Le più belle rappresentazioni di guerrieri

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 15	Auction date: 27 February 2021
Lot number: 2727 Price realized: 280 CHF   (Approx. 310 USD / 254 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Philaretos Brachamios, protokouropalates and domestikos of the scholai of the east, circa 1070-1080. Seal (Lead, 25 mm, 13.17 g, 1 h). On the left, O / A/Γ/I/O/, on the right, [ΘЄOΔⲰ]P[O,] Saint Theodore, nimbate, standing facing, holding spear in his right hand and shield in his left. Rev. [+Φ]IΛAP/ЄTO AK૪/[P]Π S ΔMЄ,T/[O] CXOΛⲰ / ...ANAT O / RPAX' ("Philaretos Brachamios, protokouropalates and generalissimus of the eastern regiments") in six lines. Cf. Seibt, Philaretos Brachamios, p. 288-289, Laurent, Vatican, 113 and Theodoridis 38 (all with minor legend variants). Short blank, otherwise, very fine. Philaretos Brachamios was a Byzantine general of Armenian descent who rose to fame in the wake of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, a disastrous defeat that led to the loss of most of eastern Asia Minor by the central Byzantine government. However, a series of local Byzantine military commanders continued to fight the Seljuks in the late 11th century, the most successful of which was Philaretos, who controlled large parts of Cilicia, Armenia and Syria as a semi-autonomous warlord. His main strongholds were the important cities of Melitene and Antiochia, the latter of which was lost to the Seljuks in 1086, just twelve years before it was captured by the knights of the First Crusade in1098. Philaretos is not mentioned much in historiographical sources, but a number of seals attest his cursus honorum. Our seal dates to the 1070s: it mentions Philaretos as the supreme commander of the eastern regiments, but does not yet name one of his later, higher court dignities. Starting Price: 75 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: San Teodoro,(Todaro per i veneziani) santo bizantino e guerriero, primo protettore della città,di Venezia,viene raffigurato in marmo ,su una delle collone della piazzetta di San Marco nell’atto di uccidere un drago, metafora del bene che vince il demonio in forma rettile,immagine del maligno, che emette fuoco,che distrugge.  (La statua è in realtà una copia, l’originale si trova all’entrata di Palazzo Ducale).

[King John]

Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung > Auction 276	Auction date: 19 April 2021
Lot number: 25 Price realized: 1,800 EUR   (Approx. 2,164 USD)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: KAMPANIEN. TARENT. Didrachme ø 22mm (7,82g). ca. 281 - 270 v. Chr. Magistrat Eu(...). Vs.: Nackter Krieger mit Helm n. l. im Absprung von seinem Pferd begriffen. Rs.: ΤΑΡΑΣ, Phalantos auf Delfin n. r. reitend, den Dreizack über der l. Schulter tragend, mit der zurückgestreckten Rechten Speer werfend, darunter Hippocamp. Vlasto 698 (stgl.); HN Italy 968. RR! Schöne dunkle Sammlungstönung, ss Ex V.D.T Collection. Estimate: 750 EUR

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XXI	Auction date: 24 March 2021
Lot number: 580 Price realized: 1,900 GBP   (Approx. 2,607 USD / 2,203 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Trajan Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 107-110. IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, laureate bust to right, slight drapery on far shoulder / S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan on horseback riding to right, thrusting spear at fallen Dacian below; SC in exergue. RIC II 543; BMCRE 839; Woytek 317bC; Banti 200. 27.74g, 33mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Privately purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, December 2002 (inv. # 733407); Ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 117, 14 October 2002, lot 557 (hammer: EUR 2,400). Trajan had in AD 101-102 launched an offensive against the powerful Dacian king Decebalus with whom Domitian had signed an unfavourable (and some would argue shameful) treaty some twenty years before, the price of which was the payment of an annual 'subsidy' of eight million sestertii and the presentation of a diadem from Domitian to Decebalus. In that war, Trajan succeeded in defeating the Dacians in a series of pitched battles, and reduced Decebalus to the status of client king. The victory was celebrated with a triumph (Trajan's first), and later by the construction of the Tropaeum Traiani. Although this victory had greatly eroded Decebalus' power, he nonetheless began to rearm straight away, to harbour Roman runaways and to pressure the neighbouring barbarian tribes to ally themselves with him. In 104 he organised a failed attempt on Trajan's life by means of some Roman deserters, as well as capturing Trajan's legate Longinus who he tried to use as a bargaining chip; Longinus however took poison to avoid compromising his country and emperor. Then finally in 105 Decebalus launched an invasion of the Roman-held territories north of the Danube. Trajan was not unprepared; by 105 the concentration of Roman troops assembled in the middle and lower Danube regions amounted to fourteen legions – half of the entire Roman army. Trajan ordered the construction of a massive bridge over the Danube designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, which for over 1,000 years was the longest arch bridge ever built both in terms of total and span length. The counter-offensive consisted mostly of the reduction of the Dacian fortress network which the Romans systematically stormed while denying the Dacians the ability to manoeuvre in the open. At last Decebalus' main stronghold of Sarmizegetusa was taken by storm and razed to the ground. Decebalus himself escaped, but soon after committed suicide as a Roman cavalry scout named Tiberius Claudius Maximus was closing on him. Maximus delivered the head and right hand of the enemy king to his emperor. Trajan's second triumph was understandably a grand affair, which was accompanied by spectacular games that the emperor held in celebration: ten thousand gladiators fought in these games, and ten thousand animals were sacrificed in thanks to the gods. The riches of Dacia (estimated recently at 165 tons of gold and 331 tons of silver) were invested in a series of important public works, the jewels of which were the forum and great market in Rome which bore the emperor's name, and the magnificent celebratory column depicting the glorious achievements of the campaign. As reward for his service the cavalry scout Tiberius Claudius Maximus was decorated and immortalised in a relief on Trajan's column. A grave stele he ordered made for himself while he lived tells us of his deeds and honours, and bears his likeness on horseback, riding down the Dacian king. The relief is nearly identical to the reverse of this coin type. Estimate: 2500 GBP

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 22	Auction date: 22 June 2021
Lot number: 344 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction -
Lot description: Gordian III, 238-244. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 34 mm, 20.62 g, 7 h). Iconium in Lycaonia. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III to right. Rev. COL AELI ADRI ICONIENSI (sic) / S R Andromeda sitting to left, feet chained, viewed from behind, arms raised, her robe hung on a tree behind her; below, wolf standing left, looking back. RPC VII.2 Online unassigned ID 2208. SNG BN -. Von Aulock, Lykaoniens, 330-1 (same dies). An interesting reverse, showing Andromeda seen from behind. Rough surfaces, otherwise, good very fine. While von Aulock describes the reverse as Aphrodite sitting on the edge of a bath, the feet of the figure are clearly chained while her arms are pulled behind her. The RPC corrects von Aulock's identification, and describes the reverse as showing Andromeda chained. In the myth, Andromeda was the daughter of the king and queen of Ethiopia, Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia had boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, incurring the wrath of Poseidon who sent the sea monster Ketos to ravage the coast of Ethiopia (nowadays, of course, we know that Ethiopia does not have a coastline, but in myths things can be different). In order to appease Poseidon, Andromeda was offered as a sacrifice to the monster. She was chained to a rock but before Ketos could devour her, she was rescued by the hero Perseus, married her, making her his queen. Estimate: 1000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: Andromeda, dipinto di Gustave Doré (1869) La madre di Andromeda, insuperbitasi della propria bellezza, si era paragonata alle Nereidi, provocando l'ira di Poseidone che mandò sulle spiagge del regno di Cefeo un mostro marino (κῆτος). L'oracolo consiglia il re di esporre al mostro Andromeda per liberare il paese, ma sopraggiunge Perseo con la testa della Gorgone, affronta il mostro, libera la fanciulla, di cui si innamora e che sposa dopo aver sconfitto il fidanzato Fineo (da Treccani.it).

[King John]

Fotogrammi di uno scontro in battaglia dai tetradrammi di Patraos, re di Peonia

Mon.n.1: il cavaliere piomba sul fante che viene travolto dalle zampe del cavallo (NAC 123, 9/05/2021, lot 246); mon.n.2: il fante cade a terra (Savoca 104, 30/05/2021, lot 26); mon.n.3: il fante perde lo scudo e viene trafitto dalla lancia del cavaliere (NAC 123, 9/05/2021, lot 245).

Modificato 21 Maggio, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Münzzentrum Rheinland > Auction 193	Auction date: 10 March 2021
Lot number: 62 Price realized: 180 EUR   (Approx. 214 USD)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: SIZILIEN. (D)ZANKLE MESSANA (Messina). AE-23mm (300/288 v.Chr.) 8,66g. Kopf der Nymphe Pelorias n.l., davor 2 Delfine PELORIAS / MESSANIWN Heros mit Speer und Schild n. r. schreitend. ANG ANS 394-395, SNG Cop. 423, SNG München 679. .   braune Patina ss Estimate: 150 EUR

ILLUSTRAZIONE: Uno scontro armato raffigurato sulle lastre calcaree in travertino di una tomba a Paestum! Leggete l'interessantissima spiegazione esposta nel Museo Nazionale di Paestum (SA).

Modificato 23 Maggio, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Coins.ee OY > Auction 49	Auction date: 27 March 2021
Lot number: 24 Price realized: 65 EUR   (Approx. 77 USD)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Ancient coins Pamphylia - Aspendos AR Stater - (circa 465-430 BC) 10.75 g. 23mm. VF+/XF Hoplite advancing to right, holding shield and spear / Triskeles; EΣ above; all within incuse square. SNG Paris 6 var.; SNG 4483. ILLUSTRAZIONE: GUERRIERO RAFFIGURATO SU UNA TOMBA DEL IV SECOLO A.C. RINVENUTA A PAESTUM (SA)

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 22	Auction date: 22 June 2021
Lot number: 284 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Gaius (Caligula), 37-41. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 37 mm, 26.73 g, 5 h), Rome, 40-41. C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG P M TR P IIII P P Laureate head of Caligula to left. Rev. ADLOCVT / COH Bareheaded and togate figure of Caligula standing left before a sella castrensis on a platform, his right hand outstretched towards five legionaries standing to right and facing him; the first bears a shield and the other four hold legionary eagles. BMC 68. Cohen 3. RIC 48. With a fine portrait, a detailed reverse and a reddish-brown/ olive-green patina. Traces of smoothing on the obverse and with a flan fault on the reverse, otherwise, nearly extremely fine. Estimate: 5000 CHF

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 22	Auction date: 22 June 2021
Lot number: 86 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: THRACO-MACEDONIAN TRIBES Orreskioi (?). Circa 500-480 BC. Stater (Silver, 18 mm, 9.62 g). Bearded centaur galloping to right, his head turned back to left and with his long hair streaming out to right behind him, holding a stone (here partially off the flan) in his upraised left hand and raising his open right hand to left. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. Apparently only two other coins of this type are known, both probably struck from the same obverse die. They are: 1) Macdonald, Hunterian I, p. 266, 1 and pl. XIX, 15 = AMNG III, p. 134, 4 and pl. XXVI, 1 = Babelon, Traité II, 1, 1559 and pl. L, 1 = Svoronos, HPM, p. 38, 1a and pl. VI, 4. 2) Svoronos, HPM, p. 38, 1b and pl. VI, 1 (struck from a different reverse die than that of HPM 1a, but from the same reverse die as the coin here). Of great rarity, with a remarkably vigorous type of a centaur preparing to hurl a stone at an enemy following behind him. Nearly extremely fine. From a European collection, formed during the 1980s in southern Germany. The centaur here is rushing along, running before a pursuing enemy but turning to throw a large stone at him. This scene is very similar to that shown on an Attic Black Figure amphora at the Getty (Malibu 88.AE.24), which is attributed to the Medea Group and dated to c. 530-520 BC. Estimate: 30000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: Attic lekythos, archaic period (575-550 BC), centaur battling a warrior - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New, York

[King John]

Nomos AG > obolos 19	Auction date: 8 May 2021
Lot number: 311 Price realized: 60 CHF   (Approx. 66 USD / 55 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: PONTOS. Amisos. Time of Mithradates VI Eupator, circa 85-65 BC. (Bronze, 11.5 mm, 1.08 g, 12 h), c. 95-90 or c. 80-70. Laureate and bearded head of Herakles to right. Rev. ΑΜΙ-ΣΟΥ Club and quiver in saltire; below to left, monogram of ΠΑ. HGC 7, 257. RG 23. SNG BM Black Sea -. SNG Stancomb -. Lovely green patina with earthen deposits. Good very fine. Starting Price: 50 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: TESTA DELLA STATUA DETTA "DEL PUGILE A RIPOSO" DEL IV-II SECOLO A.C., PALAZZO MASSIMO, MUSEO NAZIONALE ROMANO, ROMA.

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 22	Auction date: 22 June 2021
Lot number: 283 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Tiberius, AD 14-37. Tessera (Bronze, 22.5 mm, 4.57 g, 2 h), circa 22-37. An erotic scene taking place in a curtained room with a table. Rev. V within dotted circular border within wreath. Buttrey Table A, 11/V, pl. 3, 11 = Simonetta - Riva pl. 4, 9/B (this example). Very rare and with an attractive green patina with tan highlights. Small corrosion spots on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine. Ex Gorny & Mosch 175, 9 March 2009, 318, Aufhäuser 17, 2003, 713, and Schulmann, 17 June 1924, (Vierordt II), 11. It is not known for what use or purpose these erotic tokens (also known as "spintriae") were made, although a few ideas have been suggested. One such suggestion is that they refer to the sexual escapades of the aged emperor Tiberius himself during his final years while living in seclusion at Capri. Another is that they were made during the Flavian period to be used as brothel tokens. Neither of these explanations, though, are satisfactory. The first can be discarded as no one in their right mind would depict the emperor in such scenes, even if the salacious gossip surrounding Tiberius' final years were true, and the Roman numerals on the reverse, some of which share dies with non-erotic tokens securely dated to the reign of Tiberius, excludes the possibility that they were made for use as brothel tokens a half-century later. Estimate: 12500 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: GRAFFITI EROTICI POMPEIANI

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 51 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Catana. Tetradrachm signed by Heracleidas circa 405-402, AR 16.95 g. Laureate head of Apollo, facing three-quarters l., his hair falling in loose curls around his face; in field r., [ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΑΣ]. Rev. Fast quadriga driven l. by charioteer holding reins with both hands; in field above, Nike flying r., holding taenia and wreath to crown the charioteer. In exergue, KATANAIΩΝ / fish l. Kraay-Hirmer pl. 15, 43 (these dies). Rizzo pl. XIV, 10 and XVI, 2 (these dies). Gulbenkian 190 (these dies). C.C. 62 (these dies). Holloway, Art and Coinage in Magna Graecia, p. 112 (this coin). AMB 337 (this coin). Very rare. A superb specimen of this desirable issue, the work of a very talented master engraver. Unusually well-struck and complete with a pleasant old cabinet tone, about extremely fine / extremely fine Privately purchased from Ambrogio Canessa in December 1952. Ex NAC sale 13, 1998, formerly exhibited at the Antike Museum Basel, 337;, NAC 48, 2008, 29 and Manhattan 2, 2011, 12 sales. From the Athos Dina Moretti, Guber and Star collections. Katane was founded near Mount Aetna by colonists from Sicilian Naxos in c. 729 BC. The city was famous in antiquity both for its laws and the piety of its inhabitants. In the late sixth century BC, the lawgiver Charondas (a pupil of Pythagoras) composed a set of laws for the city, written entirely in verse, that were said to have been so just that they were widely adopted by many of the other Chalkidian colonies of Sicily. Alas, Charondas was unable to personally compose law codes specific to these other cities because he committed suicide after he realized that he had accidentally broken one of his own laws: He had entered the public assembly while wearing a sword. The upright character of the inhabitants of Kantane is also expressed in the legend of Amphinomos and Anapios-often known simply as "the Katanaian Brothers"-who took no heed for their personal possessions and property when Mount Aetna erupted (perhaps in 427 BC) and instead carried their elderly parents to safety on their shoulders. These brothers became instant symbols of filial piety and served as an archetype for later Roman representations of the hero Aeneas carrying his father Anchises. Unfortunately, the evident moral superiority of the Katanaians did little to aid them in their long history of conflict with Syracuse and its frequently amoral tyrants. In 476 BC, Hieron I of Syracuse ejected the Chalkidian Greek Katanaians from their city in order to use it to settle 10,000 Dorian Greeks from the territory of Syracuse and the Peloponnesos. However, once the tyrant was safely dead, in 461 BC, the Katanaians returned to expel the interlopers and reclaim their city. Continued animosity towards Syracuse led the Katane to join Leontinoi in seeking aid from the Athenians and in supporting the ultimately disastrous Athenian expedition against Syracuse in 413-413 BC. The city also opposed the expansionist policies of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysios I (405-367 BC), which devolved into open warfare in 403/2 BC. The Katanaians prepared to stand firm against the tyrant and weather a siege, but they were betrayed to Dionysios I by Arkesilos, one of their own generals. Thus, Katane fell into the hands of the tyrant, who immediately ordered the plunder of the city and the enslavement of the entire population. He subsequently walked in the footsteps of Hieron I and populated the empty city with Campanian mercenaries in his employ. The present tetradrachm was struck in the period of conflict between Katane and Dionysios I of Syracuse. It is a little ironic that this coinage, struck to finance the defense of the city against the Syracusan tyrant, should be so strongly influenced by the contemporary coinage of Syracuse. The racing quadriga type is closely modeled on the Syracusan chariot type of the engraver Kimon while the wonderful facing head of Apollo is a local adaptation of the facing head of Arethusa also engraved by Kimon for tetradrachms of Syracuse under Dionysios I. Also like at contemporary Syracuse, the obverse die used to strike this Katanaian tetradrachm has been signed by its engraver-Herakleidas-although his signature is off-flan here. Despite serious political opposition from cities like Katane, this coin illustrates the ultimate inability of the Sicilian enemies of Syracuse to resist its cultural and economic influence. Estimate: 100000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: APOLLO CHE SI INCORONA, STATUA REALIZZATA NEL 1781 DA ANTONIO CANOVA

Modificato 3 Giugno, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 125	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 328 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Dynasts of Caria, Maussolus, 377 – 353. Tetradrachm, Halicarnassus after 367, AR 15.11 g. Laureate head of Apollo facing three-quarters r. Rev. ΜΑΥΣΣΩΛΛ[Ο] Zeus Labraundus standing r., holding double axe and spear. Traité II/2, 90, pl. XC, 2. BMC Caria 181, 1 – 2. SNG von Aulock –, cf. 2358–2360 (letters in field). SNG Copenhagen 590. Gulbenkian 2, 781. K. Konuk, The Coinage of the Hekatomnids of Caria, unpublished DPhil, Oxford, 1998, 236, 26, and pl. 13, 26 (this coin). M. Bendenoun, A portrait of the JDL Collection, Tradart, 27 (this coin). A sublime portrait of enchanting beauty, work of a very skilled master engraver. Lovely old cabinet tone and extremely fine Ex Numismatic Auction Ltd 1, 1982, 118; NAC-Tradart 79, 2014, JDL part I, 14 and NAC 100, 2017, 158 sales The Hecatomnid dynasty, comprised of a founding father, two daughters and three sons, was something of a political marvel, for it endured nearly sixty years under the authority of four Persian Kings. Early in the 4th Century B.C. the dynastic founder, Hecatomnus, was installed as satrap of Caria by King Artaxerxes II. Being so distant from Persepolis, the seat of the Persian administration, the Carian satrap enjoyed a great deal of autonomy – a blessing which posed problems of its own, and which demanded crafty and enterprising leadership to survive. The coinage of the dynasty began under Hecatomnus, who initially found inspiration in the types of Miletus, but who soon introduced Rhodian-weight tetradrachms with a personal type showing on their obverse the standing figure of Zeus Labraundus, and on their reverse a lion ready to pounce. Though the lion type was abandoned by Hecatomnus' successor, Maussollus, in favour of the facing head of Helios, Zeus was retained as the standard reverse type for all of the major coinages of the dynasty in precious metal. This particular Zeus, who holds a sceptre and a double-axe (labrys), was avidly worshipped at a picturesque sanctuary at Labraunda, a remote village along a mountain pass some distance from Hecatomnus' home town of Mylasa. Though several ancient literary accounts, including those of Strabo, Herodotus and Callimachus, name the cult at Labraunda as that of Zeus Stratios ('warlike'), inscriptions at the site typically identify the god as Zeus Labraundus. Of all Carian satraps, Maussollus is the best remembered because his name is embedded in "mausoleum", a word inspired by this satrap's elaborate burial structure at Halicarnassus, which was canonized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When Maussollus died in 353 an interesting chain of succession was initiated. Power was assumed by his sister-wife Artemisia, who two years later is said to have died of grief; then one of Maussollus' brothers, Hidrieus, assumed the title of Satrap, and upon Hidrieus' death, his sister-wife, Ada, came to power, only to be ousted by her last sibling, Pixodarus. Estimate: 8000 CHF

[King John]

VAuctions > Pars Coins Sale 15	Auction date: 10 May 2021
Lot number: 15 Price realized: 240 USD   (Approx. 197 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: PAMPHYLIA, Aspendos. Circa mid 5th. Century BC. AR Stater (10.84 gm; 18 mm). Warrior advancing right, holding shield and spear / Triskeles within incuse square. Cf. SNG France 12–3; SNG von Aulock 4483; SNG Copenhagen –. Choice aEF. Nicely toned. Starting Price: 400 USD ILLUSTRAZIONE: SCENA DI COMBATTIMENTO RAFFIGURATA SU UNA TOMBA DEL IV SECOLO A.C. RINVENUTA A PAESTUM (SA)

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 125	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 300 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: The Chalcidian League, Olynthus. Tetradrachm circa 350, AR 14.44 g. Laureate head of Apollo r. Rev. Χ – A –Λ – ΚΙΔ – ΕΩΝ Seven-stringed cithara. SNG ANS 496 (this obverse die). De Nanteuil 773 (these dies). Robinson-Clement 128. A wonderful portrait of superb style struck on a very broad flan. Exceptionally well-centred and complete for the issue, wonderful iridescent tone and good extremely fine Privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk in the 1990s. Ex Gemini V, 2009, 59 and NGSA 9, 2015, Thyssen-Kaplan collection, 37 sales. From the Jacob K. Stein collection and on display at the Cincinnati Museum of Art from 1994 to 2008. Graded Ch AU* Strike 5/5 Surface 5/5, NGC certification number 6030743-002. Olynthus was an ancient Greek city situated on the Chalcidice Peninsula of north-western Greece. A Thracian people called the Bottiaeans inhabited Olynthus until 479 BC, when Persian forces killed them and handed the town over to local Greeks from Chalcidice. Though dominated for a time thereafter by Athens, Olynthus revolted against the latter in 424 BC and was subsequently able to maintain its independence. Olynthus became the chief Greek city west of the Strymon river, and in 432, during the early years of the Peloponnesian war, it founded and became the chief city of the Chalcidian League, a confederation of the Greek cities of the Chalcidice Peninsula. The League issued its own federal coinage soon from the beginning but it was only around the 420 BC that the tetradrachms, the most famous coins, appeared. On the obverse they depict the patron deity of the League, Apollo, and on the reverse one of his major attributes, the lyre. The tetradrachms continued as an important regular series until the coinage of the League ended with the rise of Philip II of Macedonia, who completely destroyed Olynthus and dissolved the League in 348 BC. Estimate: 25000 CHF

[King John]

 

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124     Auction date: 23 June 2021      Lot number: 214
Satraps of Caria, Artaxexes III Ochus, 359/8 – 338.
Tetradrachm, uncertain mint circa 340, AR 14.80g. The Great King in kneeling-running position r., wearing a kidaris, drawing a bow; the quiver at his shoulder. Rev. Satrap, wearing Persian dress, galloping r. on horseback and thrusting a spear in his raised r. hand. Babelon, Traité pl. XCI, 17. Dewing 2715. A. Meadows, Pixodarus Hoard, Royal Achaemenid Issues (?) Coin Hoards IX, pl. 30, 1ff. Mildenberg, Money supply under Artaxerxes III Ochus, Studies Price, 84 and pl. 61, 84 (this coin).
Rare. Of unusually fine style for the issue and struck on very
fresh metal. About extremely fine

Ex Leu 15, 1976, 315; Spink Geneva 10 October 1977, 238; Sotheby's 4 April 1991, Viscount Wimborne, 67 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero, 550 sales.
Ochus, the youngest legitimate son of Artaxerxes II, was never much appreciated by his father, the Great King of the vast Achaemenid Persian Empire, and was not seriously considered as his successor. He only became designated heir after his eldest brother was executed for plotting against their father. He drove his second oldest brother to suicide, and he orchestrated the murder of his father's favourite illegitimate son. With all other options gone, Artaxerxes II named Ochus as his successor and died soon thereafter.
When the triumphant Ochus ascended the Achaemenid throne in 358 BC, he took the name of Artaxerxes III and enacted new policies intended to restore a powerful central authority to the Persian Empire after decades of satraps creating virtually independent states for themselves within the territory of the Great King. He immediately demanded that the satraps disband their private mercenary armies, but when he attempted to remove Artabazus from Hellespontine Phrygia in 356 BC, Artaxerxes' other satraps proved unequal to the task. With the support of Athenian and then Theban commanders, Artabazus inflicted major losses on the loyal satraps until 345 BC, when the Thebans turned on him and the rebel fled to Macedonia.
As part of his plan to restore Achaemenid prestige, in 351 BC Artaxerxes III mounted an invasion of Egypt, a province that had slipped from Persian domination in 404 BC. Unfortunately, this was defeated by the Greek mercenary generals employed by the Egyptian pharaoh Nectanebo II, forcing Artaxerxes III to withdraw. In the aftermath of this defeat, the cities of Cyprus began to throw off Persian authority as did those of Phoenicia under the leadership of Sidon. This resulted in a major show of Persian force in 343 BC, which saw Idriaeus of Caria and an Athenian mercenary fleet reduce Cyprus to submission and a punitive campaign against Sidon led by the Great King himself. Sidon was taken by force and burned to the ground along with its inhabitants while 600 of the leading men were crucified before the hapless city.
Having inflicted this brutal punishment upon Sidon as a warning against future rebellion, Artaxerxes III made a new attempt to restore Persian authority over Egypt. With a grand army of 330,000 Persians and 14,000 Greek mercenaries the Great King forced Nectanebo II to flee to Ethiopia and seized Memphis. The land of the pharaohs was once again a possession of the Achaemenids, but Egypt chafed under restored Persian rule and Artaxerxes' intolerant religious policies so alienated the Egyptian priesthood that when Alexander the Great arrived a decade later, he was embraced by the Egyptians as a saviour.
Following the conquest of Egypt, Artaxerxes III largely focused on the containment of the growing power of Philip II of Macedon, providing Persian troops and money to support the Thracian dynast Cersobleptes and Perinthus in 340 BC. It is possible that the present coin was struck as part of the efforts to finance opposition to Philip II. Artaxerxes III ultimately failed in this regard and faced the growing possibility of a Macedonian invasion of the Persian Empire until 338 BC, when he was poisoned by his court physician.

Estimate: 5000 CHF

[King John]

Agora Auctions > Numismatic Auction 100	Auction date: 4 May 2021
Lot number: 58 Price realized: 90 USD   (Approx. 75 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Cilicia, Mopsos. AE 22 (21.90 mm, 9.43 g, 1 h). Laureate head of bearded Zeus right / [M]OΨEATΩN / THΣ ΙΕΡΑΣ - ΚΑΙ / ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜ[ΟΥ] , ethnic vertically downwards to right and left of small lighted altar on legs; beneath, various monograms. Cf. SNG France 1941-2 (monograms); Cf. Klein 667 ; BMC 4. Estimate: 75 USD

[King John]

A Magnificent Hellenistic Gold Engraved Ring with an Actor Holding a Theater Mask.
Period: 325-300 B.C.
Dimensions: 2.2 × 2.1 cm (7/8 × 13/16 in.)
Description: The bezel of this gold ring is engraved with a draped actor, standing in three-quarter profile to the left and contemplating a mask held with both outstretched hands. A graffito in Greek letters reading SAMH (‘SAME’) is scratched into the gold behind the actor and is probably the name of the ring's owner.
Due to changes in the nature and form of Greek drama, the role of the actor became much more important in the 300s B.C., prompting the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) to comment that the actor in this period was becoming more important than the playwright. This shift led to more frequent depictions of actors in art, and scenes of actors contemplating a mask, the most important part of an actor's costume, became especially popular. Engraved gold rings were often used as seals, but were also decorative items of jewelry. The depiction of an actor in this context perhaps symbolized the role of jewelry in shaping the wearer’s appearance.
In the late 300s B.C., a new ring form, a large round bezel on a heavy hoop, became popular. This ring shows the final transition from an oval to a round bezel.
Text & Provenance: J. Paul Getty Museum.
Dr. Athos Moretti (Bellinzona, Switzerland), sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum through Bank Leu, A.G. (Zurich, Switzerland), 1985.

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 49 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Sicily, Aetna. Drachm circa 476-470, AR 4.17 g. Horseman at pace r. within dotted border. Rev. AITN – AI – ON Zeus seated r., holding thunderbolt and eagle-tipped sceptre. Dobretsberger, MONG 1961, 6, p. 49-50. ACGC p. 212 (this coin mentioned). C. Boehringer, JNG 18, 1968, pp. 67-98 and pl. 7, 2 (this coin). de Callataÿ-Gitler, The Coin of Coins, A World premiere. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem 2004, p. 29 and footnote 17. Apparently unique. An issue of tremendous importance and fascination. Of fine late Archaic style and with a delicate old cabinet tone. About extremely fine Ex Auctiones 20, 1990, 117 and Morton & Eden 9 June 2011, 202 sales. As a means of exerting his dominance over other Greek cities of Sicily, particularly those with non-Dorian populations, the Syracusan tyrant Hieron I employed a policy of depopulating established centers and founding new cities. Such was the case of Catana and Leontini in 476 BC. The tyrant compelled the inhabitants of these cities to move to Naxos and repopulated Catana with 10,000 Dorian Greek settlers from Syracuse and the Peloponnesus. Having completely changed the ethnic makeup of Catana, Hieron I also renamed it as Aetna and established his son to rule it as a king. However, Hieron I died soon after and the Deinomenid tyranny was overthrown in Syracuse. In 461 BC, the exiled people of Catana returned to their old homes and expelled the Aetnaeans. They subsequently seized the native Sicel settlement of Inessa and used it to found a new city named Aetna. This apparently unique drachm was struck during the early period of Catana's refoundation as Aetna and as such is an enduring monument to the harsh policies of Hieron I. The obverse horseman type, which is drawn from contemporary drachms of Syracuse leaves no doubt as to who controlled Aetna. It is paired perfectly with a similarly unique tetradrachm of Aetna featuring a slow biga that is very similar to that found on Syracusan tetradrachms of the same period. The reverse type, depicting a spectacular enthroned figure of Zeus, however, is purely local. The king of the Olympians is rendered in a beautiful Archaic style and his throne includes wonderful details like the palmettes on the legs. The image is also especially interesting for the unusual placement of Zeus' attributes, the scepter and the eagle. Whereas he usually holds these in his hands, here the scepter stands beside the god with the eagle perched on top. Estimate: 60000 CHF

Modificato 11 Giugno, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 22	Auction date: 22 June 2021
Lot number: 352 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Gallienus, 253-268. (Bronze, 32 mm, 14.90 g, 6 h), after 260. Synnada in Phrygia. ΑΥΤ ΚAI Π ΛΙΚ ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟC / CΕΒ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to right. Rev. CYNNAΔEΩN A scene from an amphitheater depicting a venatio: across the center, a lion chasing a stag to left; below, a bestiarius attacking a boar with a spear; above, Orpheus prostrate after being mauled by a bear. BMC 66 = J. Nolle, "Kaiserliche Privilegien für Gladiatorenmunera und Tierhetzen: Unbekannte und ungedeutete Zeugnisse auf städtischen Münzen des griechischen Ostens", JNG 42/43, 1992/1993, p. 51, 2b = M. Price, "Paintings as a Source of Inspiration for Ancient Die Engravers", Studies Trell p. 70, fig. 1 = SNG von Aulock 3997 (same dies). E. S. G. Robinson, "Coins from Lycia and Pamphylia", JHS 34, 1914, p. 37, 24 (not illustrated). SNG Lewis 1560 (same dies). With an imaginative portrait of the emperor, a dark green patina and a most interesting scene on the reverse. Clear and well-centered. Good very fine. Orpheus was a legendary prophet in Greek mythology, and he was often depicted in mosaics charming wild beasts with his lyre. In most versions of the myth, he was killed by maenads who could no longer endure his excessive mourning for his dead wife, Eurydice, after his failure to retrieve her from the underworld. However, as with many Greek myths, there is an alternate version of Orpheus' demise. In this little-known version, Orpheus is mauled and killed by a bear. The Oxford Classical Dictionary, (3rd ed., 1996), s.v. venation's cites gladiatorial re-enactments of Orpheus' death-by-bear that took place in the late 1st century: apparently convicted criminals were drafted in to play the part of Orpheus. Needless to say, there were no encores. It is likely that such an event is shown here. Estimate: 1500 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: mosaico raffigurante  una venatio, o caccia agli animali selvatici, Piazza Armerina

Modificato 14 Giugno, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 16	Auction date: 22 May 2021
Lot number: 3167 Price realized: 460 CHF   (Approx. 512 USD / 420 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: ASIA MINOR. Uncertain. 2nd-3rd centuries. Tessera (Lead, 17 mm, 2.26 g). Two gladiators confronting each other; the one on the left holding a large rectangular shield, a crested helmet and a sword; the one on the right holding a spear. Apparently unpublished. Minor surface cracks, otherwise, good very fine. From a collection of lead tesserae from Asia Minor. Starting Price: 50 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: RILIEVO RAFFIGURANTE DEI GLADIATORI (COLOSSEO)

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 69 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Syracuse. Stater circa 278 under Pyrrhus, AV 8.55 g. Head of Athena r., wearing triple-crested Corinthian helmet, bowl decorated with pegasus, triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace; behind, owl and beneath neck truncation, A. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ – ΠYPPOY Nike alighting l., holding a wreath in her r. hand and a trophy in her l.; at her feet, on l., bucranium. BMC 1. Jameson 1124 (these dies). Gulbenkian 910 (this obverse die). Kraay-Hirmer pl. 151, 475 (these dies). AMB 522 (these dies). Buttrey, NC 1973, pl. 2, 42 (these dies). Extremely rare and among the finest specimens in private hands. An interesting and fascinating issue with a lovely portrait of excellent style and a finely engraved reverse composition. An unobtrusive mark on cheek and a small edge nick at nine o'clock on reverse, otherwise about extremely fine / extremely fine Ex Leu 42, Zurich, 1987, 214; Leu 52, 1991, 67 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero 342 sales. In 280 BC, Pyrrhus of Epirus accepted the request of Tarentum to defend it and the other cities of Magna Graecia from the expanding power of Rome. The Epirote king defeated the Romans at both at Herakleia (280 BC) and at Asculum (279 BC), but at such high cost that it became clear that if he continued to win battles in this way his army would soon be destroyed. In 278 BC, while considering his options, the Syracusans begged him to come and fight the Carthaginians who had always been at war with the Greek cities for control of Sicily. As a break from the problematic Roman war, Pyrrhos accepted this diversion and was so successful that by 277 BC he had all but driven the Carthaginians from the island and claimed the title of King of Sicily. All that remained was to expel the Punic garrison from Lilybaeum, but because of its location, the only way to do this was through a naval blockade. The only way to obtain the ships for the blockade was to obtain money from the Greek cities to build and man a proper fleet. When the cities balked at this necessity, Pyrrhus imposed his own garrisons. This development immediately destroyed the king's previous popularity in Sicily and the Greek cities began negotiating with the Carthaginians against him! Realizing that Sicily would be nothing but trouble to rule, Pyrrhus inflicted one further defeat on a new Punic army and then returned to Italy for a second round against the Romans. This stunning gold stater was struck at Syracuse in the context of Pyrrhos' wars against the Carthaginians. It is a true work of art in the way that it has taken the standard Athena and Nike types introduced by Alexander the Great in c. 334 BC and really run with them in terms of the high Hellenistic sculptural style and the manipulation of the details to be specific to Pyrrhus. Whereas a fairly stiff Nike usually proffers the laurel wreath of victory on traditional Alexandrine staters, here she holds the oak wreath of Zeus. This is a specific reference to the Epirote kingdom and its famous oracular shrine of Zeus at Dodona. Other issues struck at Syracuse during Pyrrhus' Sicilian campaigns also feature reverse types surrounded by oak wreaths as an allusion to their connection to the king of Epirus. Likewise, while Nike usually carries a stylus indicative of naval victory on Alexandrine staters, here she carries a trophy that directly refers to Pyrrhus' Italian campaign. The trophy includes a distinctive oblong shield which can hardly be anything but the scutum shield regularly used by Roman soldiers ever since they adopted it from the Gauls in the fourth century BC. The obverse head of Athena also represents an artistic leap forward from the basic design of Alexander's staters, with increased modelling of the face and the addition of new details, like the tiny owl behind her head and the hound decorating the bowl of her helmet. As with the modifications to the Alexandrine reverse type, the hound also represents a means of advertising Pyrrhus and his Epirote origin. The helmet of Athena on standard Alexandrine staters is usually decorated with a coiled serpent, a griffin, sphinx, or bird, but here we find a hound. This almost certainly refers to the Epirote district of Molossis, which was famous for the hunting dogs bred there. Estimate: 60000 CHF

Modificato 14 Giugno, 2021 da King John

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 124	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 84 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Alexander III, 336 – 323 and posthumous issues. Decadrachm of 5 shekels, Babylon circa 327, AR 40.08 g. Alexander on Bucephalus facing r., spearing at a mahout and his master seated on an Indian elephant retreating r.; the mahout and master look back towards Alexander, the latter grasps the end of Alexander's sarissa with his r. hand, the former brandishes a spear in his r. hand above his head while holding two further spears in his l. hand; above, [Ξ]. Rev. Alexander standing l. in military attire, wearing plumed Phrygian (?) helmet and holding a thunderbolt in his r. hand and a sarissa in his l.; above, Nike flies r. to crown him. In lower l. field AB ligate. BMC 61 and pl. XXII, 18. Price, Circulation at Babylon in 323 B.C. in Mnemata: Papers in Memory of Nancy M. Waggoner, p. 70, 12 and pl. 15, 12 (this coin illustrated). Price, The Poros coinage of Alexander the Great, a Symbol of Concord and Community, in Studia Paolo Naster Oblata, pp. 75-6, OA/Rc. Mitchiner Type 21. Dürr, Neues aus Babylonien, SM 94, May 1974, p. 36, 1. Exceedingly rare, ten specimens known of which only five are in private hands. An issue of tremendous importance and fascination, of which this is undoubtedly one of the finest specimens known. Areas of weakness, but unusually clear and complete and with an unusually metal good for the issue. Good very fine Ex New York sale XXVII, 2012, Prospero 304. Privately purchased from Spink & Son 15 July 1989. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great and his army entered the Indian subcontinent and made war on a regional Punjabi king named Porus. At the Battle of the Hydaspes River (327 BC), the Macedonian army faced the Indian forces of Porus and his war elephants-terrifying creatures that no Macedonian or Greek in Alexander's army had ever seen or faced in battle before. However, despite the fear inspired by the elephants and the deadly accuracy of Porus' archers, Alexander's army won the day. Respecting the bravery and fighting spirit of Porus, Alexander appointed him as a local satrap to govern the region on his behalf. Alexander then continued the exploration and attempted conquest of India despite the increasing misgivings of his men. At last, in 325 BC, the army finally mutinied near the Ganges River and forced him to begin the long and grueling westward march home. This extremely rare coin, one of the so-called "Porus medallions", is thought to have been struck as a form of commemorative donative paid out to the army after the return from India. The apparent use of the shekel weight standard has led to the conclusion that the coinage was produced at Babylon or possibly Susa while the specifically Indian and martial types may have been intended to remind recipients of their former glory in the East at a time when the army was tiring of Alexander's campaigns and desirous of returning home to Macedonia. In 324 BC, the army mutinied again at Opis in Babylonia and demanded that Alexander begin demobilizing his loyal and long-serving veterans. The present piece-the largest denomination in the "Porus medallion" series-features remarkable types that are completely new for Greek coinage. The obverse seems to represent a remarkable duel between Alexander, charging right on the back of his famous steed Boukephalos, and Porus riding on the back of an elephant with an attendant. Alexander spears the attendant in the back while Porus turns to attack him. What is most interesting about this type, in addition to the fact that it is one of the earliest numismatic representations of an elephant, is that the duel shown here never seems to have taken place. The type, especially when read in connection with the reverse showing Alexander crowned by Nike, implies a direct victory over Porus in personal combat. However, none of the ancient historians, including Arrian, Curtius, or Plutarch ever suggest that any sort of duel like this ever took place. Instead, they report that Alexander fought alongside his own cavalry, but also watched Porus fight with admiration, frequently sending messengers to ask him to surrender in the hope that the Indian king would not realize his plan to die in battle. In the end, Porus did surrender, but not because he had been defeated personally by the Macedonian king, but because he was conquered by thirst and exhaustion. In short, the type is really puffed up propaganda for Alexander's greatness. The reverse depicts the full figure image of Alexander the Great fully armed and armored for battle and crowned by Nike. This is the first unequivocal portrait of the famous Macedonian king on a coin (there still remains much doubt as to whether the image of Herakles on his imperial tetradrachms was considered to represent Alexander during his lifetime), but even here he is shown as something more than a mere mortal. He is elevated to the level of Zeus, the supreme god of the Olympian pantheon, by the placement of a thunderbolt in his hand. The type seems to advertise Alexander not only as a world conqueror, but as a conqueror of the universe extending even into the realm of the gods. The type appears to be related to a lost painting of "Alexander wielding a thunderbolt" executed by the court painter Apelles. Estimate: 300000 CHF Illustrazione: scena tratta dal film "Alexander", regia di Oliver Stone

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 125	Auction date: 23 June 2021
Lot number: 419 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: C. Piso L.f. Frugi. Denarius 61, AR 3.93 g. Head of Apollo r., wearing taenia; behind, stand surmounted by ring. Rev. Horseman galloping r., wearing conical hat, holding palm frond and reins; above, wing and in exergue, C PISO L FR[V]. Babelon Calpurnia 24a. Sydenham 847. RBW –. Hersh 397. Crawford 408/1b. Wonderful iridescent tone and good extremely fine Ex Leu Fixed price list 19, 1984, 83. Graded Ch Au Strike 5/5 Surface 4/5, NGC certification number 4282926-008. Estimate: 750 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: IL CALCIATORE KEVIN MBABU DELLA NAZIONALE SVIZZERA CON LA SUA ACCONCIATURA "APOLLINEA"

Modificato 16 Giugno, 2021 da King John

[King John]

NUMISMATICA ARS CLASSICA NAC, Auction 114, lot 907, 6/05/2019

Constantius II, 337 – 361. Medallion 350, Æ 18.19 g. D N CONSTAN – TIVS P F AVG Laurel and rosette-diademed bust l., wearing imperial mantle and chlamys; raising r. hand. Rev. VICTORIA – AVGVSTORVM Constantius II in military dress and chlamys standing r., holding spear in his l. hand, head turned l. towards Victory standing l., head turned r., placing her l. arm around the emperor's shoulders; she holds palm branch in her r. hand. C 238. Gnecchi I, 35 and pl. 137, 5. W. Froehner, Les Médallions de l'Empire Romain depuis le règne de Auguste jusqu'à Priscus Attale, p. 309. P. Bastien, Le Buste monétaire des empereurs romains, Numismatique romaine 19, pp. 559–572, pl. 190, 7. RIC 409. M.-M. Bendenoun, Coins of the Ancient World, A portrait of the JDL Collection, Tradart, 2009, 89 (this coin).
Extremely rare. A spectacular medallion, work of a very skilled master-engraver.
An unusual portrait in the finest style of the period and an interesting reverse
composition. Perfectly struck and centred on a very large flan, lovely
green patina with some minor areas of corrosion on
obverse, otherwise extremely fine
Ex M&M 76, 1991, 912; New York III, 2000, 788 and NAC-Tradart 79, 2014, 45 (illustrated on the front cover page) sales.
The dating of late Roman medallions is especially difficult since they rarely have inscriptions with precise chronological infor- mation. This undated medallion of Constantius II is part of a close-knit group of pieces that Kent suggests was struck at the Rome mint in the first half of 350. The period is bracketed by Magnentius' overthrow of the Emperor Constans on January 18 and the short-lived counter-rebellion of Nepotian starting on June 3 of that same year. Though this medallion very likely was struck during Magnentius' occupation of Rome, the possibility that it was struck either soon before or soon after this eventful half-year cannot be dismissed. It would seem that many base metal medallions of this era were struck for festivities associated with the New Year and/or the assumption of the consulship early in January. Thus, the period of January 18 through June 3 would preclude those occasions. Even so, it was an eventful era with ample reasons for the issuance of medallions at irregular times. In Kent's group of January 19 to June 3 there was much sharing of reverse dies among the different issues. For example, Magnentius and Constantius II shared dies in this period for the issues RIC 404/405 and 406/407. Yet, medallions in this group are also die linked to ones attributed by Kent to earlier and later periods. Examples include one of Magnentius (RIC 414) that shares a reverse die with a medallion of Constans (RIC 394) attributed to the period 347 to January 19, 350, and the present issue of Constantius II (RIC 409) which is reverse die-linked with a medallion of Decentius (RIC 417) attributed to the period of Spring 351 through September 26, 352. The sharing of dies from both earlier and later periods demands caution in holding too strictly to any proposed chronology. Thus, the question thus remains: was this medallion issued before, du- ring, or after the first half of 350? If before that period the issuer would be Constans, if during, Magnentius, if soon afterward it may have been Nepotian or Magnentius. We might presume that throughout the political upheavals of the era the Rome mint continued to operate, striking at the behest of whoever was in power at the moment, and often using dies that had been prepared when the city had been under other authority. Thus, all that can be said with certainty is that this medallion was issued in the name of Constantius II, presumably in the year 350.