A Numismatic Journey to Rhodes – The Kornfeld Collection at Hess Divo

Have you ever been to Rhodes? If you have not, you will start planning a trip there after studying this catalogue. After all, the coins from Rhodes and Lindos – not to forget those of the powerful Order of St John – are magnificent ambassadors of this Greek island that Eberhard W. Kornfeld loved so much. Of course, the name of Kornfeld is well-known among art connoisseurs. Kornfeld was fortunate enough to be the friend and adviser of many great artists. Among them were Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle. His collection of paintings and graphics is legendary. It was exhibited in the Albertina museum in Vienna and served as the basis for the Kirchner Museum in Davos. The incredible quality of the collection can be demonstrated by the fact that Kornfeld’s 102(!) Rembrandt etchings are now part of the world-famous graphic art collection of the Kunstmuseum Basel. The gifted art collector and gallery owner Kornfeld died on 13 April 2023 at the biblical age of 99.

Only a few people knew that Eberhard W. Kornfeld was also interested in coins and appreciated the beauty of these small works of art. With the trained eye of an aesthete, the assembled a well-organised and extremely remarkable collection, which forms the core of the upcoming Hess Divo auction. These coins are well worth looking at. They were all assembled with exquisite taste and acquired from the best coin dealers of the time. We would like to demonstrate Kornfeld’s unerring eye with two very special pieces.

The Collection of the Aesthete Kornfeld

Let us take this tetradrachm from Side as our first example. The port, which was very active in Hellenistic times, minted an enormous quantity of coins of this denomination. They all depicted Athena with a Corinthian helmet on the obverse, and Nike on the reverse. However, the relief of most coins is flat, the engraving is rather simple and the pieces show little artistic ambition. The die-cutter of this tetradrachm, however, rivals the best artists of his time. The face of Athena is majestic, and Nike enchants the observer with her natural movement. The masterpiece was purchased from one of the two leading Swiss coin dealerships of the time, Münzen und Medaillen AG.

Kornfeld also had a fine eye for portraits. The denarius of Vespasian, one of many extremely rare and exquisite aurei, also stands out for the quality of the emperor’s portrait. Vespasian is perfectly captured, majestic and yet shown as the cunning son of a banker from the Italian provinces. Few coins of the Roman imperial period are characterised by such a masterly portrait.

An Impressive Series of Coins from Rhodes

Kornfeld fell in love with the island of Rhodes, whose rich history is reflected in its numismatic heritage. He particularly enjoyed buying coins from the ancient cities of Ialysos, Kameiros and Lindos, which founded a new joint city on the northern tip of the island in the early 4th century BC, whose Hellenistic coinage is excellently represented in the auction sale.

This stater is from Ialysos, which was inhabited even in Minoan times and was one of the largest cities in the Aegean back then. This very rare and historically significant coin, which has been published in scientific works several times, was struck between 510 and 480 BC, after the Dorians had settled on Rhodes to recolonise it. The piece was not only in the Kornfeld Collection, but also in the collections of Hans von Aulock and Raul Abecassis.

Kornfeld was also interested in medieval coins from Rhodes, which is why coin enthusiasts will find a small series of coins of the Order of Saint John, whose knights conquered Rhodes in 1309. They built the palace of their Grand Master on Rhodes and their powerful fleet defended the eastern Mediterranean against Turkish expansion. The motifs on the coins are strongly reminiscent of Venetian coinage. This means that they were inspired by the most well-known trade coins of the time.

More Rarities

In addition to the Kornfeld Collection, connoisseurs will discover many other rarities and exquisitely chosen aesthetic pieces in Hess Divo’s auction 343, for example this gold stater from Pantikapaion.

The stater from Cyrene with the exquisite depiction of Zeus Ammon is also truly exceptional.

Although the quality and the style of this aureus of C. Cassius Longinus are above average, its provenance is even more fascinating. For it can be traced back to 1889. By the time Max von Bahrfeldt published the coin in his book on Roman gold coinage, it had already been part of two prestigious collections: that of Vicomte Albéric du Chastel and of Ernst Julius Haeberlin. However, the coin’s real adventure took place in the 1930s. Unsold at the auction of the Cahn coin shop on 17 July 1933, it was still part of the dealer’s stock and therefore taken to Switzerland by Herbert and Erich Cahn when they fled to Basel after Hitler’s seizure of power. The aureus was put on the market again on 5 March 1935, featuring in auction 3 of Münzhandlung Basel. So with this piece, you will not only acquire a piece of Roman history, but also a testimony to the political events of the 20th century and the history of the coin trade.

The collecting history of this highly rare aureus of Trajan goes back even further. It shows not only the emperor’s portrait on the reverse, but also the portraits of Trajan’s biological father, Ulpius Traianus, and his adoptive father, Nerva, on the reverse.The coin was first auctioned as part of the Viscount Ponton d’Amécourt Collection at Rollin & Feuardent in Paris in 1887. It then passed through the collections of Imhoof-Blumer, Viscount de Sartiges and Hugo von Ziegler-Schindler.

All good things come by in threes – which is why here is a third aureus, this time of the barracks emperor Probus with an interesting and unusual bust on the obverse. Probus wears a laurel-crowned helmet and holds a shield adorned with the aegis. The reverse shows the emperor in the triumphal quadriga.

Interesting Gold Coins and Medals from Around the World

About half of the lots in Hess Divo’s auction 343 are world coins and medals, including numerous gold coins. There are several rarities, particularly from Great Britain, including two 5-guinea pieces of William III and Mary as well as Queen Anne, and a remarkable medal issued on the occasion of the 18th birthday of future George II. It depicts the garden of his birthplace, Herrenhausen near Hanover, with the water fountain of the great basin, which was famous at the time. It was a technical masterpiece, although it did not yet gush all the time. The purpose of this motif was to underline the Guelph’s claim to their kingdom. The Herrenhausen fountain surpassed what had previously been the highest fountain, the Dragon Fountain of Versailles created by Louis XIV. The Latin inscription should also be understood in this context: Innate power takes one to heights.

Russian Gold and Silver Coins under Tsar Nicholas II

In Hess Divo’s auction, collectors can choose from 365 lots with Russian coins at favourable estimates. Most of them are gold and silver coins of Tsar Nicholas II that used to be in circulation. Nevertheless, there are some pieces of excellent quality as well as rare years and denominations among the offer.

The 100-Franc Vreneli Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary

In 2025, the 100-franc Vreneli celebrates its 100th anniversary. We all know that Swissmint is issuing a commemorative coin to mark the occasion, and the demand is already much higher than the supply. So why don’t you opt for the original instead and add one of the finest specimens of this issue to your collection? Hess Divo provides you with the opportunity to do just that. The perfect piece offered in auction 343 was graded MS63 by NGC.

If you would like to consign or sell a collection yourself, please contact Hess Divo AG, Löwenstrasse 55, CH-8001 Zurich, phone: +41 / (0)44 / 225 40 90, email: mailbox@hessdivo.ch.