Le più belle rappresentazioni di guerrieri

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 120	Auction date: 6 October 2020
Lot number: 292
A Very Important Series of Coins of Syracuse mostly from a Distinguished European Collector Drachm unsigned work by Eukleidas circa 405-400, AR 4.15 g. [ΣΥ – Ρ – A – K] – OΣI – ΩN Head of Athena facing three-quarters l., wearing double-hook earring and necklace of acorn pendants with central medallion and triple-crested Attic helmet. On either side, a couple of dolphins snout to snout. Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙ - ΩΝ Naked Leukaspis advancing r., wearing crested helmet and holding spear in r. hand and oval shield in l.; sword suspended by strap over r. shoulder. In background l., square altar ornamented with garland, and to r., forepart of slain ram on its back. In exergue, [ΛEΥKAΣΠIΣ]. Rizzo pl. XLVII, 1 (these dies). Jameson 810 (these dies). SNG ANS 308 (these dies). Boehringer, Essays Thompson pl. 38, 6. Lacroix, Travaux Le Rider pl. 19, 10. Very rare. A coin of exquisite style. Lovely old cabinet tone and about extremely fine Ex NAC sale 54, 2010, 59. This coin is sold with an export licence issued by the Republic of Italy. Estimate: 6000 CHF

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX, Lot 115	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Crete, Aptera AR Stater. Signed by Pythodoros. Circa 4th century BC. Α[ΠΤAΡΑΙΩΝ] around head of Artemis Aptera to right, with hair elaborately curled upwards around a stephane ornamented with palmettes; she wears an elaborate crescent and solar-disk pendant earring with three drops and a pearl necklace; to right in smaller letters the artist's signature: ΠΥΘΟΔΟΡΟΥ / Warrior hero Apteros, called Ptolioikos, standing facing, his bearded head left, wearing crested helmet and cuirass, holding in his left hand a spear and shield decorated with a sunburst, his right is raised towards a sacred fir tree in left field; ΠΤΟΛΙΟΙΚΟΣ around. Le Rider, Monnaies crétoises, p. 36, 269-70, pl. 9, 11-12; Svoronos, Crète, p. 15, pl. 1, 10 (same dies); BMC 1, pl. 2, 3 (same dies); BMFA Suppl. 108 (same dies); LIMC VII/1, p. 588, VII/2, sv. Ptolioikos 2 (same rev. die); for the engraver's signature see L. Forrer, Notes sur les signatures de graveurs sur les monnaies grecques, Bruxelles 1906, pp. 277-284. 11.78g, 24mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine; beautiful old cabinet tone. Extremely Rare; of exceptionally fine style and quality, and among the finest of the very few known examples of this great rarity of Cretan coinage. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction IX, 22 March 2015, lot 261 (hammer: £55,000); Ex Eckenheimer Collection, formed in Germany between c. 1940-1980. The stunningly beautiful obverse female portrait is that of Artemis Aptera (or Aptara as inscribed on the coins, a local form of the Cretan Artemis Diktynna), the patron goddess of the city. Before her image in small characters proudly appears the name of the artist Pythodoros, a master die-engraver who also worked at Polyrhenion on the equally beautifully styled female head which has been defined as that of Britomartis, 'sweet maiden' in the Cretan dialect. Also identified as Artemis Diktynna, Britomartis in Cretan myth was caught in a fisherman's net (diktyon) while trying to escape the advances of Poseidon, and was the subject of several Cretan coin types inspired by a statue then attributed to Daedalos, who was reputed to be the father of Cretan art (cf. Le Rider pp. 114-6, 3-6 pl. 28, 19-38; Svoronos 15-16, pl. 26, 4-5; Traité pl. 261, 25; BMC 1-2). Both images are very much influenced by the Sicilian school of die engraving as epitomised by the celebrated artists such as Kimon, Phrygillos, Eukleidas, Euainetos and Eumenes. The reverse type is of no less mythological and historic interest; the warrior in question is Apteros, called Ptolioikos, a title literally meaning 'dweller in the city'. He is shown saluting a tree, a scene which can be interpreted as a rendering of what must surely be a now lost myth concerning the oikistes or founder of the city. The fine remains of the ancient polis of Aptera or Aptara (IACP 947), the modern Palaiokastro, are situated near the Minoan site of Megala Chorapia on the south side of Suda Bay, the safest anchorage in Crete throughout Greek, Venetian and Ottoman times, and which is today an important NATO naval base. Eusebius informs us that the city was founded by an eponymous hero, Apteros in the year 1503 BC (Chronicon 44c). The first historical mention of Aptera dates from the 7th century BC when a contingent of archers is reported to have fought along with Spartans in the war against Messene (Pausanius, Description of Greece IV 20, 8). Various attemps in antiquity were made to explain the city's name: notably, that it was the site of the song contest of the Muses and Sirens. In this story the latter lost their wings in a fight that ensued after their defeat (Stephen of Byzantium sv. Aptera; 'aptera' = 'wingless'). The city's name most likely derives from one of the epithets of Artemis, Aπτερα (cf. Inscriptionis Cretae 2), similar to that of the statue in the temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis at Athens, which later took on the name of Nike Apteros, meaning 'wingless' Nike. From the fourth century BC Aptera produced coins on the Aiginetan weight standard, but by later Hellenistic times it gradually declined in favour of its powerful neighbour Kydonia and was finally absorbed by Rome in 67 BC. Estimate: 40000 GBP

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX, Lot 115	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Crete, Aptera AR Stater. Signed by Pythodoros. Circa 4th century BC. Α[ΠΤAΡΑΙΩΝ] around head of Artemis Aptera to right, with hair elaborately curled upwards around a stephane ornamented with palmettes; she wears an elaborate crescent and solar-disk pendant earring with three drops and a pearl necklace; to right in smaller letters the artist's signature: ΠΥΘΟΔΟΡΟΥ / Warrior hero Apteros, called Ptolioikos, standing facing, his bearded head left, wearing crested helmet and cuirass, holding in his left hand a spear and shield decorated with a sunburst, his right is raised towards a sacred fir tree in left field; ΠΤΟΛΙΟΙΚΟΣ around. Le Rider, Monnaies crétoises, p. 36, 269-70, pl. 9, 11-12; Svoronos, Crète, p. 15, pl. 1, 10 (same dies); BMC 1, pl. 2, 3 (same dies); BMFA Suppl. 108 (same dies); LIMC VII/1, p. 588, VII/2, sv. Ptolioikos 2 (same rev. die); for the engraver's signature see L. Forrer, Notes sur les signatures de graveurs sur les monnaies grecques, Bruxelles 1906, pp. 277-284. 11.78g, 24mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine; beautiful old cabinet tone. Extremely Rare; of exceptionally fine style and quality, and among the finest of the very few known examples of this great rarity of Cretan coinage. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction IX, 22 March 2015, lot 261 (hammer: £55,000); Ex Eckenheimer Collection, formed in Germany between c. 1940-1980. The stunningly beautiful obverse female portrait is that of Artemis Aptera (or Aptara as inscribed on the coins, a local form of the Cretan Artemis Diktynna), the patron goddess of the city. Before her image in small characters proudly appears the name of the artist Pythodoros, a master die-engraver who also worked at Polyrhenion on the equally beautifully styled female head which has been defined as that of Britomartis, 'sweet maiden' in the Cretan dialect. Also identified as Artemis Diktynna, Britomartis in Cretan myth was caught in a fisherman's net (diktyon) while trying to escape the advances of Poseidon, and was the subject of several Cretan coin types inspired by a statue then attributed to Daedalos, who was reputed to be the father of Cretan art (cf. Le Rider pp. 114-6, 3-6 pl. 28, 19-38; Svoronos 15-16, pl. 26, 4-5; Traité pl. 261, 25; BMC 1-2). Both images are very much influenced by the Sicilian school of die engraving as epitomised by the celebrated artists such as Kimon, Phrygillos, Eukleidas, Euainetos and Eumenes. The reverse type is of no less mythological and historic interest; the warrior in question is Apteros, called Ptolioikos, a title literally meaning 'dweller in the city'. He is shown saluting a tree, a scene which can be interpreted as a rendering of what must surely be a now lost myth concerning the oikistes or founder of the city. The fine remains of the ancient polis of Aptera or Aptara (IACP 947), the modern Palaiokastro, are situated near the Minoan site of Megala Chorapia on the south side of Suda Bay, the safest anchorage in Crete throughout Greek, Venetian and Ottoman times, and which is today an important NATO naval base. Eusebius informs us that the city was founded by an eponymous hero, Apteros in the year 1503 BC (Chronicon 44c). The first historical mention of Aptera dates from the 7th century BC when a contingent of archers is reported to have fought along with Spartans in the war against Messene (Pausanius, Description of Greece IV 20, 8). Various attemps in antiquity were made to explain the city's name: notably, that it was the site of the song contest of the Muses and Sirens. In this story the latter lost their wings in a fight that ensued after their defeat (Stephen of Byzantium sv. Aptera; 'aptera' = 'wingless'). The city's name most likely derives from one of the epithets of Artemis, Aπτερα (cf. Inscriptionis Cretae 2), similar to that of the statue in the temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis at Athens, which later took on the name of Nike Apteros, meaning 'wingless' Nike. From the fourth century BC Aptera produced coins on the Aiginetan weight standard, but by later Hellenistic times it gradually declined in favour of its powerful neighbour Kydonia and was finally absorbed by Rome in 67 BC. Estimate: 40000 GBP

Illustrazione: Ancient Greek gold earrings 330-300 BCE The Hermitage Museum

 

 

Modificato 21 Settembre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 120	Auction date: 6 October 2020
Lot number: 730
Titus caesar, 69 – 79 Sestertius 72, Æ 26.76 g. T CAES VESPASIAN IMP PON TR POT COS II Laureate head r. Rev. S – C Titus on horseback r., spearing fallen Jewish soldier clutching sword and shield. C 236. BMC Vespasian 634. RIC Vespasian 430. CBN Vespasian 622. Hendin 1524. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, possibly the finest specimen in private hands of this interesting and difficult issue of the Judean series. A portrait of superb style and an incredibly detailed reverse composition. Lovely brown tone, minor areas of weakness and an insignificant area of corrosion on reverse field, otherwise extremely fine When Vespasian was acclaimed Emperor by the eastern legions on July 1, AD 69, he left his son Titus in command of ongoing operations to repress the Jewish Revolt (AD 66-73). Like his father, Titus was a skilled general and by April AD 70 had forced the rebels and many civilians to seek safety behind the walls of Jerusalem. These he placed under a close siege that dragged on for four months and brought the defenders to extremities of starvation. At last, in August, the forces under Titus stormed the city and set it ablaze along with the Temple. Although mopping up operations against surviving rebel elements continued in Judaea until AD 73, Titus traveled to Rome in AD 71 to celebrate a formal triumph alongside his father and his brother Domitian. Vespasian had destroyed his rivals in AD 69 and upon becoming sole Emperor had named Titus as Caesar. The Roman victory over the Jewish rebels subsequently became a keystone of the numismatic propaganda deployed on coins struck by both Vespasian and Titus. The reverse of this sestertius belongs to this Flavian propaganda program in its depiction of Titus on horseback riding down a fallen Jewish rebel. The mounted Roman ruler slaying his fallen enemies was a standard image used to advertise the ruler as a great warrior that continued in use on Roman imperial coins down to the fourth century. The message of Vespasians type was so clear that no associated inscription is provided except for the abbreviated senatus consultum authorizing the issue. Hendin has attempted to associate the type with an anecdote told by Josephus (BJ 5.2), in which Titus is said to have fought his way out of a Jewish ambush under divine protection and "rode his horse over the fallen foes". However, the image on the sestertius seems to be intended to present a more general image of Titus as warrior rather than to record a specific incident. Josephus explicitly says that when ambushed Titus had been reconnoitering the defenses of Jerusalem and therefore "wore neither helmet nor cuirass". The mounted Titus on the reverse of this wonderfully preserved sestertius clearly shows him wearing a cuirass. Rather than the story in Josephus, the reverse type is far more likely to represent a statue group erected in Rome to honor Titus for his triumph. Estimate: 25000 CHF

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 179
Ionia, Magnesia ad Maeandrum AR Oktobol. Euphemos, son of Pausianias, magistrate. Circa 150-140 BC. Warrior, holding couched lance in right hand, on horse rearing to right; Δ (mark of value) below / Bull butting to left, MAΓNHTΩN above, EYΦHMΟΣ ΠAYΣANΙΟΥ in exergue; all within circular maeander patterned border. Kinns, Two 17 (O15/R5) = NFA XIII, lot 865 (same dies); CNG E-431, lot 198 (same dies); otherwise unpublished. 5.54g, 23mm, 12h. Mint State. Extremely Rare - Kinns notes only the NFA example, and only four others are present in CoinArchives. Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group. This magistrate was also responsible for the until recently entirely unknown issue of gold staters that bear the bust of Artemis on the obverse and Nike in quadriga on the reverse. The reason for such an extraordinary output of coinage in the mid-second century at both Magnesia and at Ephesos is uncertain, but may relate to the regional conflicts between the kingdoms of Pergamon, Bithynia and Cappadocia in the 150s BC. Estimate: 1750 GBP

[King John]

Editions V. Gadoury > Coin Auction 2020	Auction date: 30 October 2020
Lot number: 174
Caracalla 211-217 Aureus, Rome, 205, AU 6.96 g. Avers : ANTONINVS PIVS AVG Buste lauré, drapé et cuirassé à droite Revers : PONTIF TR P VIII COS II Mars debout à gauche, avec un manteau, tenant un rameau de son bras droit et une lance de son bras gauche, le pied droit sur un casque. Ref : Cal. 2777 (S3), C. 419, RIC 80a Conservation : rayure NGC AU 5/5 - 3/5. Rare Starting Price: 10000 EUR ILLUSTRAZIONE: STATUETTA MODERNA RAFFIGURANTE IL DIO MARTE

Modificato 22 Settembre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 241
Satraps of Karia, Pixodaros AR Didrachm. Halikarnassos, circa 341/0-336/5 BC. Laureate head of Apollo facing, turned slightly to right / Zeus Labraundos standing to right, holding double-axe (labrys) over shoulder and and lotus-tipped sceptre; ΠIΞΩΔAPOY to right. SNG Copenhagen 597; SNG Kayhan 891; SNG Von Aulock 2375-6; Pixodarus -. 6.90g, 20mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine; beautiful old cabinet tone. Very Rare; struck from what are undoubtedly the finest dies for the issue. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction II, 2 October 2011, lot 305 (sold for £7,000); Ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 195, 7 March 2011, lot 248. From 395 to 334 BC the rulers of Caria were members of the family of Hekatomnos of Mylasa, whose sons Maussolos, Idrieos and Pixodaros all succeeded him in their turn. Pixodaros as the youngest, was the last member of the family to rule Caria, and but for the indignant interference of Philip II of Macedon, would have given the hand of his daughter in marriage to Alexander III. This piece, which is perhaps the work of the same engraver that created the dies for a magnificent tetradrachm (Triton XII, January 2009, lot 325) far surpasses its contemporary issues in terms of artistic merit. Apollo here has well-defined and handsome features; the artist no doubt took inspiration from the facing tetradrachms of Amphipolis and Rhodes that had been produced only a few years earlier. Neither this obverse die nor that of the aforementioned tetradrachm were represented in the Pixodarus hoard of 1978, whose burial date has been deduced to be 341 or 340 at the latest, implying that these coins were later works of a talented artist active in the middle or latter part of Pixodaros' reign. Estimate: 3000 GBP

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 119 with Jesús Vico S.A.	Auction date: 6 October 2020
Lot number: 53
Hadrian augustus, 117 – 138 Aureus 117, AV 7.25 g. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN – HADRIANVS AVG Laureate and draped bust r. seen from front, fold of cloak on l. shoulder and sword belt around neck and across breast. Rev. P M TR P C – OS DES II Radiate and draped bust of Sol r.; below, ORIENS. C 1004. BMC p. 242, *. RIC 20 = RIC II, 87 (these dies). Calicó 1297 (these dies). Rare. Struck on a large flan and complete, minor marks on reverse, otherwise about extremely fine Privately purchased from Herrero in 1989. This coin is sold with an export licence issued by the government of Spain. Estimate: 7500 CHF ILLLUSTRAZIONE: IL DIO SOL INVICTUS, STAUETTA BRONZEA PROVENIENTE DAL BASSO EGITTO, II-III SECOLO D.C., MUSEO DEL LOUVRE

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 119
Lot description: Macedon, Akanthos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 470-430 BC. Bull collapsing to left, head raised, attacked and mauled by lion upon his back to right; tunny fish to left in exergue / ΑΚΑΝΘΙΟΝ around raised quadripartite square; all within incuse square. Desneux -, cf. 96 (O-/R85); SNG ANS -; HGC 3.1, 385. 17.14g, 30mm, 8h. Good Extremely Fine; in exceptional state of preservation, perfectly centred, and beautifully toned. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 77, 26 May 2014, lot 26; Ex David Walsh Collection, privately purchased in 2001; Ex Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 96, 7 June 1999, lot 93. The ubiquitous and persistent theme of the lion-bull combat can be traced back to the figurate art of the third millennium, where the geometrical motifs are replaced by narrative symbolic representations, and the scene is characteristic of Near Eastern art in its infancy. The earliest known depiction occurs on a ewer found at Uruk dated to the latter part of the Protoliterate period, circa 3300 BC. That ewer has a relief depiction of a lion attacking a bull from behind (see Henri Frankfort, Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient, 1963). The scene became widely distributed by 500 BC, featuring prominently in the Achaemenid Empire, and in particular at the palace of Darios in Persepolis, where it occurs no fewer than twenty seven times, including on the main staircase leading to the imperial complex. Its frequent appearance in key locations strongly suggests an important symbolic significance, which unfortunately has not survived antiquity in any explicitly clear form. Explanations for the symbolism and its power over the ancient peoples who reproduced it with prodigious enthusiasm have ranged from it being an expression of royal power, to an astronomical allusion, as well as it being an embodiment of the constant struggle between civilisation (represented by the domesticated bull) and nature (represented by the untameable lion). This latter argument may well hold true for the Mesopotamians of Uruk, who it is known took a rather grim view of the world, seeing it as a battleground of opposing powers. One interpretation that has gained traction in recent years is that the motif is apotropaic in nature, serving to ward off evil in a similar function to the gorgoneion, which like the lion attack motif is very prevalent in ancient Greek coinage, though there is little evidence to support such a notion. G. E. Markoe ('The Lion Attack in Archaic Greek Art', Classical Antiquity Vol. 8, 1, 1989) convincingly suggests that a more likely explanation may be found in the examination of archaic Greek epic poetry, particularly in Homeric literature, wherein a lion attacking cattle or sheep is repeatedly employed as a simile for the aggression and valour of combatant heroes. In notable passages, Agamemnon's victorious advance against the Trojans in the Iliad (11.113ff and 129) and Hektor's successful pursuit of the Achaeans (15.630ff) are both likened to a lion triumphing over its hapless prey. In both of these cases the allusion is completed by the defeated being compared to fleeing prey animals. In all, there are twenty five examples present in the Iliad of heroic warriors being compared to leonine aggressors, with the victims variously compared to boars, sheep, goats, bulls or deer. The repetition of this literary device is clearly demonstrative of how deeply rooted the imagery was in the Greek (and perhaps more generally human) consciousness. Of further and great significance is the involvement of the gods as the primary instigators of heroic leonine aggression in almost every case, and as it is made clear that the lion itself is an animal that is divinely directed to its prey (11.480, by a daimon), so then is the lion attack a metaphor for divinely inspired heroic triumph. Estimate: 17500 GBP

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 7	Auction date: 24 October 2020
Lot number: 1431
BITHYNIA. Prusa ad Olympum. Caracalla, 198-217. Diassarion (Orichalcum, 26 mm, 9.35 g, 1 h). AYT•K•M•AYP•ANTΩNINOC•CЄ KA• Laureate head of Caracalla to right. Rev. ΠPOYCAЄΩ/N Ajax the Telamonian, nude but for helmet and balteus, falling on his sword; before, pile of stones; on ground line, shield. RG 102. SNG Copenhagen 596 (same dies). SNG von Aulock 873 (same obverse die). Rare and very likely the finest known. An exceptional example of this interesting mythological type, beautifully struck and with a lovely olive green patina. Extremely fine. From a Swiss collection. The Telamonian Ajax was one of the main protagonists of the Trojan War: as the second-strongest warrior of the Greeks after his cousin Achilles, Ajax fought hard to recover the hero's body, but in the argument that followed, Achilles' body armor was not awarded to him, but to the eloquent Odysseus instead. Grievously offended, Ajax fell into a rage the following night, killing a flock of sheep which he imagined to be Odysseus and Agamemnon. Coming to his senses somewhat later, he found himself covered in the blood of the sheep and decided to commit suicide to wipe out his disgrace. Ajax fell on the sword he had received from Hektor in an exchange of presents, and from his blood sprang a red flower that bore on its leaves the initial letters of his name, AI, letters that were also a cry of lament. Estimate: 1000 CHF

ILLUSTRAZIONE: AIACE TELAMONIO SI SUICIDA GETTANDOSI SU UNA SPADA PIANTATA NELLA SABBIA

Quando, dopo la morte di Achille, non lui ma Ulisse viene giudicato il più degno di ricevere in consegna le armi dell'eroe, Aiace non sopporta l'affronto e medita di vendicarsi; ma la dea Atena gli toglie il senno. Sofocle descrive con tratti molto efficaci la sua follia. Aiace, impazzito, fa strage del bestiame dei Greci, credendo di uccidere Agamennone e Menelao responsabili dell'ingiusto verdetto, e mette in ceppi e frusta un montone, scambiandolo per Ulisse, l'odiato rivale. Solo quando ritorna in sé si rende conto del folle gesto compiuto: se ne vergogna, sente ormai irrimediabilmente compromessa la sua immagine di valente guerriero e teme il riso di scherno dei nemici. Decide allora di togliersi la vita: è l'unica possibilità che gli resta di salvare il suo onore. Invano Tecmessa, sua schiava e concubina, cerca di distoglierlo dal suicidio ricordandogli che morendo lascerebbe senza alcuna protezione il piccolo Eurisace, il figlio avuto da lei: l'eroe, con un discorso ingannatore, finge di cedere; si reca invece da solo sulla spiaggia e, piantata la spada sulla sabbia con la punta rivolta verso l'alto, vi si getta sopra. Dopo la sua morte Agamennone e Menelao vorrebbero negargli la sepoltura e neppure l'intervento di Teucro, fratellastro di Aiace, che ne ricorda le gesta di valore, riesce a smuoverli. È Ulisse, infine, con parole di umanità e di saggezza, a convincerli a rendere all'eroe adeguati onori funebri: Aiace era un uomo nobile e valoroso; lasciarlo insepolto recherebbe offesa non a lui, ma alle sacre leggi degli dei.

[VALTERI]

Forse già visti in questa sempre interessante discussione, 2 grandi guerrieri, Eracle ed il leone : da una attraente emidracma dei Tessali Oitaioi che passerà tra circa 1 mese in asta LEUNum. 6 al lotto 136 .

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 75	Auction date: 15 October 2020
Lot number: 871
Contans I Æ Centenionalis. Antioch, AD 347-348. D N CONSTANS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding globe / FEL TEMP REPARATIO, soldier advancing right, head left, holding spear, leading small figure from hut beneath tree; star in left field, ANS in exergue. RIC 128. 4.32g, 21mm, 11h. Extremely Fine. From a private North American collection. Estimate: 50 GBP

[King John]

Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger > Auction 427	Auction date: 4 November 2020
Lot number: 258
Lot description: Hypoknemidische Lokris Opous Hemidrachme ca. 300 v. Chr. Kopf der Demeter / Heros Aias mit Schwert und Schild, zwischen seinen Beinen Monogramm, rechts kleines Tropaion. HGC -; Humphris / Delbridge 368; Slg. BCD 103 (Avers stempelgleich). 2.72 g.; Feine Tönung Selten Fast vorzüglich Ex Slg. Graeculus und Auctiones 26, 1996, 157. Estimate: 500 EUR

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 75	Auction date: 15 October 2020
Lot number: 342
Lot description: Pisidia, Isinda Æ19. Dated CY 19 = 7/6 BC(?). Laureate head of Zeus right / Warrior on horse galloping right, preparing to hurl spear at serpent below; ICIN below, ΘI(date) behind. DCA 549; SNG Copenhagen 162; von Aulock Pisidiens 669-71; SNG France -. 4.14g, 19mm, 6h. Good Very Fine. Very Rare. From the inventory of a European dealer. Estimate: 75 GBP

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 71	Auction date: 28 May 2020
Lot number: 803 Price realized: 600 GBP   (Approx. 739 USD / 669 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Q. Minucius Thermus M. f. AR Denarius. Rome, 103 BC. Helmeted head of Mars left / Two warriors in combat, one on left protecting a fallen comrade; Q•THERM•MF (ligate) in exergue. Crawford 319/1; BMCRR Italy 653-6; RSC Minucia 19; RBW 1174. 3.89g, 19mm, 9h. Mint State; perfectly centred, attractive light cabinet tone with an underlying mint lustre. From the Andrew McCabe Collection; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 106, 9 May 2018, lot 393; This coin records the brave deeds of the moneyer's ancestor and namesake, Quintus Minucius Q. f. L. n. Thermus who was elected consul in 193 and assigned Liguria as his province. From his base in Pisa, he waged war against the Ligurians. His command was extended for the following year, during which time he defeated the Ligurian forces near Pisa. He remained as proconsul in Liguria for 191–190. During this time it appears that he may have won the distinction of the corona civica, the second highest military award to which a Roman could aspire, by saving the life of a fellow citizen in battle through slaying an enemy on a spot not further held by the enemy army that day - this act being depicted on the reverse. He may also have been the same Thermus who served as military tribune under Scipio in North Africa in 202 BC. Appian relates that about this time there was a cavalry engagement between the forces of Hannibal and those of Scipio near Zama, in which the latter had the advantage. On the succeeding days they had sundry skirmishes until Scipio, learning that Hannibal was very short of supplies and was expecting a convoy, sent the military tribune, [Quintus Minucius] Thermus, by night to attack the supply train. Thermus took a position on the crest of a hill at a narrow pass, where he killed 4,000 Africans, took as many more prisoners, and brought the supplies to Scipio. Estimate: 400 GBP

[King John]

Stack's and Kroisos Collections, lot 2263, 14/01/2008

BYBLOS. Phoenicia. 'Addirmilk, 348-334/3 B.C.
Dishekel. Three hoplites, holding shields, standing on galley l. on waves, prow ending in lion's head; below hippocamp l. above murex. Rv. Lion l. attacking bull. 13.21 grams. Betlyon 18 var. Dark tone. Well struck both sides. Extremely Fine. (3,000-4,000)
Although a city of great antiquity, the earliest coinage of Byblos, struck by a succession of local kings, dates only from the mid-5th century B.C. until the conquest of Alexander the Great.
From the Lawrence R. Stack Collection of Ancient Greek Coins.

 

Modificato 5 Ottobre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 120	Auction date: 6 October 2020
Lot number: 871
Lot description: Julian II augustus, 360 – 363 The Festival of Isis Faria. Æ4, 4th century AD, Æ 1.06 g. DEO SA – RAPIDI Facing bust of Sol-Serapis Rev. VOTA PV – BLICA The god Nile leaning l. on urn, holding a little ship and a reed-stalk. C 132. Alföldi 176. Very rare. Dark tone and good very fine Estimate: 750 CHF

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 180
Lot description: Ionia, Miletos AR Drachm. Circa 205 BC. Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly right / Lion standing left, head reverted; in left upper field, MI monogram over ME monogram; in right upper field, sun-burst; in exergue, [M]ENANΔΡ[ΟΣ]. Unpublished in the standard references, for magistrates' name cf. P. Kinns, 'The Coinage of Miletos', in NC 1986 p. 255 note 59 and Giessener Münzhandlung 90, 330 (hemidrachm); for type cf. Deppert-Lippitz 633-4 (hemidrachms); cf. Roma Numismatics E-Sale 26, 212 (hemidrachm); for dating cf. P Kinns, Milesian Notes in Opuscula Anatolica II, 2003, pp.11-12. 5.35g, 20mm, 1h. Extremely Fine. Unique and unpublished, save for its previous auction appearance, and of great numismatic importance. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XI, 7 April 2016, lot 298; Ex private German collection. This beautiful drachm of Miletos represents a remarkable break with the city's century and a half old tradition of issuing silver coinage with a profile head of Apollo. While a facing-Apollo head had been employed at Miletos from c. 260 BC for bronze issues that would retain the same types (facing Apollo, and lion standing with head reverted) through to the end of the series c. 200 BC, prior to the publication of this coin in Roma Numismatics XI, the facing-Apollo series was known in silver only from the extremely rare hemidrachm denomination (surviving in only seven examples). These hemidrachms were assessed by P. Kinns (Opuscula Anatolica II, 2003, Milesian notes, pp.11-12) as being struck at a higher than usual weight (2.53g - 2.82g, compared to an average of 2.35g - 2.53g for the 'regular' profile head issues), corresponding to an earlier standard in use around 260-250 BC. He furthermore observes that this higher weight standard was quickly abandoned in favour of a return to lighter profile-head coins. This unique drachm confirms the higher weight standard briefly used, as it equates to 2 hemidrachms of 2.68g, which is precisely as expected given the mean weight of the surviving specimens. The circumstance for the striking of the facing-Apollo silver coins, which are contemporary with the final group of middle-denomination facing-Apollo bronzes, may be found in the Cretan War of 205-200 BC. The Macedonians under Philip V had just concluded a favourable treaty with Rome following the First Macedonian War, but undertook not to expand further westwards; while Rome preoccupied itself with Carthage then, Philip looked east and resolved to seize control of the Greek world. Having defeated the Kingdom of Pergamon and allied with the Aetolian League and several of the major Cretan cities, the only serious power that opposed Philip was the city-state of Rhodes and its allies. Despite Rhodes and its allies having dealt the Macedonian navy near crippling losses in the Battle of Chios in 201, Philip was not defeated and shifted his attention to Karia. Rhodes' fleet had repositioned to the strait between Lade and in order to block the approach to Miletos - the most likely Macedonian objective, and the door to Karia and Rhodes' own mainland territories, however the Rhodian fleet accepted an engagement at a numerical disadvantage and this time were defeated in short order. Polybius (The Histories, XVI.15) relates that "the Milesians, in great alarm at what had happened... voted a crown to Philip for his brilliant attack", and the city fell under Macedonian control. Though the historical sources for this conflict are sparse, Miletos had long maintained a close relationship with the Ptolemies, as had Rhodes, and with Miletos being located in close proximity to the Rhodian Peraia (the mainland territories controlled and colonised by Rhodes), it is safe to infer that if the city was not in fact allied to Rhodes prior to 201 BC, it was at least sympathetic to its neighbour. Even if Philip's intentions were not clear to the Milesians at the outbreak of war, or even after he had captured and razed Kios and Myrleia, sacked Thasos and enslaved its people after having given them assurances of safety, they would certainly have understood his designs when in the winter of 203/2 he formed an alliance with Antiochos III of the Seleukid Empire in which Antiochos promised to help Philip take control of Ionia, as well as Kyrene and the Cyclades. It is highly likely then, given also that this coin is struck to a weight standard matching that of the contemporary Rhodian coinage, that this issue was a short-lived product of the Cretan War, discontinued after the city's capitulation to Philip. Estimate: 7500 GBP

ILLUSTRAZIONE: bronze head of Apollo, original Hellenistic statue, found in the waters of the Gulf of Salerno in 1930; Museo Archeologico di Salerno

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 387
Lot description: Anonymous AR Didrachm (Quadrigatus). South Italy (Neapolis?), 300-276 BC. Bearded head of Mars left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet; oak spray behind / Head of bridled horse right, [R]OMANO inscribed on base; stalk of grain behind. Crawford 13/1; BMCRR Romano-Campanian 1; HN Italy 266. 6.88g, 20mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine; old cabinet tone. From the inventory of a UK dealer. This beautiful aureus of Octavian is notable for its unusual depiction of Victory on the reverse. This was the first time an image of Victory in this style had been used on the Roman coinage, and its introduction at this particular point in time is significant. Following his victory at Actium, Octavian was necessarily striking considerable quantities of coinage to pay the demobilised soldiers of both sides. Never one to waste an opportunity to deploy symbolism appropriate to the moment, the reverse type of this coin is an emotionally, historically and politically charged emblem: portraying the gold statue of the goddess Victory, this coin (like the monument it represented) was a tangible visual reminder of Rome's great past as well as her aspirations for the future. The statue depicted is that of the Nike of Tarentum, originally commissioned by the Hellenistic King Pyrrhus of Epirus nearly two and a half centuries earlier and erected to celebrate his initial victory against the Roman Republic. The statue was likely removed to Rome in 209 BC when the city was retaken in the Second Punic War. The spoils plundered from Syracuse two years earlier had evoked an appreciation of Greek art and fuelled a hunger for the ornaments of other conquered cities (Livy, History of Rome, XXV.40.2; Plutarch, Life of Marcellus, XXI.3-4). Tarentum was thus duly stripped of all its portable statues and paintings, denuded of its adornments save only the largest of monuments that could not be moved. In 29 BC Octavian dedicated the Altar of Victory in the Curia, the Roman Senate House, decorated with the spoils of Egypt and surmounted by this statue "thus signifying that it was from her that he had received the empire" (Cassius Dio, Roman History, LI.22.1). As C.H.V Sutherland notes, this also neatly avoided directly referencing Actium, whose "memory was always involved with that of Antony and the horrors of civil war". The Altar of Victory became the place where senators were to burn incense and pour a libation of wine before taking their seats (Suetonius, Life of Augustus, XXXV.3) and where they would annually offer prayers for the welfare of the empire and where they took their oaths and pledged themselves on the accession of new emperors. More than simply rich decoration, the statue and its accompanying altar were to become "one of the most vital links between the Roman state and Roman religion. It was eventually removed from the Curia by the Christian emperor Constantius II in 357 and though later restored, removed and restored again "the fate of the Altar and Statue of Victory was finally sealed by the law of 408 against heathen statues" writes J.J. Sheridan (The Altar of Victory-Paganism's Last Battle, 1966) citing Codex Theodosianus XVI, 10, 19. Estimate: 3000 GBP ILLUSTRAZIONE: TESTA DI MARTE, OPERA DI FATTURA ROMANA I SECOLO D.C.

Modificato 7 Ottobre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 92	Auction date: 2 October 2020
Lot number: 468 Price realized: To Be Posted
Lot description: Kings of Paeonia, Patraos (c. 335-315 BC); AR Tetradrachm (g 12,63; mm 25; h 12). Laureate head of Apollo r.; Rv. [ΠΑΤΡ]ΑΟΥ, Warrior on horse rearing r., spearing enemy who defends with shield and spear; helmet (or omphalos?) behind horse's rear legs. Paeonian Hoard 217; AMNG III/2, 5 var. (symbol); SNG ANS 1032 var. (same). Good very fine Starting Price: 40 GBP

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 7	Auction date: 24 October 2020
Lot number: 1728
Lot description: Constantine I, 307/310-337. Argenteus (Billon, 18 mm, 2.21 g, 6 h), Treveri, 310-313. IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG Helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantine I to left, holding spear over his right shoulder and pugio in his left hand. Rev. VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP / PTR Two victories holding shield inscribed VOT / PR over altar. Cohen 643. RIC - (cf. 208A: Follis). Lustrous and very attractive. The reverse struck from a slightly worn die, otherwise, virtually as struck. Estimate: 250 CHF

[King John]

Davissons, Ltd. > E-Auction 36	Auction date: 26 August 2020
Lot number: 24 Price realized: 275 USD   (Approx. 233 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: SICILY. Tauromenion. Campanian mercenaries. 354-344 B.C. Æ onkia. 2.25 gm. 13 mm. Campanian helmet right, decorated with griffin / Monogram within laurel wreath. Campana (Kampanoi) 3. CNS III, 2. SNG ANS -. HGC 2, 1608. Good Very Fine; dark brown and green patina with earthen highlights. A particularly fine example. Rare. (Cf. lot 21, the Mamertinoi in Messana) The tyrants of Sicily had always employed mercenaries, often hired in Campania and Central Italy. In a land famed for its sweeping landscapes–ideal for the breeding of strong horses–the emergent Campanian nobility developed their renowned cavalry. Carrying heavy javelins for skirmishing and swords for melee, they used speed, agility, and flexibility of tactics to inflict damage on more heavily armed, and therefore slower moving, opponents. When King Agathocles of Syracuse died many of his strong young mercenaries refused to leave Sicily, and captured the Greek city of Messana in circa 288. They adopted the name of their war god Mamers, Oscan for Mars, often fighting like pirates and plundering the neighboring districts. Their activities which finally engaged the Romans against the Carthaginians set off the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.). Estimate: 275 USD

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 7	Auction date: 24 October 2020
Lot number: 1534
Lot description: Octavian, 44-27 BC. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.88 g, 1 h), uncertain mint in Italy (Rome?), autumn 30-summer 29 BC. IMP Bearded head of Mars to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet. Rev. Round shield, inscribed CAESAR around upper part of the rim, the boss ornamented with an eight-pointed star, lying on top of sword and spear in saltire. BMC 644. Cohen 44. RIC 274. A lustrous and perfectly centered piece of fine style. Virtually as struck. Ex Leu 4, 25 May 2019, 591. Estimate: 2000 CHF

[King John]

Pagina tratta dal libro "Elea-Velia, polis, zecca e monete di bronzo" di Furio Di Bello, Pironti Editore 1997 (esattamente pag.135)

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 7	Auction date: 24 October 2020
Lot number: 1891
Lot description: UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius' (Gold, 17 mm, 5.38 g, 7 h), 'Bear Group'. IIOII\IIIO IIIIIIIOΠ Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed imperial bust to right, seen from behind. Rev. O[.]OƆIO Bear, upright, standing left, attacking a warrior seated to right on the ground by grabbing his shield, the warrior holds a dagger or short sword in his right hand, with which he attempts to defend himself. Aurum Barbarorum I, 823 var. and corr. (head to left and reverse misinterpreted). A wonderful example of this iconic issue with a particularly detailed reverse. Original suspension loop broken off and with some minor graffiti and light scratches, otherwise, good very fine. From the Aurum Barbarorum Collection. The appearance of a second example from the 'Bear Group' with sharper reverse details allows for a reinterpretation of the reverse scene: with the male figure evidently holding a dagger or short sword in his right hand, it becomes apparent that the bear is not presenting a basket to the human, instead, he is very likely attacking him! Clearly the warrior or hunter, who has fallen to the ground, is terrified by the sight of the beast wresting his shield from him, as he desperately tries to fend it off with his small-sized weapon. In contrast to Greco-Roman iconography, which almost exclusively uses the (successful!) hunting of wild animals as a display of human strength and power, the Germanic artist presents us a wholly different view of nature as a dangerous and frightening environment. In the wild and untamed lands north of the Danube, predators such as bears and wolves undoubtedly were a real threat. Perhaps the singular image of a bear attacking a desperate human fallen to the ground thus represents an actual attack of such a beast that happened in the artist's environment, or it shows us animal fighting as a sport of the Germanic warrior society, with the life-threatening dangers of such activities clearly exposed! Estimate: 2500 CHF IMMAGINE: scena di venatio, combattimento contro un orso.