Le più belle rappresentazioni di guerrieri

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 470
Lot description: Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Postumous Issue. Rome, 40 BC. Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, moneyer. Laureate head of Caesar right / Signum, aquila, plow, and decempeda; TI•SEMPRONIVS above, GRACCVS below, Q•DES downwards to left, S-C across fields. Crawford 525/4c var. (no S-C on obverse); Sydenham 1128a; CRI 327 var.; Gorny & Mosch 219, 353 (same dies). 3.90g, 19mm, 10h. Good Extremely Fine; a superb portrait coin of Julius Caesar. An extremely rare variety of a very rare type. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XIII, 23 March 2017, lot 624. The year 40 BC marked the end of the long tradition of the college of moneyers producing currency at the Capitoline mint. With the exception of a brief revival in the early principate of Augustus, this most venerable of Roman traditions was brought to an abrupt end as the treaty of Brundisium confirmed the Second Triumvirate's supraconsular offices and carved up the Roman world into the private fiefdoms of Octavian, Antony and Lepidus. In the preceding years, the college of moneyers had tended strongly towards what both Sear and Sydenham describe as playing it safe during a period of political turmoil by displaying political affiliations through the use of politically-charged portraits that yet retained deliberate ambiguity. The same held true for this year when Q. Voconius Vitulus and Ti. Sepmronius Gracchus were the issuing colleagues of the college of moneyers. Since all three triumvirs were originally Caesareans, certainly no harm could come from displaying the portrait of Caesar alongside types of a purely personal nature. In the case of this moneyer, the reverse clearly alludes to the glorious record of the moneyer's ancestors of the same name: Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, consul in 238 BC who carried on war in Sardinia and Corsica; Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, consul in 215 and 213 BC during the second Punic War, who fell in battle against Mago; Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, commander of the allies in the war against the Gauls, under the consul Marcellus in 196 BC, who fell in battle against the Boii; and principally Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, consul in 177 and 163 BC who triumphed over the Celtiberi and the Sardinians, father of the brothers Gracchi. That this last ancestor is principally honoured is clear from the emplacement of the plough and decempeda: Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, a decorated military officer of impressive renown and tribune of the plebs in 133 BC who succeeded in enacting a major agrarian reform law, the Lex Sempronia Agraria. This radical law reorganized control of publicly held lands, attempted to place an upper limit on the area any one citizen could possess, and redistribute public and confiscated land to the poor and homeless in Rome so that they might not only support themselves and their families, but also so that they might become eligible for taxation and military service. The near-revolutionary nature of the legislation inevitably led to civil strife, resulting in the murder of Gracchus who was beaten to death with clubs along with three hundred of his supporters, with many others exiled or arrested and executed without trial. Despite or indeed because of this, the Senate allowed the agrarian reforms to go through to mollify the people. A decade later his younger brother Gaius Sempronius Gracchus shared the same fate while trying to implement further reforms; statues of the brothers were thereafter placed throughout the city and held in great reverence as heroes of the common people. Estimate: 15000 GBP

Modificato 12 Ottobre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 480
Lot description: Marc Antony Legionary AR Denarius. Military mint moving with Antony, autumn 32 - spring 31 BC. ANT•AVG III•VIR•R•P•C, praetorian galley to right / Aquila between two signa; LEG X across fields. Crawford 544/24; CRI 361; BMCRR East 202; RSC 38. 3.42g, 18mm, 6h. Near Mint State; attractive old cabinet tone. This coin published in Fernández, Fernández & Calicó, Catálogo Monográfico de los Denarios de la República Romana (Madrid, 2002); Ex Alba Longa Collection. Estimate: 1500 GBP

Modificato 12 Ottobre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 6	Auction date: 23 October 2020
Lot number: 232
Lot description: DYNASTS OF LYCIA. Erbbina, circa 400-390 BC. Stater (Silver, 23 mm, 8.39 g, 6 h), Telmessos. Head of Athena to left, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves and palmette. Rev. ??????? ('Erbbina' in Lycian) Herakles, nude but for lion skin over his head and shoulders and a sword in scabbard hanging from his left hip, striding to left with his left foot set on a rock, wielding club in his right hand and holding strung bow in his left; in field to left and right, Θ - ? (Carian letters of uncertain reading, which were added later to the die). Mørkholm & Zahle 74 (same dies). Müseler VI, 83-84 var. (without the Carian letters on the reverse). Very rare. A fascinating issue of great beauty with a particularly attractive reverse. The obverse struck from a somewhat worn die, otherwise, about extremely fine. From the Kleinkunst Collection and from the 'Exceptional Private Collection', Leu 76, 27 October 1999, 204, ex Numismatic Fine Arts VII, 6 December 1979, 233 (illustrated on the front cover). The vigorous artistry of this reverse is remarkable: Herakles is shown striding to the left within a square incuse, his body turned away so we can see his back and his left foot placed on a rock; the hero wields his club and holds his strung bow while he is dragging his right foot behind him, outside of the dotted border. This striking image is the work of a very skilled and ingenious artist, who depicts Herakles with unparalleled depth and motion - the hero is more dancing than fighting, as he is stepping into the reverse and attacking his invisible foe. Estimate: 5000 CHF

[King John]

Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 92	Auction date: 2 October 2020
Lot number: 151
Lot description: Bruttium, The Brettii, ca. 211-208 BC; AE Unit (g 7,50; mm 23; h 6); Laureate head of Zeus r.; thunderbolt behind Rv. BPETTIΩN, Naked warrior advancing r., holding shield and spear; grape bunch below shield. Scheu 38; HNItaly 1988. Green patina, good very fine Starting Price: 50 GBP

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 21	Auction date: 21 November 2020
Lot number: 146
Lot description: THESSALY. Pherai. Alexander, Tyrant, 369-358 BC. Stater (Silver, 24.5 mm, 11.42 g, 1 h). ΕΝ-ΝΟ[Δ-ΙΑ]Σ Laureate head of Ennodia to right, wearing earring with a large, central, triangular pendant and a pearl necklace. Rev. ΑΛ-ΕΞΑΝΔ-ΡΕ-Ι-Ο-Σ Alexander, wearing cavalry helmet, cuirass and with his sheathed sword on a baldric around his chest, riding horse galloping to right, holding the reins in his left hand and a couchant lance in his right, on horse's rump, brand in the form of a double ax. BCD I 1308 = Wartenberg 17 (same dies). Of great rarity, apparently only the second known example. Struck from dies made by a master engraver and of the finest late Classical style. Both sides somewhat rough with traces of corrosion, otherwise, extremely fine. From a collection in southern Germany, formed prior to 2010. Estimate: 12500 CHF

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 21	Auction date: 21 November 2020
Lot number: 229
Lot description: CILICIA. Tarsos. Circa 410-385 BC. Stater (Silver, 21.5 mm, 10.65 g, 3 h). Satrap, wearing Persian costume, riding a horse prancing to right, holding the reins with his left hand and a sword, held downwards by the horse's right flank, with his right. Rev. TRW (= Tarsus in Aramaic) Hoplite, nude but for his Corinthian helmet, kneeling to left, holding couchant spear with his right hand and defending himself with a round shield, held with his left, that is decorated with an aegis and covers his left knee and upper body. Casabonne type F10. SNG Levante 61. SNG Paris 226. An attractive coin with types that show a scene extending over both sides of the coin. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, good very fine. The types found on Greek coins are often related to each other, as Athena and her owl, but they only rarely depict an action that continues from one side to the other. Here we have a Persian horseman, his sword held downwards by his right leg (oddly enough not raised in attack), starting to charge to the right, seemingly against a Greek hoplite who is kneeling left to meet the attack. Could this be taken from a contemporary painting or a sculptural group? Estimate: 1000 CHF

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 7	Auction date: 24 October 2020
Lot number: 1580
Lot description: Trajan, 98-117. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 3.52 g, 7 h), Rome, circa 107-108. IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P Laureate head of Trajan to right, with slight drapery on his left shoulder. Rev. COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC / DAC CAP Dacian seated right on pile of one round and three oblong shields, his arms bound behind him; to left, two curved swords; to right, two spears. BMC 385. Cohen 118 var. (no drapery). RIC 96. Woytek 276b. Nicely toned and with an excellent pedigree. Extremely fine. Ex Lanz 106, 27 November 2001, 378, from the Leo Benz Collection, Lanz 94, 22 November 1999, 432, ex Peus 279, 14-17 March 1972, 168 and Pilartz 7, 1-3 October 1964, 340. Estimate: 500 CHF

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 21	Auction date: 21 November 2020
Lot number: 24
Lot description: CALABRIA. Tarentum. Circa 344-340 BC. Nomos (Silver, 21 mm, 7.82 g, 3 h). Warrior, nude but for crested helmet, standing facing behind bridled horse to right, holding spear and shield with his left hand and resting his right on the horse's back; in the field to right, before the horse's legs, ˫. Rev. TAPAΣ Taras astride dolphin to left, holding trident in his right hand and shield in his left; below, above waves, A. Fischer-Bossert 678. HN III 889. SNG ANS 963. SNG Munich 638 (same dies). Vlasto 516-7 (same dies). Unusual obverse iconography for Tarentum, known only from a single die. Extremely fine. Estimate: 650 CHF

[King John]

Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 478	Auction date: 7 October 2020
Lot number: 156
Lot description: IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Circa 145-early 1st century BC. Æ (20.5mm, 9.62 g, 12h). Eukles and Kratinos, magistrates. Helmeted head of Athena right / Warrior, holding couched lance, riding horse right; N to left, EYKΛH[Σ]/KRATINO[Σ] in two lines below. Kinns, Didrachm 5; SNG Kayhan 429–31`. Dark green and tan surfaces. Good VF. From the Grand Haven Collection, purchased from Münzen und Medaillen AG, 10 December 1995. Estimate: 100 USD

[King John]

oma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 353
Lot description: Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I Megas AR Tetradrachm. Circa 170-145 BC. Diademed heroic bust left, seen from behind, wearing crested helmet adorned with bull's horn and ear, brandishing spear in right hand / The Dioskouroi on horses rearing to right, each holding spear and palm frond over shoulder; BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY above, EYKPATIΔOY below, monogram in lower right field. Bopearachchi 8B; Bopearachchi & Rahman 255; SNG ANS 485; Mitchiner Type 179a; HGC 12, 132. 16.95g, 33mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine.   From the Oxus Collection (Denmark). The Greco-Baktrian Kingdom is seldom mentioned in classical texts, in fact, much of what we know about the territory has been learnt from coins and their inscriptions. Notably, it is these very coins that have also granted Baktria a position in the history of Hellenistic art (J.J. Pollitt, Art in the Hellenistic Age, p.285), for, they present some of the finest examples of numismatic design and portraiture. Not only remarkable for its artistic merit however, a coin such as this is further significant for what it reveals about the self-perception of a Baktrian King. Eukratides, an usurper, proclaimed himself King following a revolt (recorded by Justin (XLI, 6)) against Demetrios and the elimination of the entire former dynasty. The reverse of this coin reflects the warring prowess of the King in an intricate depiction of cavalrymen, the Dioskouroi, rushing into battle with their lances set and palm branches trailing behind them. The inscription surrounding the image reads 'of the great King, Eukratides' implying that, like the Persians and Alexander before him, Eukratides had come to dominate all the local rulers of the region. In a numismatically unprecedented mode of depiction, Eukratides I appears on the obverse of this coin as a heroic nude bust. Seen from behind with a side-profile of his verisimilar portrait, Eukratides, spear in hand, is poised ready to strike. His muscles are tense, ready for action, but Eukratides' face conveys the calm composure of a true leader, he gazes straight ahead and his expression is of utmost concentration. Eukratides wears a crested helmet decorated with a bull's horn and ear, possibly an allusion to his Seleukid blood as we also find them on coins of Seleukos, who, according to Appian (Syr. 57) 'was of such a large and powerful frame that once when a wild bull was brought for sacrifice to Alexander and broke loose from his ropes, Seleukos held him alone, with nothing but his hands, for which reason his statues are ornamented with horns'. The artistry of this image tempts a comparison with earlier heroic nude sculpture of Olympian deities, for example, the Artemision Bronze. More generally, there is reason to suppose that the Greek kings of Baktria would have considered their coinage a symbol of and a link with their Hellenic cultural heritage and therefore went to some expense to ensure that their coins were designed by the very best artists (J.J. Pollitt, Art in the Hellenistic Age, p.285). Kings such as Eukratides considered their Hellenic roots made them both distinct and civilized, a notion further evidenced by the fact that this portrait type went on to be copied by successive eastern kings and was later adopted by several Roman emperors from the time of Septimius Severus onward. Estimate: 10000 GBP

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 21	Auction date: 21 November 2020
Lot number: 224
Lot description: CILICIA. Mallos. Circa 385-375 BC. Stater (Silver, 23.5 mm, 10.69 g, 6 h). Athena seated to left, helmeted and draped, holding spear with her right hand and resting her left arm on her shield at her side; to right, olive tree. Rev. ΜΑΛ On the left, Hermes standing facing, nude but for cloak tied around his neck and falling behind him, holding kerykeion in his right hand and resting his left at his wife; on the right, Aphrodite standing left, wearing long chiton and with her hair tied in a bun at the back, resting her right hand on Hermes' shoulder and leaning, with her left elbow, on a low column to the right. Casabonne type 12. SNG Levante 155. SNG Paris 403. An attractive and iconographically endearing coin, with an especially pleasing reverse, showing Aphrodite encouraging Hermes with a pat on his back! The obverse struck from a rusty die and with an apparent bang on Athena's right arm, otherwise, extremely fine. Estimate: 1500 CHF

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 120	Auction date: 6 October 2020
Lot number: 702 Price realized: 6,500 CHF   (Approx. 7,103 USD / 6,024 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: In the name of Nero Claudius Drusus, brother of Tiberius and father of Claudius Denarius circa 41-45, AR 3.80 g. NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP Laureate head l. Rev. DE – GE – R – MA – NIS Vexillum between two crossed oblong shields, two pairs of spears and two trumpets. C 6. BMC Claudius 107. RIC Claudius 74. CBN Claudius –. Rare. Struck on very fresh metal, light iridescent tone and about extremely fine Estimate: 4000 CHF

[King John]

Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 92	Auction date: 2 October 2020
Lot number: 1141 Price realized: 485 GBP   (Approx. 627 USD / 535 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Lead PB Tessera. Late Republican - early imperial period, 1st century BC (g 6,17; mm 33; h 12). Bare head of Octavian/Augustus? r., litmus to r.(?); Rv. Scene of two confronted helmeted and armed gladiators holding gladii and shields in mortal combat, victorious palm branch to l. Unpublished in the standard references, for other gladiatorial tesserae cf. M. Overbeck, Römische Bleimarken in der Staatlichen Münzsammlung München, Ein Quelle zur Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte Roms, München 1995, 97-102. Very Fine. pierced. Of considerable historical interest. In the late Republican political period such tesserae what have been scattered to the plebeian masses as keepsakes, which in this case is pieced to be warn a talisman and souvenir of a memorable gladiatorial performance donated by Octavian or one of his contemporaries in the run up to the declaration of the Principate. Starting Price: 200 GBP

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 21	Auction date: 21 November 2020
Lot number: 383
Lot description: Uncertain ruler, 10th - 11th century. One-sided roundel (Bronze, 52 mm, 5.42 g, 12 h), a one-sided, possibly once gilt, bracteate-like roundel, almost certainly meant to serve as an ornament at one of the eight ends of a two-sided processional cross. OA / ΘE/O-ΔO/PO/C Half length figure of St. Theodore of Amasea facing, armor covered by a cloak, holding spear in his right hand and a sword within its scabbard with his left. Rev. Incuse version of the obverse design. For typical examples of Byzantine processional crosses see M. Martiniani-Reber, Byzance en Suisse, Geneva, 2015, pp. 325 ff., and Wikipedia. For a contemporary, or slightly earlier, full figure representation of St. Theodore of Amasea, see the figure on the Harbaville Triptych in Louvre (OA 3247). A lovely piece, with a fine green patina and an excellent portrait of St. Theodore, done in a simple but very elegant style. Extremely fine. From an American collection. St. Theodore, sometimes known as Theodoros Teron - the recruit, seems to have been a soldier who was martyred in Amasea, where he had been based. Apparently he refused to join the other soldiers in pagan worship and was arrested, though since he was still quite young he was freed. He then went on to try and burn down the local temple to Kybele, after which he was first tortured and then thrown into a furnace. His bones were taken away by a religious woman and brought to his birthplace at the town of Euchaita, which was located fairly nearby. A shrine was established there, which was in use up to the 11th century.  Estimate: 1000 CHF Teodoro di Amasea è un santo martire (noto anche come Teodoro Tiro o Tirone). Era un soldato di origine orientale vissuto nel III-IV secolo. Durante la persecuzione di Diocleziano, mentre era di stanza ad Amasea, nel Ponto, accusato di esser cristiano, rifiutò di sacrificare agli dei e incendiò il tempio di Cibele. Fu allora messo al rogo. I suoi resti furono sepolti a Euchaita. Ebbe culto molto diffuso (festa, 17 febbr.) in tutto il mondo cristiano, greco e latino.

 

Modificato 23 Ottobre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

CNG, Electronic Auction 443, lot 540, 1/05/2019
Trajan. AD 98-117. AR Denarius (18.5mm, 3.52 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 101-102. Laureate head right / Hercules, naked, standing facing on low base, holding club and lion skin. RIC II 49; Woytek 100a; RSC 234. Near EF, lightly toned.

ILLUSTRAZIONE: l'Ercole di Cafeo, la statuetta bronzea del III secolo a. C., conservata nel Museo Civico di Modica. 

 

Modificato 28 Ottobre, 2020 da King John

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 463 Price realized: 2,700,000 GBP   (Approx. 3,484,321 USD / 2,988,153 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus AV Aureus. Military mint travelling with Brutus in the East, late summer-autumn, 42 BC. L. Plaetorius Cestianus, moneyer. Bare head of Brutus to right; BRVT above, IMP before, L • PLAET • CEST behind / Pileus between two daggers of differing design, their points downwards; below, EID•MAR. A. Campana, Eidibus Martiis (forthcoming), 13 (O1/R6) and pl. 1, 13 (this coin); Crawford -; Sydenham -; BMCRR -; Bahrfeldt -; Babelon -; H. A. Cahn, Eidibus Martiis, QT XVII (1989), pp. 211-32, 4a = CRI 215 = NFA XXV, 1990, 306 = Sotheby's Zurich, 1993, 87 (same obverse die) = R. Walburg, Zeitzeugen. Münzen aus der Sammlung der Deutschen Bundesbank. Hirmer Verlag, München 2018, pp. 48-9 (Kat. 65, 66); Cahn, L'aureus de Brutus avec EID MAR, Actes du Congrés Internationale de Numismatique 1953, obverse die 'A'; Calicó 58 = Biaggi 39 = Cahn, Actes, Actes du Congrés Internationale de Numismatique 1953, p. 213 = Cahn, Eidibus Martiis, 24a; for this type in silver see: - A. Campana, Eidibus Martiis, 14-18 (same dies); Crawford 508/3; Sydenham 1301; BMCRE East 68; Cahn, Eidibus Martiis, 6 (same dies); S. Nodelman, Brutus the Tyrannicide in Ancient Portraits in the J. Paul Getty Museum: Volume 1, p. 51, fig. 8 (same dies); Vagi, vol. II, p. 198, 95 = Feirstein Collection, NAC 39, 2007, 89 (same dies); John Work Garrett Collection, part I, Leu-NFA, 1984, 685 (same obverse die); Loscombe Collection, Sotheby, 1855, 683 = BMC II 480, 69 (same obverse die); Lanz 158, 2014, 373 (same obverse die); Künker 124, 2007, 8483 = Leu 71, 1997, 265 = Münzen & Medaillen 19, 1959, 150 (same obverse die). 8.06g, 19mm, 12h. Near mint state and highly lustrous; the usual die breaks, minor surface marks, light red-brown calcite deposits on obverse and reverse. Authenticated and encapsulated by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and graded MS★ 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style (#5770688-001). Excessively Rare; the third known example: one on long-term loan to the British Museum, the other in the Deutsche Bundesbank collection. From the collection of the Baron Dominique de Chambrier, original attestation of provenance included; Ex collection of Bernard de Chambrier (1878-1963) and Marie Alvine Irma von Bonstetten (1893-1968); Ex collection of the Baron Gustave Charles Ferdinand von Bonstetten, Chamberlain to Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria. Marie Alvine Irma von Bonstetten was daughter of Gustave August Arthur Albert von Bonstetten (1864-1935), the founder of the 'Automobile Club Suisse' in 1898, and great-niece of Gustave Charles Ferdinand von Bonstetten (1816-1892), who was a distinguished antiquarian and collector who published many articles in the Recueil d'antiquités suisses (1855, 1860 and 1867) and L'Essai sur les dolmens (Geneva, 1865), an authoritative study on European dolmens erected between the 5th millennium BC and the end of the 3rd millennium BC. Later, Gustave Charles Ferdinand von Bonstetten worked as an independent researcher and carried out archaeological excavations in both Switzerland and France. In 1873 he donated a part of his important collection to the 'Antiquarium of Bern' and his collection formed the basis of the Bernisches Historisches Museum. The Musée Romain of Avenches also owns pieces from his collection. Nothing resonates so deeply with those knowledgeable in ancient Roman coinage as the dramatic EID MAR type struck by Brutus in 42 BC, nor indeed is any type more sought after by connoisseurs. Herbert A. Cahn's 1989 study entitled Eidibus Martiis noted 56 examples in silver and 2 in gold. Anecdotal comments have long suggested the extent of the surviving population of EID MAR denarii could approximate as many as a hundred specimens - a reasonably high figure for what is considered to be an extreme rarity – and Campana's as yet unpublished Die Study indeed identifies 88 examples (at last count) in silver (of which at least 34 are now in institutional collections) and 3 in gold. On account of its enormous historical importance and enhanced by its virtual unobtainability to all but the most fortunate of collectors, this coin type like no other has inspired great admiration, fascination, disbelief and desire in the hearts of historians, numismatists and collectors. Foremost of the reasons for the exalted position of the type in the collective consciousness is its naked and shameless celebration of the murder of Julius Caesar two years earlier in 44 BC. This brutal and bloody assassination had been prompted by the well-founded belief among the Senate that Caesar indented to make himself king, which in truth he was already in all but name. By special decree of the Senate Caesar had been made dictator perpetuo - dictator in perpetuity - and granted the extraordinary and unprecedented honour of striking coins bearing his own likeness, thus breaking the ancient taboo of placing the image of a living Roman upon a coin. By these and other affronts to the traditional values and institutions of the Republic did Caesar seal his fate. On 15 March, 44 BC, in a room adjoining the east portico of the Theatre of Pompey, Caesar was stabbed twenty three times by the gang of Senators numbering over thirty and perhaps as many as sixty, men that Caesar called his friends, and of whom many had been pardoned by him on the battlefield and now owed their ranks and offices to him. The simple but bold reverse design employed by Brutus for this aureus contains the three principal elements of this 'patriotic' act of regicide committed to liberate the Republic from monarchical tyranny. Most striking are the two daggers of differing design, the one symbolising that wielded by Brutus himself, the other that of Cassius his co-consipirator. These flank the pileus, the cap of Liberty as worn by the divine twins and patrons of Roman armies Castor and Pollux, and which was conferred upon all freed slaves as a mark of their emancipation. The legend EID MAR is the abbreviation of EIDIBVS MARTIIS – the Ides of March. Thus, in an act of unparalleled braggadocio, we are at once presented with the murder weapons used to slay Caesar, the precise date of the deed, and the motive. While the leaders of the Second Triumvirate Antony, Octavian and Lepidus embraced the practice of striking coins bearing their own images, the hypocrisy of Brutus placing his own portrait on the obverse of the EID MAR type cannot not have been lost on the Liberator. Both a betrayal of his personal devotion to the ancient traditions of the Republic, and an emulation of the tyrant he had slain, it may well be that he was convinced into allowing his image to be co-opted by the Republican party as a rallying symbol for the swiftly approaching engagement between their legions and those Antony and Octavian. As a descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder and first consul of the Roman Republic, who in 509 BC had sworn on a bloody dagger to overthrow the unjust rule of the Tarquin kings, the clearly drawn parallels must have been heady propaganda to the Republican cause. Notes on die state: The present coin exhibits the characteristic die breaks common (to greater or lesser degree) to all of the known examples of Cahn die 'A' (Campana O1). The most prominent of these are a sickle-shaped feature located behind the nape of Brutus' neck, a further break emanating from the peak of Brutus' forehead where it meets his hairline, and an area of roughness directly before Brutus' brow that can be seen to evolve into a pronounced pellet-like break on late die-state examples. Additional die breaks are located above the tip of the nose, between the back of the head and 'A' of PLAET, between and above the letters 'P' and 'L' of PLAET, and extending vertically downwards from below the chin. The evolution of the die breaks can be seen to exist in at least six distinct stages, as noted by Cahn in Eidibus Martiis, and exemplified by the below listed coins, in order by earliest die-state to latest. The comparison of these die-states permits us to determine the progression of said breaks. Denarius: Jameson 7 = Hess 1954, 214 = Hess-Leu 41, 54 (hereafter referred to as the Jameson example). Denarius: Sotheby, 1855, 683 (BM example). Aureus: NFA XXV, 1990, 306 = Sotheby's Zurich, 1993, 87 (Deutsche Bank example). Denarius: NFA-Leu 1984 (Garrett example). Aureus: Present coin; cf. also NAC 39, 2007, 89 (Feirstein example). Denarius: Künker 124, 2007, 8483 = Leu 71, 1997, 265 = Münzen & Medaillen 19, 1959, 150 (M&M example). Stage 1: Cahn 1, 2. The obverse die used to strike of the five examples examined by Cahn is intact - the coins are sharply struck and detailed. This is confirmed by inspection of the available image of the Jameson example. Stage 2: Cahn 3. A linear die break has appeared above the 'C' of CEST, behind the nape of the neck. Although not discernible on Cahn's plate, this is visible in the BM example's published image of the coin. Stage 3: Cahn 4. The Deutsche Bank example shows the linear die break having evolved into the distinctive sickle-shape it retains for the remainder of its use. Also present now is the very beginning of the forehead break, and the area of roughness before the brow. Also present is the break above the letters 'PL' of PLAET. The breaks above the tip of the nose, between the letters 'PL' of the legend, and between the head and the 'A' are as yet absent. Stage 4: Cahn 5, 6. The Garrett Collection example now shows the vertical break below the chin, as well as the presence of the break between the back of the head and the 'A'of the legend. Stage 5: The present aureus exhibits an enlargement of the forehead break, in both the vertical and horizontal axes, and strengthening of the 'dot' above the tip of the nose – a distinct advance from Cahn 6a, 6b, and the Garrett example. The other principal change is that the break between 'PL' is now present. The forked break before the brow exhibits little to no progression. The Feirstein example may be another example of this obverse die state, however it is so weakly struck that prior to the clarification provided by of the present aureus and Campana's Die Study, its place in the die state progression was uncertain. Stage 6: Cahn 7, 8, 9. The latest known die-state may be observed on the M&M example, which in addition to the breaks clearly visible on the present aureus, also possesses a break just inside the beaded border at 2 o'clock. Furthermore, the break before the brow has now become a very prominent pellet-like protrusion. Conclusions: The present aureus occupies a logical but previously unrepresented gap in the die break progression as laid out by Cahn, since the Feirstein example lacked sufficient detail to be of useful comparison, and other specimens are either too worn or otherwise poorly conserved. While the forehead break on this aureus is much advanced from Cahn 6a, 6b, and the Garrett example, the break before the brow has not yet progressed to being a fully-formed pellet as it already is by Cahn 7a-d and the M&M example, among others (see also Lanz 158, 373), nor is the additional 'dot' break at 2 o'clock inside the beaded border present yet. Campana's forthcoming die study confirms the die state progression laid out above, and furnishes a great many additional examples for comparison. Considerations on the EID MAR type: In 'The EID MAR type of Brutus, an overview of current research and portfolio of related papers' (private publication, available on request from Roma Numismatics Ltd.), Andrew McCabe provides a comprehensive summary of all numismatic texts devoted to the EID MAR type in both gold and silver. Gathering together ancient sources, antiquarian studies and archaeological evidence, the Overview traces the known references to the type from the second century AD, through the renaissance and into modern times. It furthermore aggregates the available information concerning the dispersal and rediscovery of known examples, bringing to light hoard evidence that establishes a clear archaeological context for a number of these. Moreover, the Overview draws on and expands upon the works of Mattingly, Cahn, Woytek and others to provide important insights into the series, particularly as concerns their place in the 'Liberator' coinage series, their method of manufacture, and the likely timing and location of minting. The Overview has clear implications for cultural property considerations (confirming that the type is pan-European in dispersal, rather than provenant from the soil of any one modern nation) while providing hard evidence for the reaffirmation of the now prevalent acceptance of both the Biaggi-Winckless and Deutsche Bank EID MAR aurei. Our own conclusions drawn from a study of the die-state progression of Cahn die 'A' clearly have important bearing on considerations concerning the present coin. That the EID MAR type was indeed struck in gold by Brutus as well as in silver must be considered to be beyond all reasonable doubt, as represented by the 'Biaggi-Winckless' coin now in the British Museum, and the NFA-Sotheby's coin now in the collection of the Deutsche Bundesbank, which until recently were believed to be the only two surviving examples of the issue. The fact that the present aureus occupies a previously unrepresented stage in the die-state progression, combined with the fact that it is die-paired (O1/46) in accordance with the die progression prescribed by Cahn and confirmed by McCabe and Campana, and obvious physical properties of the coin (fabric, die axis, and strike properties) which are entirely consistent with the Deutsche Bank example (being closer in state of preservation than the Biaggi-Winckless coin) and other contemporary 'Liberator' aurei in general, provides an unassailable argument in favour of the piece, which further augments our understanding of both the Biaggi-Winckless and Deutsche Bank examples, and the series as a whole. Estimate: 500000 GBP

[VALTERI]

Da una piccolissima frazione di Imera, una testa di guerriero di attraente stile arcaico, con elmo attico crestato : al rovescio gli schinieri .

E' oggi in asta BussoPeus 427 al lotto 117

Modificato 3 Novembre, 2020 da VALTERI

[King John]

Heritage World Coin Auctions > Dallas Signature Sale 3088	Auction date: 5 November 2020
Lot number: 34067
Lot description: Ancients MYSIA. Cyzicus. Ca. 550-450 BC. EL sixth-stater or hecte (11mm, 2.68 gm). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 3/5, brushed. Nude hero kneeling left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on head, holding trumpet to mouth with right hand, sheathed sword behind him in left, all on tunny fish left / Quadripartite mill-sail incuse square punch. von Fritze 115. Greenwell 96 var. (stater). SNG France 5, 261 var. (same). Traite II, pl. clxxiv, 6 var. (same). Rosen 492 var. (hecte, figure holds trumpet with both hands). cf. Roma Numismatics, Auction 5 (23 March 2013), lot 380. Very rare. Estimate: 1000-2000 USD

[VALTERI]

Fondata vicino ad Ilio nel 310 a.C. da Antigono col nome di Antigoneia, la città pochi anni dopo da Lisimaco è rinominata Alexandreia .

Al rovescio della bella testa ellenistica di Apollo, la figura intera di Apollo Sminteo, "signore dei topi" in veste di guerriero saettatore .

Il non comune tridrammo passerà in asta Gorny&Mosch 273 al lotto 177 il prossimo 19-11-2020 .

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 76	Auction date: 5 November 2020
Lot number: 51 Price realized: 60 GBP   (Approx. 78 USD / 67 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Sicily, Morgantina AR Litra. Circa 339-317 BC. MOPΓANTINΩN, laureate head of Apollo to right / Warrior on horseback to left, brandishing spear. SNG ANS 465 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 472; HGC 2, 900. 0.71g, 11mm, 10h. Very Fine; edge chipped. Very Rare. From a private European collection. Estimate: 75 GBP

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XX	Auction date: 29 October 2020
Lot number: 518 Price realized: 2,400 GBP   (Approx. 3,097 USD / 2,656 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Augustus AR Denarius. Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), July 18-17/16 BC. S P Q R CAESARI AVGVSTO, bare head to right / VOT•P•SVSC•PRO•[SAL]•ET•RED•I•O•M•SACR, Mars standing to left, helmeted and cloaked, holding vexillum and parazonium. RIC 150a; BMCRE 438-9 = BMCRR Rome 4459-60; RSC 325; BN 1242-1246. 3.74g, 20mm, 7h. Extremely Fine; wonderful old cabinet tone. Very Rare, and among the finest known examples. From the Long Valley River Collection; Ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 117, 14 October 2002, lot 452; Ex Münzen & Medaillen AG Basel, List 556, July 1992, no. 99; Ex Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (Crédit Suisse), Auction 41, 1 March 1984, lot 65. Estimate: 1500 GBP

[King John]

Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 480	Auction date: 11 November 2020
Lot number: 253
Lot description: PISIDIA, Isinda. 1st century BC. Æ (19.5mm, 5.31 g, 12h). Dated CY 4 (22/1 BC). Laureate head of Zeus right / Warrior, brandishing spear, on horse leaping right; Δ (date) to left, coiled serpent below. SNG BN 1574–5; DCA 549. Dark green patina. VF. Estimate: 100 USD

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 77	Auction date: 26 November 2020
Lot number: 141
Lot description: Sicily, Eryx AR Litra. Circa 412-400 BC. Hound scenting right / Aphrodite standing facing, head to left, holding patera over lighted altar. Unpublished; HGC 2, 298 var. (volute in rev. field, ethnic); cf. BMC 7-9. 0.57g, 12mm, 9h. Extremely Fine; chipped, attractive deep old cabinet tone. Extremely Rare; seemingly unpublished and possibly unique. From the inventory of a European dealer. Estimate: 150 GBP

[King John]

Maison Palombo > Auction 19	Auction date: 12 December 2020
Lot number: 10
Lot description: Sicile - Gela - Drachme (480-475). Très rare dans cette qualité. Exemplaire de la vente Lanz 155 du 10 décembre 2012, N° 33. 4.10g - Jenkins 187 Superbe - AU Gela, on the southern coast of Sicily, had been founded by Dorian Greek colonists from the islands of Rhodes and Crete in 689 BC, and grew to become the most influential city of the island in the early fifth century BC. Already in the sixth century, the population had grown so much that colonists were sent from Gela to found the city of Acragas. In 505 BC, Kleander gained power and became the city's first tyrant - until his assassination in 498 BC. He was succeeded by his son Hippokrates, who - thanks notably to his cavalry commander Gelon - conquered neighbouring cities such as Leontini and Naxos. Hippokrates was killed in 491 BC, whilst fighting the native Sicels, and Gelon took power - becoming the city's third tyrant, capturing Syracuse in 484 BC and moving his capital-city there (leaving his brother Hieron in charge of Gela). Gelon died in 478 BC, after establishing the Deinomenid Tyranny which lasted until 466 BC, so this emission would be slightly posterior to his death, and the armed horseman on the obverse can certainly be interpreted as an homage. The reverse depicts the protome (head and upper torso) of the river-god Gelas as a bearded, man-faced bull. Gela meant 'ice' in the languages of the Opici and Siculi (as it does in Latin), and this local river - supposedly very cold - was mentioned by Virgil: '[the city? the river?] Gela, called by the nickname of its monstrous stream' (Aeneid 3.702: "immanisque Gela fluvii cognomine dicta") and by Ovid: 'And you, Gela, whose whirlpools must not be approached' (Fasti 4.470: "Et te vorticibus non adeunde Gela"). Its iconography is derived from that of Achelous the 'father of all rivers and of all nymphs' according to Homer, possibly derived from Asallúhi, the "princely bison" of Near Eastern traditions that "rises to the surface of the earth in springs and marshes, ultimately flowing as rivers" (G. Whittaker, "Milking the Udder of Heaven: A Note on Mesopotamian and Indo-Iranian Religious Imagery", in From Daēnā to Dîn, Wiesbaden 2009, p. 131). It is just after this series that the more common and well known type for Gela was introduced, with a quadriga driven by Nike on the obverse, and a youthful head of Gelas with fishes swimming around on the reverse, a design struck with little variations from circa 480/475 BC until the sack by the Carthaginians in 405 BC. Starting Price: 4000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: "Partenza del guerriero", scena raffigurata su un'hydria a figure nere della seconda metà del VI secolo a. C. (Parigi, Louvre)

Modificato 16 Novembre, 2020 da King John

[coinzh]

asta gorny & mosch 275, 16 dicembre 2020, lotto 231

Gemme aus braunem Karneol mit Reiter.
Hellenistisch, 3. - 2. Jh. v. Chr. 1,4 x 1,7cm. Querovaler Intaglio. Darauf ein Reiter mit Helm, Schild und eingelegter Lanze im gestrecktem Galopp, wahrscheinlich Alexander der Große auf Bukephalos. Sehr schönes Stück!

Provenienz: Ex Sammlung K. G., Rheinland, erworben im deutschen Kunsthandel 1960er Jahre bis 2003.

Oval gemstone made of brown cornelian. Horseman with helmet, shield and spear at a gallop, probably Alexander the Great on his horse Bukephalos. Hellenistic, 3rd - 2nd century B.C. One tiny splinters at the lower rim is missing, otherwise intact. Beautiful piece!

Condition:  Winzige Absplitterng am unteren Rand, sonst intakt.

 

Prezzo di partenza 800 euro

le gemme greche sono rare, se è autentica non lo so dire, il prezzo di partenza a me sembra basso