CNG’s Triton XXVII Features Greek, Roman, World & British Rarites
Classical Numismatic Group
Triton XXVII
Coins
9-10 January 2024
US-New York
A spectacular run of six Syracusan silver dekadrachms, the beautiful “Queen of Greek Coins” struck circa 405-390 BC, and a magnificent silver stater depicting “the Weary Hercules,” are but a taste of the ancient Greek masterpieces showcased in Classical Numismatic Group LLC’s Triton XXVII Auction, scheduled live and online January 9-10, 2024.
CNG’s annual marquis auction boasts one of its strongest-ever offerings of Greek, Roman, Medieval, World and British coins, comprising 1,341 lots with a total estimated value of $5.5 million. Many of the coins offered boast pedigrees that extend back to the early 1900s or before.
The auction will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, January 9-10, at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel, 111 East 48th Street, New York, NY, in conjunction with the 52nd New York International Numismatic Convention. The auction will also be webcast live on CNG’s website, www.cngcoins.com.
The Syracuse silver dekadrachms, regarded by many experts as the pinnacle of Greek numismatic art, are Lots 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72. They are part of an extensive offering of coins of Magna Graecia, comprising lots 2 to 108. Among them are Lot 3, a remarkable early silver nomos of Tarentum, pedigreed to 1920; and Lot 24, a beautifully preserved incuse nomos of Kaulonia, pedigreed to 1906.
Several other masterpieces of the classical and Hellenistic periods from mainland Greece and the eastern Greek colonies and kingdoms include Lot 119, a magnificent silver stater of Abdera, Thrace, depicting a seated “weary Hercules” in sculptural style; Lot 152, a stunning gold stater of Phillip III Arrhidaios of Macedon, depicting the head of Alexander III the Great; and Lot 172, an exceptional silver stater of Alexander of Pherei, struck in Thessaly circa 369 BC, depicting a superb facing head of the goddess Ennodia.
Coins of Central Asia are highlighted by lots 413 to 416, a remarkable run of four gold double-dinars of Vima Kadphises, king of the Kushan (India) Kingdom circa AD 113-117.
Roman Provincial coins are particularly well represented in Triton XXVII, including lot 476, a wonderful silver cistophorus of Augustus. Lots 525 to 563 comprise an offering from the Thomas Beniak Collection of Roman Egyptian Coins and includes lot 543, an extremely rare tetradrachm of the short-lived emperor Pertinax.
Roman Republican coinage is highlighted by lot 588, an extremely rare gold aureus of the Dictator Sulla; lot 595, an seldom-offered silver denarius struck in 56 BC showing Erato, rarest of the nine Muses; and lot 623, a rare fourrée (plated) silver denarius of Marcus Junius Brutus, assassin of Julius Caesar, with the famous “Eid Mar” reverse.
The Roman Imperial section, totaling 291 coins, is chock-filled with impressive highlight coins, including Lot 689, an impressive sestertius of Nero depicting an overhead view of the Port of Ostia on the reverse; Lot 704, a superb gold aureus of the short-reigning emperor Galba, pedigreed to 1896; Lot 719, a beautiful gold aureus of Vespasian depicting a vanquished Judaea on the reverse, pedigreed to the Boscoreale Hoard of 1895; and Lot 780, an impressive large bronze medallion of Marcus Aurelius, one of a series of Roman medallions offered in Triton XXVII.
World coinage includes a dazzling selection of Renaissance Italian coinage from the Eric J. Engstrom Collection, including. British coinage includes an exceptional offering of Anglo-Saxon hammered coins from the Causeway Collection, including many rare issues in superb condition. Also included within this section are Lot 1285, a magnificent gold noble of Edward III in NGC MS 66, the finest example graded by NGC; Lot 1293, a facing-headed Testoon of Henry VIII, with an excellent portrait of the rotund ruler, and Lot 1294, a handsome gold sovereign of Edward VI, NGC AU 53.
Lot viewing for Triton XXVII can be arranged by appointment between now and January 4, 2024 at CNG’s offices in Lancaster, PA, by writing to CNG per mail or calling (717) 390-9194. Lot viewing at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel in the Morgan Suite will begin Sunday, January 7, at 1 pm and continue daily through noon on Tuesday, January 10.