5th Floor-Auction at VIA Numismatic

The 5th floor-auction at VIA Numismatic offers top pieces and rarities in exceptional condition from all areas of numismatics. The sale will take place on December 9th, 2024, in Vienna. The viewing will take place from November the 25th.

Lot 12: Greek. Sicilia, Leontinoi, Tetradrachm 466-460 BC. Obverse: Quadriga to the right. Reverse: LE ON TIN ON (retrograde), laureated head of Artemis to the right. 17,12 g. BMC 9 = Boehringer, Münzgeschichte: 26; R. R. Holloway, Demarete’s Lion, ANSMN 11 (1964) pl. 1, 2; Jameson 620 = Rizzo pl. 22, 13. Extremely rare! Few known specimens so far. XF. Estimate: 4,000 EUR.

At the beginning some Celtic coins (lots 1-7) will be auctioned, including gold staters of the Leuci and Suessiones, as well as beautifully preserved Potin coins. Of the attractive Greek coins (lots 8-48), the extremely rare tetradrachm from Leontinoi (lot 12) should be mentioned here. A special piece from the offer of the Roman Republic (lots 49-55) is the rare denarius of Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius from the Pompeian military mint in Sicily (lot 55). Coins from the Roman imperial period are numerously represented in this auction, including some very attractive sesterces of various emperors and particularly worth mentioning is the attractive dupondius of Augustus from Nemausus (lot 59). Further being auctioned are some Byzantine coins (lots 123-134), including gold, of course, but also an attractive Arab-Byzantine piece, as well as a few examples of Roman provincial coins (lots 121-122) and the Migration Period (lot 135).

Interesting as well is the fascinating choice of various objects (lots 136-169) from the Palaeolithic to modern times, which includes hand axes, cylinder seals, ceramics, fibulae and much more. The highlights of this sector include the golden hexagonal bar bead from the Byzantine period (lot 157), as well as the complete trick track or backgammon set of baroques, wooden counters (draughtsmen) by Martin Brunner from Nuremberg (lot 168).

Lot 172: Bulgaria, Alexander I. 1879-1886. AV medal of merit n.d. (1883-1886), by Karl Schwenzer. 28 mm. 13,60 g. Most beautiful known specimen! Extremely rare! Magnificent specimen! In NGC holder. PF63 Cameo. Estimate: 20,000 EUR.

Particularly noteworthy from the varied offering of world coins are the Chinese 10 Cash from 1915 from the province of Hunan in top condition (lot 174), the magnificent gold medal of merit from Bulgaria (lot 172), the rare pfennig from the German Benedictine Abbey of Baden-Gengenbach (lot 178), the small batch of various German coins for Reformation anniversaries, the rare variant of the ½ thaler-klippe 1592 from Strasbourg (lot 226), as well as the interesting medal dies for the Spaniard Carlos Sebastiano Ferrero Fieschi (lots 578-579).

Lot 237: Napoleon I. as Consul, 40 Francs AN XII (1803). AR pattern by H. Auguste. Mazard: 521. Unique! Extremely rare! In PCGS holder. Harshly Cleaned-UNC Detail. Estimate: 7,500 EUR.

A highlight is certainly the collection of French patterns and designs (lots 235-493), with outstanding and unique pieces such as the AR pattern for 40 francs AN XII (1803) (lot 237), the gold-plated pattern for 40 francs from Charles X (lot 292), the rare AR pattern by Barre for 5 francs 1853 from Napoleon III (lot 355) and the pattern for 5 francs 1848 (1852) under Louis Napoleon (lot 458).

The Austrian Middle Ages are represented by only one piece, namely the rare Friesacher hälbling CNA: Cu38 (lot 610). In addition, numerous coins from the Holy Roman Empire (lots 611-646), the Austrian Empire (lots 647-699), the Republic of Austria (lots 700-707) and the Austrian ecclesiastic principalities (lots 708-712) are being auctioned. Of these, the rare and magnificent presentative thaler-klippe of Ferdinand II from 1625 (lot 618), the Upper Austrian AR counting jeton from the Fürstenberg collection (lot 645) and the 20 Kronen piece from 1924, valued with MS63+, are particularly noteworthy.

Lot 752: Poland, Gdansk, AV medal (4 ducats) n.d. (17th c.). By J. Buchheim. Obverse: ORA ET LABORA, altar with book and burning hearts, behind it crossed spade and scythe, signed IB. Reverse: DEUS ADERIT SINE MORA, Hand of God lowers fruit basket from clouds. 34 mm. 13,55 g. Extremely rare! Minimal tooling trace on the edge, XF. Estimate: 6,000 EUR.

The auction concludes with several interesting medals (lots 713-806), including the extremely rare 4-ducat gold medal from Danzig by J. Buchheim (lot 752), some remarkable pieces from the 16th and 17th centuries, and many pieces by the medalist Oscar Thiede, as well as a large batch of orders and decorations (lots 801-833), which are mostly offered with their original cases.