Naqsh-e Rustam, which shows the Emperor bending the knee before Shapur on horseback. Valerian's army was sent to Bishapur, and the soldiers were used in engineering and development works, such as the Band-e Kaisar (Caesar's dam) near the ancient city of Susa.
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| 290 Axumite King Endubis |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) AXUMITE KINGDOM Endubis, c.AD 270-340
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AV 'Unit' 290 Axumite Kingdom rv bust & grain ears obv bust & grain ears
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Endubis King of the Axumite Kingdom in Ethiopia. This kingdom was deemed one of the four world centers in the third century by a Persian commentator of the time. The other three were Rome, China, and of course Persia. There are 49 entries of sales of these coins on ACSearch since 2002, including this coin which appears at least twice.
AXUM. Endubis, circa 290. Chrysos (Gold, 16 mm, 2.71 g, 12 h). ENΔΥBIC - ΒΑCIΛEYC Draped bust of Endubis to right, wearing head cloth; to left and right, ears of barley; above, pellet in crescent. Rev. ΑξⲰΜΙΤⲰ - BICIΔAXY Draped bust of Endubis to right, wearing head cloth; to left and right, ears of barley; above, pellet in crescent. Hahn, MAKS, 1. Hahn, Aksumite, 1.
From an important collection of Aksumite coins, ex Stack's Bowers & Ponterio January NYINC 2013 Auction, January 8-14 2013, 311. Hammered there $850.
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| 294-303 Diocletian |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Diocletian, AD 284-305
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AV Aureus 284-305 ex Rauch 75 (5/2005), 811 Aquileia. rv Concordia.
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NGC Ch VF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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AD 284-305. The guy who brought us the edict on maximum prices. Price controls then, and probably soon again.
Diocletian gold aureus (17mm, 5.42 g, 12h). Aquileia mint. Struck circa AD 294-303. DIOCLETI ANVS P F AVG, laureate head right / CONCORDIA AVGG ET CAESS NNNN, Concordia seated left on high-backed throne, holding patera with right hand, cradling double cornucopia with left; AQ. RIC VI 2a; P&Z 1; Depeyrot 1/2; Calicó 4425; Biaggi 1693; Mazzini 26; Gorny & Mosch 257, lot 956 (same dies).
Ex HD Rauch 75 (May 6, 2005) Lot 811. HD Rauch identified this as RR. This is not a common reverse.
According to CNG, "Lustrous. Good VF. High relief portrait. Ex Provence Collection."
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| 335-336 Constantine I |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Constantine I, AD 307-337
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AV Solidus & trophy; VOT XXX. Antioch.rv Victory w/palm
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Constantine the Great established Constantinople as the capitol of the Eastern half of the Empire. He also started a new denomination of gold coinage for the empire, the solidus, which maintained its almost pure gold fineness and weight around 4.5 grams for almost 700 years. This coin was struck in Antiochia in 335-336. It weighs 4.51 grams. This example is the heaviest one I can find including the two in the ANA collection and the British Museum one, all 4.45-4.46 grams.
This coin records Constantine’s 30th anniversary (tricennalia). In his final ‘portrait’ type his hair is now shown longer, a fashion possibly inspired by Alexander the Great.
CONSTANTI – NVS MAX AVG Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. VICTORIA CO – NSTANTINI AVG Victory advancing l., holding trophy with r. hand and palm frond with l.; in r. field, VOT/ XXX in two lines. In exergue, SMAN.
C 604. Alföldi 572. RIC 96. Depeyrot 46/1. Good extremely fine
From the Collection of a Mentor.
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| 347-355 Constantius II |
ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE Constantius II,AD 337-361
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AV Solidus Constantinopolis w/votive Antioch. rv Roma &
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NGC MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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Constantius II AV Solidus. Antioch, AD 347-355. FL IVL CONSTANTIVS PERP AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / GLORIA REIPVBLICAE, Roma, seated facing on left, and Constantinopolis, seated left on right, supporting round shield inscribed VOT XX MVLT XXX in four lines; SMANI in exergue. RIC 83; Depeyrot 6/3. 4.41g, 21mm, 12h.
Won live from Roma Numismatics auction 3-27-2020 when their live auction was cancelled due to the COVID19 pandemic gripping London and most of the developed world. Probably I paid about $1300 too much for this coin, after losing out on a Constantine II that I had been bidding on. Antioch solidii of this type are not rare, even in this pretty-good condition. But, I have only found a couple in the archives where the SMANI looks like SMANI instead of SMANT or SMANΓ
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| 380 Gratian |
ANCIENT - WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (4th CENT AD - 5th CENT AD) WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE Gratian, AD 367-383
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AV Solidus 380 rv Constantinopolis std. Constantinople
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NGC MS Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5
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Gratian, Western Roman Empire (AD 367-383). AV solidus (21mm, 4.46 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 3/5. Constantinople, AD 379-383. Unlisted Bust Type for Issue. D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Gratian right, viewed from front / CONCOR-DIA AVGGG, Constantinopolis seated facing on leonine throne, helmeted head right, scepter in right hand, globe in left, right foot on prow; CONOB in exergue. RIC IX -, cf. 44a (rosette-diademed).
Gratian (Γρατιανός) April 18, 359 – August 25, 383, was Roman emperor from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian accompanied, during his youth, his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers. Gratian went along with this, and let Valentinian II run his part of the empire. In 378, Gratian's generals won a decisive victory over the Lentienses, a branch of the Alamanni, at the Battle of Argentovaria. Gratian subsequently led a campaign across the Rhine, the last emperor to do so, and attacked the Lentienses, forcing the tribe to surrender. That same year, his uncle Valens was killed in the Battle of Adrianople against the Goths. Gratian removed the Altar of Victory from the Roman Senate.
For some years Gratian governed the Empire with energy and success, earning the esteem of the army and people by his personal courage and justice, but at length, being deprived by death of some of his abler counselors, the promising young emperor neglected public affairs, and occupied himself chiefly with the hunting. He alienated the army and German auxiliaries by his favoritism towards his Frankish general Merobaudes and a body of Scythian archers whom he made his body-guard and companions in the hunt.
By appearing in public in the dress of a Scythian warrior, after the disaster of the Battle of Adrianople, he finally exasperated his army. One of his generals, Magnus Maximus, took advantage of this feeling to raise the standard of revolt in Britain and invaded Gaul with a large army. From Paris, Gratian, having been deserted by his troops, fled to Lyon. There, through the treachery of the governor, Gratian was delivered over to one of the rebel generals, Andragathius, and assassinated on 25 August 383.
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| 393-423 Honorius |
ANCIENT - WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (4th CENT AD - 5th CENT AD) WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE Honorius, AD 393-423
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AV Solidus foot on bound captive. Rome. rv emperor with
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NGC MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Honorius was the emperor of the Western Roman Empire who presided over the sack of Rome on August 24, 410 by Visigoth barbarians. This makes the reverse on this coin ironic. It shows the emperor stepping on a bound captive barbarian as Victory crowns the emperor with the wreath of victory. At the time of the attack on Rome, Honorius was safe in Ravenna.
This was the first time in almost 800 years that Rome had fallen to an enemy. The previous sack of Rome had been accomplished by the Gauls under their leader Brennus in 387 BC, almost 800 years earlier. The sacking of 410 is seen as a major landmark in the fall of the Western Roman Empire. St. Jerome, living in Bethlehem at the time, wrote that "The City which had taken the whole world was itself taken."
This coin was purchased raw at a Bruun Rasmussen auction in 2017.
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| 402-450 Theodosius II |
ANCIENT - EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (4th CENT AD - 5th CENT AD) EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE Theodosius II, AD 402-450
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AV Solidus ex M&M VI (12/1946), 866 rv Theod.II & Valent.III
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5
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Theodosius II - the "calligrapher." Provenance found using Ex Numis service. The coin was auctioned at Heritage with no pedigree listed. I was going to sell it until I ran it through the service and discovered the 1946 M&M provenance.
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| 425-455 Valentinian III |
ANCIENT - WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (4th CENT AD - 5th CENT AD) WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE Valentinian III,AD425-455
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AV Solidus on man-headed serpent. Ravenna. rv emperor stg.
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NGC MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Valentinian III, Western Roman Empire (AD 425-455). AV solidus (21mm, 4.48 gm, 7h). NGC MS 5/5 - 4/5. Ravenna, AD 426-430. D N PLA VALENTI-NIANVS P F AVG, rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Valentinian III right, seen from front / VICTORI-A AVGGG, Valentinian III standing facing, long cross in right hand, Victory left on globe in left with drapery unequally bunched, right foot on human-headed serpent with closed coil; R-V across fields, COMOB in exergue. RIC X 2018.
From the Werner Collection. Ex William Mills Collection of Roman Coins (Goldberg, Auction 106, 4 September 2018), lot 1616; Group SGF (Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 337, 22 October 2014), lot 547
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| 440-470 Axumite King Ebana |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) AXUMITE KINGDOM Ebana, c.AD 440-470
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AV 'Unit' Axumite Kingdom rv bust w/headcloth obv crowned bust
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NGC AU Strike: 3/5 Surface: 5/5
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AXUM. Ebana, circa 450. Chrysos (Gold, 16 mm, 1.60 g, 12 h). ✠CΛC✠CIϞ✠CΛΧ✠ΛCΛ Draped bust of Ebana to right, wearing tiara and holding spear in his right hand; to left and right, ears of barley; above tiara, ω; all within circular border. Rev. ✠ЄCB✠AϞA✠BAC✠ΛƆΛ Draped bust of Ebana to right, wearing head cloth and holding branch in his right hand; to left and right, ears of barley; above, •; all within circular border. Hahn, MAKS, 43. Hahn, Aksumite, 34. Sharply struck and attractive. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, extremely fine.
From an important collection of Aksumite coins. Leu July, 2022.
This is a common gold coin of Aksum and now you can see there is a cross instead of a crescent moon at the top on both sides.
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| 450-457 Marcian |
ANCIENT - EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (4th CENT AD - 5th CENT AD) EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE Marcian, AD 450-457
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AV Solidus rv Victory w/long cross obv facing military bust
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NGC Ch MS Strike: 4/5 Surface: 5/5
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Flavius Marcianus Augustus; (Greek: Μαρκιανός); c. 392 – 26 January 457) was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 450 to 457. He was a domesticus (personal assistant) who served under Ardabur and his son Aspar (Germanic military mercenary commanders) for fifteen years. After the death of Emperor Theodosius II on 28 July 450, Marcian was made a candidate to the throne by Aspar, who held influence due to his military power. After a month of negotiations Pulcheria, the sister of Theodosius (the deceased former Emperor), agreed to marry Marcian, and Flavius Zeno, a military leader of similar influence to Aspar, agreed to help Marcian to become emperor in exchange for the rank of patrician. Marcian was elected and inaugurated on 25 August 450.
Marcian reversed many of the actions of his predecessor, Emperor Theodosius II, in religious matters and the Eastern Roman Empire's relationship with the Huns under Attila. Marcian almost immediately revoked all treaties with Attila, ending all subsidy payments to him. In 452, while Attila was raiding Italy, then a part of the Western Roman Empire, Marcian launched expeditions across the Danube into the Hungarian plain, defeating the Huns in their own heartland. This action, accompanied by the famine and plague that broke out in northern Italy, allowed Marcian to bribe Attila into retreating from the Italian peninsula.
After the death of Attila in 453, Marcian took advantage of the resulting fragmentation of the Hunnic confederation, settling numerous tribes within Eastern Roman lands as foederati (subject tribes which gave military service in exchange for various benefits). Marcian also convened the Council of Chalcedon, which reversed the outcome of the previous Second Council of Ephesus, and declared that Jesus had two natures, divine and human. Marcian died on 26 January 457, leaving the Eastern Roman Empire with a treasury surplus of seven million solidi. Maybe this coin is one of them. After his death, Aspar had Leo I elected as Eastern Roman Emperor.
This coin has a big fat rim. It's like a deep dish pizza. This preserved the high points of the portrait and reverse, which are still not quite as high as those towering rims.
This coin was sitting on Ebay for a long time at a high price. Then, it appeared on an auction that was not featured on Numisbids or Sixbid. I found out about the auction through Auctionzip, which my dad had recently let me know about. This auction was by some estate / jewelry business in Florida.
So I knew this coin was coming up, and it was in the old NGC holder with a grade "CH UNC" with no numbers. I won the coin at the "live" online auction while I was walking my kid back from the grocery store, for about half what it was listed for on Ebay. This was a case of a thinly attended poorly advertised auction for some lucky buyers. Once I got the coin I sent it in to NGC to be re-evaluated based on their current standards, and to be put in their current four-pronged holder, to let us see some of the rim. That has been accomplished, and they noted the slight "die shift". Marcian looks like Bert from Sesame Street.
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| 491-518 Anastasius I |
ANCIENT - BYZANTINE (5th CENT AD - 15th CENT AD) BYZANTINE EMPIRE Anastasius I, AD 491-518
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AV Solidus Empire rv Victory hldg. P-cross obv facing military bust
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NGC MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
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Flavius Anastasius Augustus; (Greek: Ἀναστάσιος); (c. 431 – 9 July 518) was Byzantine Emperor from 491 to 518. He made his career as a government administrator. He came to the throne in his sixties after being chosen by the wife of his predecessor, Zeno. His religious tendencies caused tensions throughout his reign.
His reign was characterized by improvements in the government, economy, and bureaucracy in the Eastern Roman empire. He is noted for leaving the imperial government with a sizable budget surplus (including this coin) due to minimization of government corruption, reforms to the tax code, and the introduction of a new form of currency.
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| 527-565 Justinian I |
ANCIENT - BYZANTINE (5th CENT AD - 15th CENT AD) BYZANTINE EMPIRE Justinian I, AD 527-565
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AV Solidus Empire and globus cruciger rv Angel hldg. long cross
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NGC MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5
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Justinian the Great and also Saint Justinian the Great in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was the Eastern Roman emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western-half of the historical Roman Empire. Justinian's rule constitutes a distinct epoch in the history of the Later Roman empire, and his reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized renovatio imperii, or "restoration of the Empire". During his reign the style of these solidus coins changed from showing the Emperor in a three-quarters profile, like this one, to a straight-on facing portrait, as seen in the next coin, from Maurice Tiberius, all the way to the fall of Constantinople 900 years later.
Because of his restoration activities, Justinian has sometimes been known as the "last Roman" in mid 20th century historiography. This ambition was expressed by the partial recovery of the territories of the defunct Western Roman Empire. His general, Belisarius, swiftly conquered the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa. Subsequently, Belisarius, Narses, and other generals conquered the Ostrogothic kingdom, restoring Dalmatia, Sicily, Italy, and Rome to the empire after more than half a century of rule by the Ostrogoths. The prefect Liberius reclaimed the south of the Iberian peninsula, establishing the province of Spania. These campaigns re-established Roman control over the western Mediterranean, increasing the Empire's annual revenue by over a million solidi. During his reign, Justinian also subdued the Tzani, a people on the east coast of the Black Sea that had never been under Roman rule before. He engaged the Sasanian Empire in the east during Kavad I's reign, and later again during Khosrow I's; this second conflict was partially initiated due to his ambitions in the west.
A still more resonant aspect of his legacy was the uniform rewriting of Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of civil law in many modern states. His reign also marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture, and his building program yielded such masterpieces as the church of Hagia Sophia.
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| 565-578 Justin II |
ANCIENT - BYZANTINE (5th CENT AD - 15th CENT AD) BYZANTINE EMPIRE Justin II, AD 565-578
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AV Solidus Empire rv Constantinopolis std. obv facing bust
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NGC MS Strike: 4/5 Surface: 5/5
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Justinian's kid. He didn't quite live up to his dad's reputation.
Constantinople, 8th officina. D N I-VSTI-NVS PP AVG, cuirassed bust of Justin II facing, beardless, wearing plumed helmet with pendilia, Victory on globe right in right hand, shield decorated with horseman motif in left / VICTORI-A AVGGG H, Constantinopolis seated facing, helmeted head right, scepter in right hand, globus cruciger in left; CONOB in exergue. Sear 345.
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