Le più belle rappresentazioni di guerrieri

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 28	Auction date: 22 May 2023
Lot number: 1126 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: BRUTTIUM. The Brettii. Circa 216-214 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 15.5 mm, 1.89 g, 1 h), struck during the Second Punic War. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a griffin. Rev. BPETTIΩN Eagle, with outstretched wings, standing to left on a thunderbolt; in the field to right, rudder shown horizontally. Arslan (A207/R210). BMC 35. HN III 1972. Scheu 2. Very rare. A particularly elegant coin of fine style. Minor metal faults on the reverse, otherwise, nearly extremely fine. From a German collection, ex Lanz/Bernardi 148, 4 January 2010, 6 and from a European collection formed in the 1960s. Estimate: 750 CHF

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > Auction XXVII	Auction date: 22 March 2023
Lot number: 277 Price realized: 16,000 GBP   (Approx. 19,572 USD / 18,133 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 500-450 BC. Warrior, nude but for crested helmet, kneeling to right, bow hanging from arm, testing arrow; tunny fish downwards behind / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze I 117; Greenwell 93; Boston MFA 1490 = Warren 1511; SNG BnF 263-4; BMC 79-80. 15.95g, 20mm. Extremely Fine. Very Rare. From a private North European collection. This coin, from a short series of warrior/hero types, was thought by W. Greenwell (The Electrum Coinage of Cyzicus, NC 1887) to represent either Jason or one of his Argonaut companions; given their appearance in the mythical history of Kyzikos it is not an unfair proposition. There was a strong tradition in the ancient Greek world of relating larger, pre-existent myths to particular localities - as evidently happened with this story of Kyzikos. Many of the major early Greek myths and associated texts were particularly conducive to such secondary myth-making - the Iliad, for instance, is encyclopaedic in its incorporation of different localities in the Greek world (many seemingly added by later editors), while the stories of Odysseus' voyage home and the Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece were particularly convenient in that they could be made to stop off in any number of places on their journeys. Often, these connections would have been suggested by particular features of the landscape (e.g. a large hill being named as a burial ground for a hero) and verbal 'clues' in the oral and written sources of the larger myth, and we might suppose that the underlying motivation was to connect one's homeland to a famous legend in order to glorify it, or even just to bring the story 'home' and make it relevant to one's own locale - or perhaps a combination of both, for bards who were travelling and wanted to integrate the world of their audience into the legends they were reciting. Later historians and other writers repeated and refuted such stories, often having to weigh up between conflicting accounts. Apollonius Rhodius, scholar and poet in the library of Alexandria, for instance, incorporated the story of the Argonauts in Kyzikos into book one of his retelling of Jason's adventure, the Argonautica, several centuries after the minting of the present coin and when such a mythical 'history' had long since solidified. Estimate: 25000 GBP

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 36 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: SKYTHIA. Olbia. Eminakos, circa 450-425 BC. Stater (Silver, 21 mm, 11.66 g). EMINAKO Herakles, nude but for lion skin draped over his head and his back, kneeling to right, holding the end of his bow in his right hand and stringing it with his left. Rev. Wheel of four spokes; four dolphins swimming around; all within square incuse. Anokhin 167. Boston MFA Supp. 46. Peykov G0040. Rosen 147. SNG BM Black Sea 358. SNG Stancomb 342. Traité IV, 1771. Very rare. A beautiful example of this enigmatic issue. Patchy toning and with two small scuffs on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine. Eminakos is only known from his impressive silver coinage, which boasts a wonderful archaic rendering of Herakles stringing his bow on the obverse. He is commonly associated with the city of Olbia, as some of his staters were found there, and a similar wheel frequently appears as a reverse type on the 5th-century cast bronze coinage of this city. The name Eminakos is not Greek, and we may presume that he was of 'barbarian' background, perhaps a Skythian. Much like its neighbors, Tyras and Nikonion, Olbia was heavily influenced by its Skythian surroundings and always in danger of losing its autonomy to the tribes. It seems likely that Eminakos was a Skythian dynast or a warlord, who either controlled Olbia for some time in the mid to late 5th century BC or, at the very least, had his bullion struck into coins in the Greek city for payments to soldiers or trade. Eminakos' name is otherwise unattested, except perhaps for a graffito on a fragment of a black-glazed skyphos found in Olbia in the mid-20th century, which reads [...]νάκō εἰμὶ[...] (SEG 32:803). This has been expanded to '[Ἐμι]νάκō εἰμί', 'I am Eminakos', which, if the reading is correct, provides further evidence for assigning Eminakos' coinage to Olbia. Estimate: 10000 CHF

[King John]

Lot number: 205 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction

Lot description: Mysia, Cyzicus. Stater circa 400-330, EL 16.07 g. Cow standing l., head turned, suckling calf; below, tunny-fish. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. Dewing 2188. Greenwell –. Boston, MFA –. SNG France –. von Fritze 219. Very rare. Extremely fine From a Distinguished Swiss Collection. Perhaps the most unusual of all Greek trade coins were the electrum staters of Cyzicus: they defied convention in most every way, yet they were eagerly accepted by merchants in the Greek world and beyond. They are described in ancient inscriptions, including the Delian inventories, by the nickname 'Cyzicenes'. Cyzicene gold was referred to as if that was the very definition of electrum, and their familiarity is even implied from a quip of Aristophanes (Peace 1176): "...and last of all there was Cyzicus, (a city) chock full of staters." Indeed, they circulated all along the Black Sea trade routes, and are unearthed at many locations from the shores of the Crimea, the interior of Thrace, and even the agora of Athens, where unlike any other foreign currency, Cyzicenes achieved a popular acceptance. They seem to have been equal in value to a Persian daric, as Xenophon describes both coins as being a month's pay for a soldier (for the daric: Anabasis I, iii, 22 and VII, vi, 7; for the Cyzicene: Anabasis V, vi, 23 and VII, iii, 10). Calculations from other texts suggest darics and Cyzicenes were roughly equal to 24 attic silver drachms and 20 silver Persian sigloi. Most Greek coins made for international or regional trade maintained a familiar design because a disruption in the appearance might undermine their acceptability. At Cyzicus, about 240 different designs appear on the staters, indicating that their appearance changed at least once per year. The daring policy of rotating designs (which often were represented in a light-hearted manner) did not adversely affect the reputation of these coins. The variety was countered by three elements that provided consistency in lieu of designs: first, the coins had a distinctive 'archaic' style and fabric; second, they were made of electrum in an age when this alloy had been largely abandoned in favour of high purity gold or silver; and third, a tunny fish, the civic badge of Cyzicus, was incorporated into every design. The result was a coinage so familiar that not even an inscription was required to make their origin known. Most of the Cyzicene designs appear to have been inspired by works of art in other media, primarily statues or statuary groups. Yet others clearly were derived from other coinages, such as the present type, which almost certainly copies a composition from the coinages of Corcyra, Apollonia and Dyrrhachium. The use of this type would be impossible to explain if not for the fact that Cyzicenes portray a broad selection of ancient coin designs, including (perhaps) those from Taras, Gela, Syracuse, Acanthus, Abdera, Maroneia, Panticapaeum, Corinth, Delos, Sinope, Lampsacus and Cyrenaica. Estimate: 15000 CHF

[VALTERI]

Un piccolo bronzo attribuito a Petelia nel Bruzio, al rovescio di una bella testa velata, propone una figurazione 'guerriera' di Zeus che, impugnando una lancia, è in atto di scagliare il fulmine .

L' esemplare sarà il 7 Maggio in Naville 81 al n. 75 .

[King John]

CNG FEATURE AUCTION 123, LOT 398

CILICIA, Anemurium. Maximinus I. AD 235-238. Æ Triassarion (34mm, 16.03 g, 6h). Dated RY 1 (235/6 AD). Near EF.

CILICIA, Anemurium. Maximinus I. AD 235-238. Æ Triassarion (34mm, 16.03 g, 6h). Dated RY 1 (235/6 AD). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front, cuirass decorated with gorgoneion / Perseus standing facing, head left, holding sword and severed head of Medusa. Köhler-Osbahr 71; RPC VI Online 7014.10 (this coin); SNG BN 709 var. (holding harpa, same obv. die); SNG Levante 498 var. (same, same obv. die). Dark brown patina, minor roughness, small patch of lamination, scratches and doubling on obverse, die flaw on reverse. Near EF. Rare variety with Perseus holding a sword instead of harpa.
From the D.K. Collection. Ex Berk BBS 216 (27 July 2021), lot 505.

 

Modificato 26 Aprile, 2023 da King John

[King John]

CNG FEATURE AUCTION 123, 23-24 MAY 2023, LOT 149

LYDIA, Tralleis. Circa 166-67 BC. AR Tetradrachm (25.5mm, 12.56 g, 11h). Cistophoric type. Struck circa 155-145 BC. Cista mystica with serpent within ivy wreath / Two serpents entwined around bow and bowcase; helmet to right. Kleiner & Noe –; Kurth –; Carbone –; SNG Copenhagen –. Lightly toned. Near EF. Apparently unique and unpublished issue with helmet as sole control mark; none in CoinArchives.

Modificato 26 Aprile, 2023 da King John

[King John]

Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 109	Auction date: 11 May 2023
Lot number: 33 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Calabria, Tarentum AR Nomos. Circa 344-340 BC. Warrior, holding shield and spear, on galloping horse to left; |- below / Taras astride dolphin to left, holding one handled jug in extended right hand; TAPAΣ behind, Π over waves below. Vlasto 448; HN Italy 890. 7.71g, 22mm, 6h. Very Fine. Estimate: 200 GBP

Modificato 27 Aprile, 2023 da King John

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 28	Auction date: 22 May 2023
Lot number: 1284 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: EGYPT. Alexandria. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Drachm (Bronze, 35 mm, 25.85 g, 12 h), regnal year ϵ = 5 = 141/142. [AYT K T AI]Λ A∆P - ANTωNINOC CЄB [ЄYC] Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right. Rev. L - Є Bearded man, bare to the waist, bending to the right, using a sickle held in his right hand to cut three stalks of wheat held in his left. CNG Inv. 253505 (same dies). Emmett 1643. Geissen 1417 var. RPC IV, 4, online, 14838 var. and SNG Paris 2235 var. A very rare variety of a fascinating type, clear and with a reddish brown patina. Slightly corroded surfaces as usual, otherwise, good very fine. This is in some ways a very enigmatic type. The scene is taken from daily life and shows a bearded man reaping grain. But is this man a simple farmer or is he something else: his muscular body, beard and carefully arranged hair suggests he represents the participant in a ritual action. Is he harvesting the first grain in a hoped-to-be-successful harvest, the result of an abundant flood of the Nile? Estimate: 1000 CHF

[King John]

Coin, Lokris, Demeter, Stater, 380-340 BC, Opuntii, AU(55-58), Silver

 

[King John]

Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3107	Auction date: 3 May 2023
Lot number: 31044 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Ancients MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Antigonus III Doson (229-221 BC). AR tetradrachm (31mm, 16.97 gm, 12h). NGC MS★ 5/5 - 4/5. Amphipolis, ca. 227-225 BC. Head of Poseidon right, hair wreathed with seaweed / BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIΓONOY, Apollo, nude, seated left on prow left, examining bow in extended right hand, left hand resting on prow; legend in two lines on prow, complex monogram below. HGC 3.1, 1051. EHC 436. SNG Munich 1121. Sharply struck and well centered with subtle apricot toning silhouetting the devices. The sole NGC certified example in Mint State with a star for superior eye appeal. Ex Freeman & Sear, private sale with old dealer tag

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 28	Auction date: 22 May 2023
Lot number: 1157 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: KINGS OF MACEDON. Philip II, 359-336 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24 mm, 14.49 g, 6 h), Pella, struck under Alexander III, circa 336/5-329/8 . Laureate head of Zeus to right. Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠ - ΠΟΥ Nude jockey riding horse walking to right, holding long palm branch in his right hand and the reins in his left; below horse, dolphin swimming downwards to right. Le Rider 417 (D221'/R339). Attractive, well-struck and well-centered. Extremely fine. From a European collection formed prior to 2005. Estimate: 3250 CHF

[King John]

Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 259	Auction date: 20 May 2023
Lot number: 208 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Sicily, Messana. The Mamertinoi, 264-241 BC. Æ Quincunx (30mm, 15.64g). Laureate head of Zeus r. R/ Warrior advancing l., shield on arm, holding spear. CNS I, 45; HGC 2, 846. Tooled. SOLD AS IS. NO RETURNS. Starting price: 15 EUR ILLUSTRAZIONE: Pittore Cleimaco. Combattimento di opliti sotto le mura di Tebe (dettaglio). Pittura vascolare da una hydria attica a figure nere, 560-550 a.C. c. Paris, Musée du Louvre.

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 27	Auction date: 22 May 2023
Lot number: 1042 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: SICILY. Selinos. Circa 455-440 BC. Didrachm (Silver, 24.5 mm, 8.61 g, 4 h). Σ-E-ΛI-N-ONT-IOΣ Herakles striding right, holding his club overhead in his right hand, preparing to strike the Cretan Bull, leaping right, which he holds by the horn with his left hand and tries to trip using his raised left foot. Rev. HV - ΨAΣ The river-god Hypsas standing left, holding an olive branch downwards in his left hand and, in his right, a phiale, from which he pours a libartion over a serpent-entwined altar to left; to right, a heron walking to right with, above, a selinon leaf (the city's badge). Buceti 15a. HGC 1224 (this coin). SNG Lloyd 1247 (this coin). A lovely, toned example, one of the finest in existence, beautifully struck and most attractive. Extremely fine. Ex Tkalec 24 October 2003, 34, from the collections of W. N. Rudman, Triton V, 15 January 2002, 1205 and P. M. Suter, Münzen und Medaillen 89, 14 June 2000, 53, ex Bank Leu 50, 25 April 1990, 60 and from the collections of the British Museum and A. J. Lloyd. The river Hypsas - the modern Belice - is personified on this coin as a youth, seemingly completely human save for a pair of tiny horns on his head. Far upstream was the city of Entella, which also portrayed Hypsas on a number of rare silver litrai struck during the 3rd quarter of the 5th century BC. However, at Entella the river-god is depicted as being a human-headed bull of the Acheloos type. The dramatic scene of Herakles and the bull on the obverse is rather curious since it seems to combine elements from two myths: Herakles and the Cretan Bull, and Theseus and the Bull of Marathon! This is because we see a youthful Herakles (who shown in exactly the same way as the youthful Theseus is shown) subduing the bull with a club; but why a club if the point was to capture the bull alive and bring it back to Eurystheus king of Tiryns (the Seventh Labor of Herakles)? On Attic Black Figure and Red Figure pots Herakles is usually shown wrestling the bull to the ground (as on the: BF amphorae in Mississippi - 1977.3.61a&b [c. 530-520 BC], at the Metropolitan - 41.162.193 - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254364 [520-510], in the Louvre - F240 - [Leagros Group, c. 510] and in Munich - 1583 (J 591) [c. 510]; or on the BF lekythos in Paris - CA 3759.d [c. 470s] or the RF kylix by the Euergides Painter in Tampa [c. 515-505]. After the bull was brought back to Tiryns Eurystheus, who really did not appreciate getting these monsters from Herakles, let it go. And off it went, wrecking destruction in its wake, until it came Attica where it became the Bull of Marathon, which Theseus ended up killing. Theseus is shown after he has mastered the bull on a RF stamnos by the Kleophrades Painter in the University Museum in Philadelphia - L64.185 = Beazley Archive http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/CB868B21-1290-4210-9F3C-9693434E2B98 (c. 490). But, astoundingly enough, on two Attic kylikes we see Theseus,in almost exactly the same position as we see Herakles on our coin, especially in the way he holds the bull's horn with his left hand and his raised left foot: on RF kylikes in London by the Codrus Painter - 1850,0302.3 -https://www.theoi.com/Gallery/M25.4.html -(c. 440-430) and in Madrid by Aison - L 196 - https://www.theoi.com/Gallery/M25.3.html -(c. 420-410). Can we dare suggest that the figure on the coin is Theseus rather than Herakles? No, we cannot!, that would make no sense - what we have here is a kind of iconographic cross-fertilisation. Do note the way Herakles is shown holding his club: he holds it with his right hand by the 'hilt', with his arm going behind his head to the left, and with the club head pointing forward. How can he strike the bull with it??? The answer is simple, the die engraver was faced with a terrible problem, to be realistic he had to show the club in Heracles's right hand, but if he did that the club would pass over, and obscure the hero's head! And if he had the club held properly to strike the bull, with the club head behind to left, it would be both too long for the die and would destroy the compact circularity of the total design! Estimate: 15000 CHF

[King John]

Nomos AG > Auction 27	Auction date: 22 May 2023
Lot number: 1099 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: PAMPHYLIA. Aspendos. Circa 420-410 BC. Stater (Silver, 21x24 mm, 10.83 g, 12 h). Two wrestlers beginning to grapple with each other: the one on the right extends his left leg between his opponent's legs, grasps his right side with his left hand and his left shoulder with his right hand; the one on the left grasps his opponent's left leg with his own left hand - his right arm is obscure; border of dots. Rev. ΕΣΤFΕΔΙΙVΣ Slinger striding right, wearing a light garment the skirt of which swings behind him, preparing to launch sling-bolt; to right, triskeles moving clockwise to right; all within square border of dots. Triton XXV, 2022, 6119 (same dies). SNG Paris 47. Tekin Series 1. A very scarce variety. Very nicely toned, well-centered, well-struck, and most attractive. Nearly extremely fine. Ex Sternberg XVII, 9 May 1986, 173 and Münzen und Medaillen 41, 18 June 1970, 261. This obverse is extraordinary! The die engraver attempted to show a much more active scene than usual, but it looks as if he lost his way - one of the arms of the wrestler on the left seems to have disappeared! Interestingly enough, a small number of coins struck from this obverse die have appeared on the market in recent years, their importance missed by their sellers! Estimate: 2250 CHF

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 309 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Nero, 54-68. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 35 mm, 25.22 g, 7 h), Lugdunum, circa 66. IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR POT P P Laureate head of Nero to left, small globe at the point of bust. Rev. S - C Triumphal arch, showing the front, with a wreath hung across it, surmounted by the emperor in facing quadriga accompanied by Pax and Victory, flanked by two soldiers; statue of Mars in side niche; the faces and plinths of the arch are ornamented with elaborate reliefs showing battle scenes. BMC 333. CBN 140. Cohen 309. RIC 500. A lovely coin with a beautifully detailed reverse. Minor smoothing and with a small area of weakness on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine. Estimate: 1500 CHF

Modificato 10 Maggio, 2023 da King John

[King John]

Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 259	Auction date: 20 May 2023
Lot number: 216 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Sicily, Messana, The Mamertinoi, c. 220-200 BC. Æ Pentonkion (28mm, 10.39g). Laureate head of Zeus r. R/ Warrior advancing r., holding shield and spear; Π to r. CNS I, 41; SNG ANS 441; HGC 2, 853. Roughness, Good Fine - near VF Starting price: 5 EUR

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 49 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: THRACO-MACEDONIAN REGION. Uncertain. Circa 5th century BC. Stater (Silver, 22 mm, 10.50 g, 6 h). Mare grazing to left; below, her foal grazing to right. Rev. Two stallions fighting with each other; between them, astragalos; all within incuse square. Gorny & Mosch 224 (2014), 267 = Gorny & Mosch 211 (2013), 416 (same dies, as 'Cilicia or the Levante'). Rosen -. SNG Paris -. SNG von Aulock -. Traité -. Tzamalis -. Of the highest rarity, apparently the second known example. A very interesting issue related to the breeding of horses. Minor flan fault on the obverse edge and the reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, good very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. Exactly where this enigmatic coin was issued remains unclear. When the first example appeared in 2013, it was assigned to a 'Münzstätte in Kilikien oder der Levante' ('mint in Cilicia or the Levant'), and the reverse symbol was interpreted as an Aramaic letter. The latter is certainly incorrect, and this cataloguer prefers to place the coins in a Thraco-Macedonian context for iconographical reasons. The obverse, which shows a mare grazing with her foal, is reminiscent of the coinage of Larissa in Thessaly, but also of various other types that show cows suckling calves. The reverse, on the other hand, bears a unique depiction of two fighting stallions, with a symbol in between that must be an astragalos. Clearly, these coins were struck by a community heavily involved in horse breeding, much like the city of Maroneia, where a springing horse became the coat of arms of the polis. In antiquity, the breeding of horses was almost always associated with warfare, and some regions, such as Thessaly, were particularly renowned for their cavalry. Thus, the community striking these coins was presumably belligerent, and employed a strong cavalry force in times of war. Estimate: 7500 CHF

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 83 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: THESSALY. Larissa. Circa 356-342 BC. Drachm (Silver, 20 mm, 6.00 g, 6 h). Head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly to left, wearing ampyx, pendant earring and necklace. Rev. ΛΑΡΙΣ-ΑΙΩΝ Horse standing right, preparing to roll over. BCD Thessaly I 1155. BCD Thessaly II 316. HGC 4, 453. An exceptional example with beautiful iridescent toning, perfectly centered and with a lovely head of the nymph Larissa. Very minor die rust on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine. Privately acquired from Tradart in 1989. Estimate: 3500 CHF

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 86 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: LOKRIS. Lokris Opuntii. Circa 350-340 BC. Stater (Silver, 22 mm, 12.18 g, 12 h). Head of Demeter to left, wearing wreath of wheat leaves, triple pendant earring and simple pearl necklace. Rev. OΠONTIΩN Ajax advancing to right, nude but for his helmet, holding sword in his right hand and shield ornamented with a coiled serpent on the inside in his left; between his legs, ivy leaf; on ground, broken spear. BCD Lokris 44. Humphris & Delbridge Group 12, 120 (O14/R38). A beautiful piece, perfectly centered, lightly toned, and of the finest late Classical style. A few faint marks, otherwise, good very fine. From an British old collection, privately acquired from Leu in 1967. Estimate: 3500 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: Oplita che balza dal carro, rilievo votivo con iscrizione, marmo pentelico, V secolo a. C. dal Tempio di Anfiarao a Oropos, Nuseo Archeologico di Atene

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 122 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: IONIA. Smyrna. Circa 190/89-180 BC. Drachm (Silver, 20 mm, 4.19 g, 12 h), Homereia issue. Laureate head of Apollo to right, with two locks of hair falling down his neck. Rev. ΣΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ The Poet Homer seated left, holding scroll in his right hand and scepter in his left. BM 1920,1122.1 = Milne, Drachma, pp. 143-144 and pl. III, 2 (same dies). Of the highest rarity, arguably the finest of a very few known examples. A wonderful coin of magnificent full Hellenistic style, with an exceptional rendering of the most famous ancient poet on the reverse. Tiny die break and a faint scratch on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine. Ex Nomos 21, 21 November 2020, 196. 'Sing, Goddess, of the wrath of Achilles, son of Peleus'. Thus opens the Iliad, which, together with the Odyssey, is considered one of the greatest works of Western literature, composed by the most famous of Greek poets: Homer. So great was his reputation that other ancient authors often simply referred to him as 'the Poet'. Despite this fame, ancient scholarship was already rife with contention about Homer's life and works. Several cities, for instance, claimed to be the poet's birthplace, many of which were in western Asia Minor, such as Chios, Kolophon, Kyme, and Smyrna. This even became the butt of jokes, as an anonymous poet in the Anthologia Palatina (16.299) asks Homer where he is from, to which the latter replies that he would not tell, as he was sure to earn the enmity of all the other cities. In the Hellenistic period, and continuing under the Romans, this rivalry took on a new dimension as civic communities would vie with one another culturally through grand building projects, festivals and games. Coinage, it seems, was another way to compete, as several cities produced coins featuring Homer, clearly in order to lay claim to his legacy. These issues ranged from common bronze coins to prestigious silver pieces such as the present coin, showing a delicate rendering of Apollo on the obverse, no doubt in his capacity as the divine patron of the arts, and Homer on the reverse. It reflects Smyrna's newfound wealth, after Alexander the Great supposedly re-founded the city at the instigation of a dream he had while resting from a hunt in a nearby sanctuary of the Nemeseis. As for the dating of this spectacular coin, Milne placed it at the very beginning of the Homereia series, which is certainly convincing, as evidenced by the refined style, delicate small lettering, and the lack of a magistrate name (contra the BM online catalogue, which gives an erroneous date of circa 125-95 BC). He suggested a struck date of circa 180 BC, i.e. the decade after the Roman victory against Antiochos III in the Battle of Magnesia in 190/89 BC and the subsequent retreat of the Seleukids from Asia Minor. In fact, it was very likely this epochal event that led the Smyrnaeans, who had sided with the victorious Romans prior to the battle, to start issuing its own independent silver coinage in the first place, after striking royal types in the names of Lysimachos, the Seleukid kings, and eventually Alexander throughout the 3rd century BC. It is worth noting that the youthful male head to right on the obverse and a seated bearded figure holding a scepter on the reverse bear a great resemblance to the familiar Macedonian Herakles-Zeus coinage, which is certainly no coincidence - perhaps local authorities deemed it necessary to visually align their new civic coinage as closely as possible to the ubiquitous Alexander tetradrachms and drachms, examples of which Smyrna itself had started issuing again in the late 200s BC. As such, the Homereia drachms could easily circulate alongside their royal Macedonian counterparts, ensuring a wide acceptance throughout the Hellenistic world, even among populations not accustomed to Smyrna's brand-new civic silver coinage. Estimate: 10000 CHF illustrazione: Omero, statua in marmo del II secolo a. C.  dalla Villa dei Papiri di Ercolano (NA)

[King John]

Nomos 27, Lot 1083, 22 may 2023

EUBOIA. Eretria. Circa 500-465 BC. Stater (Silver, 23 mm, 8.23 g, 6 h). Heifer standing to right on a ground line of pellets between two parallel horizontal lines, turning her head back to lick the hoof of her right hind leg; below, Ε. Rev. Octopus with curled tentacles and prominent eyes; all within a shallow incuse square. BCD Euboea 313 (same dies). BMFA 1025 (same dies). McClean 5698 and pl. 204, 27 (same dies). Rare. Nicely centered on a broad flan. Toned. Very fine.

Ex Spink USA, 21 March 2017, 45.
The types on the coins of Eretria relate to the city’s location on the island of Euboia. The name means ‘rich in cows’ and the heifer on this coin reminds us of that fact; Eretria was, of course, at the center of an area of great agricultural and pastoral wealth. The octopus was an animal that was found in abundance in the waters off the city’s coast.

Current Bid:3400 CHF 

Modificato 15 Maggio, 2023 da King John

[King John]

Leu Numismatik AG > Auction 13	Auction date: 27 May 2023
Lot number: 11 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: LUCANIA. Poseidonia. Circa 420-410 BC. Stater (Silver, 20 mm, 7.72 g, 6 h). ΠΟΣEIΔA Poseidon striding to right, his left arm outstretched, brandishing trident with his right hand and with chlamys draped over his shoulders; in field to left, Θ. Rev. [Π]ΟΜΕΣΔΑΝ Bull standing left. De Luynes 531 (same dies). Gillet 212 (this coin). HN Italy 1127. Jameson 335 (same dies). Noe 23d (this coin). SNG ANS 679 (same dies). Weber 817 (this coin). A magnificent example, beautifully toned, sharply struck from dies of fine style, and with an exceptional pedigree. Struck on an oval flan, otherwise, extremely fine. From an old British collection, privately acquired from Leu in 1983, from the collections of C. Gillet ('Kunstfreund', 1879-1972), photofile no. 212 and G. Locker Lampson (1875-1946), ex Naville XVI, 3 July 1932, 216 (acquired by L. Forrer for 430 CHF), and from the collections of Sir H. Weber (1823-1918) and Charles Sackville Bale (1791-1880), Christie's, 25-26 and 30-31 May 1881, 1862. Audet facundo qui carmina mittere Nervae, pallida donabit glaucina, Cosme, tibi, Paestano violas et cana ligustra colono, Hyblaeis apibus Corsica mella dabit. 'He who ventures to send verses to the eloquent Nerva, will present common perfumes to Cosmus, violets and privet to the inhabitant of Paestum, and Corsican honey to the bees of Hybla.' (Martial 9.26.3) Poseidonia was founded in the late 7th century by Sybaris on the southern shore of the Golfo di Salerno, on an alluvial plain bounded by the Silarus (Sele) river in the North, the Cilento mountains in the East and South, and the Sea in the West. The region was famous for its abundance of flowers, as evidenced by Martial's epigram quoted above, but it also held significant strategic importance, guarding the slopes of the wild and untamed Cilento mountain range (derived from Latin Cis Alentum = 'on this side of the Alentum [river]'), where Lucanian tribes dwelled. In circa 410/0 BC, Poseidonia apparently fell to these tribal warriors and was renamed to Paistos, before being turned into a Latin colony by the Romans in 273 BC. The silting of the harbor and repeated floods led to the decline of the city in the Roman imperial period, and the plain was eventually abandoned in the early middle ages. Today, Poseidonia is best known by its Latin name Paestum, and famous both for its exceptionally well-preserved Doric temples, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage, as well as for its magnificent coins such as this wonderful stater, struck shortly before the fall of the city to the Lucanians. Estimate: 20000 CHF

[King John]

Heritage Auctions, Auction 231937, lot 62104, 12/09/2019

Ancients Greek
PAMPHYLIA. Aspendus. Ca. mid-5th century BC. AR stater (22mm). NGC Choice VF. Ca. 465-430 BC. Helmeted nude hoplite advancing right, spear forward in right hand, oval shield in left / Triskeles clockwise within incuse square. cf. Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 429 (26 September 2018), lot 167, otherwise unpublished. Fine style for the series.

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 138	Auction date: 18 May 2023
Lot number: 638 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Tiberius augustus, 14 – 37. Erotic tessera, time of Tiberius. Spintria first century AD, Æ 5.52 g. Erotic scene. Rev. VIIII within wreath. Buttrey, NC 1973, pl. 3, 4 (this obverse die). Simonetta-Riva series 7 (this obverse die). Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. Wonderful enamel-like green patina with unobtrusive breaks on the edge and on reverse, otherwise extremely fine Estimate: 10000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: AFFRESCO DA UN LUPANARE DI POMPEI