Ancient Greek Coins from the Druckrey Collection at Künker

Künker

Auction 416

Coins

29-30 October 2024

D-Osnabrück

On 29 and 30 October 2024, the Künker auction house will hold auction 416. It contains 1038 lots with select Greek, Celtic, Roman and Byzantine coins as well as issues from the Migration Period and the Islamic world. We present a few highlights.

No. 1015: Poseidonia / Lucania. Stater, 530-500. From the Charles Gillet Collection, Bank Leu auction 77 (2000), 51. Very fine +. Estimate: 7,500 euros.

No. 1044: Kamarina / Sicily. Didrachm, 415-405. From Sotheby’s auction L09447 (1999), 10. Very fine +. Estimate: 7,500 euros.

No. 1070: Syracuse / Sicily. 100 litrae, 405-400. Obv. signed by Euainetos. From the Virgil Brand Collection, purchased in 1915 from Jacob Hirsch. Extremely fine. Estimate: 10,000 euros.

No. 1108: Abdera / Thrace. Stater, 362 BC. From CGB auction 47 (2011), No. 46. About extremely fine. Estimate: 10,000 euros.

No. 1295: Ptolemy II, 285-246 / Egypt. AE obol, 264-263, unknown Sicilian mint. From Nomos auction 2 (2010), No. 150. Very rare. Extremely fine +. Estimate: 3,000 euros.

The Dr. Eike Druckrey Collection

“The Aesthetics and the World of Thought of the Early Greeks” – this is the title of and the idea behind Dr. Eike Druckrey’s collection of 305 exquisite Greek coins. He was not interested in accumulating as large a collection as possible, but rather in selecting the most beautiful works of art from the Greek Archaic and Classical periods that related to Hellenic ideas and concepts. This collection will open auction 416 on 29 October. Connoisseurs will be delighted to see all their favorites: Poseidonia, Kaulonia, Kamarina, Naxos, Syracuse, Abdera, Athens, Corinth… In short – anything that true lovers of Greek coinage dream of can be found in this collection. The beauty of these issues speaks for themselves. And they are a testament to Dr. Eike Druckrey’s keen eye for detail in selecting these pieces.

No. 1503: Celts. Eburones. Stater, middle of the 1th century BC. Extremely rare. Possibly the finest specimen of this type. Extremely fine. Estimate: 12,500 euros.

A Celtic Rarity of the Highest Historical Importance

After the Druckrey Collection, ancient rarities from various possessions will be presented. You can look forward to a beautiful series of Celtic gold coins, including a hemistater of the Caletes, who gave their name to Pays de Caux in Normandy, and an impressive gold stater of the Eburones of the highest historical importance. After all, the motif of this coin is associated with an episode of the Gallic Wars. Modern historians believe this depiction to be a means of propaganda for a Celtic uprising against the Roman troops. In fact, the Eburones resisted Roman conquest. Led by their king Ambiorix, they attacked a Roman winter camp in mid-November 54 BC. The 15 cohorts stationed there left in a hurry and were completely annihilated. Around 10,000 legionaries are said to have died, equating to about a fifth of the troops stationed in Gaul. Caesar took his revenge in 53 and 51 BC. He massacred all the Eburones he could find, burned their farms and drove off their cattle. There is archaeological evidence of this. After Caesar’s punitive campaign, the Eburones no longer existed.

No. 1561: Syracuse / Sicily. 100 litrae, 405-400. Obv. signed by Kimon. From the collection of a North German friend of ancient coins. From the R. Jameson Collection. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 50,000 euros.

No. 1598: Philip II of Macedon. Gold stater, posthumous, 323-317, Colophon. Extremely fine +. Estimate: 25,000 euros.

No. 1623: Pherae / Thessaly. Drachm, 460-440. From Hess auction 253 (1983), No. 165 and the BCD Collection. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 12,500 euros.

No. 1651: Erythrae / Ionia. Didrachm, before 480 BC. Rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 15,000 euros.

No. 1704: Judaea. Shekel, year 3 (= 68/69), Jerusalem. From the Samel Collection, Künker auction 334 (2020), No. 2264. Extremely fine. Estimate: 10,000 euros.

Greek Coins from Various Possessions

Connoisseurs will also find numerous rarities in the section of Greek coins from various possessions, including an extremely rare 100-litrae piece from Syracuse, signed by Kimon, with a provenance dating back to 1917. Of exceptional beauty is a posthumous gold stater of the Philip II type, whose Apollo head reminds of the portrait of Alexander the Great. A wonderful drachm of Pherae is from the BCD Collection. Thanks to its immaculate condition, the elaborate depiction really comes into its own. And the same holds true regarding an archaic didrachm from Erythrae.

No. 1809: M. Iunius Brutus. Aureus, 42 BC, mint in Asia Minor (Smyrna?). Purchased on 12 September 1969 at Spink & Son, London. Very rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 100,000 euros.

No. 1822: Sextus Pompeius. Aureus, 37/6 BC, Sicilian mint. Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 75,000 euros.

Aurei of Brutus and Pompeius

Künker is pleased to be able to offer a Brutus aureus, which was purchased from Spink & Son in London on 12 September 1969. The coin dates from 42 BC and is one of the issues used to finance the military campaign of Caesar’s assassins. The gold came from contributions of communities in Asia Minor. This aureus was probably struck before the meeting of Brutus and Cassius in Smyrna in early 42 BC, when they discussed how to proceed. The very attractive specimen of about extremely fine quality is estimated at 100,000 euros.

75,000 euros is the estimate of an aureus struck shortly afterwards, showing the portrait of Sextus Pompeius on the obverse, and the heads of his father and brother on the reverse. The coin was minted in 37/6 BC to finance the construction of the fleet.

No. 1834: Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra. Tetradrachm, ca. 36 BC, unknown mint. Very rare. Very fine +. Estimate: 40,000 euros.

No. 1970: Aelius. Aureus, 137. From MMAG auction 17 (1957), 462. Rare. Extremely fine / About extremely fine. Estimate: 40,000 euros.

No. 2036: Diadumenianus. Quinarius, 217-218. From Triton XX (2017), No. 805. Very fine +. Estimate: 25,000 euros.

No. 2078: Postumus, 260-268. Aureus, 258/60, Cologne. From Jacob Hirsch auction XIV (1905), No. 1407. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 25,000 euros.

No. 2106: Constantine I (306-337). Solidus, 313-315, Trier. From Hess-Leu auction 49 (1971), No. 456. Extremely fine. Estimate: 35,000 euros.

No. 2108: Crispus. Solidus, 319/20, Trier. From Leo Biaggi de Blasys auction, No. 2058. Very rare. Traces of reworking at the edge. About extremely fine. Estimate: 50,000 euros.

No. 2193: Artavasdus, 742-744 with Nicephorus. Solidus. Extremely rare. Very fine. Estimate: 20,000 euros.

Roman and Byzantine Rarities

Of course, these two aurei are not the only Roman rarities in this auction sale. Künker’s auction 416 features everything a collector’s heart desires: rare aurei, fine bronze coins, denarii with excellent portraits, and some interesting provincial issues – there is truly something for everyone.

Clémentine d’Orléans, c. 1890.

The Clémentine d’Orléans Collection

The coin collection of Clémentine d’Orléans was entrusted to Künker for auction as part of the estate of Dr. Alexander Eugen Duke of Württemberg, the rest of which will be sold in auction 415. This is a typical collection of the 19th century, with its collector attaching more importance to the historical significance of a coin than to its condition. As a result, this multiple lot of 306 coins contains pieces of many different qualities.

Clémentine d’Orléans was the daughter of Citizen King Louis Philippe and received an excellent education. Clémentine owed her love of history to her father, who personally taught this subject to her and her siblings. Clémentine also inherited her unique business acumen from her father, with which she managed the inheritance of her husband, Duke August Ludwig Viktor of Saxe-Coburg-Koháry. It was a vast estate of more than 150,000 hectares in Lower Austria, Hungary and present-day Slovakia. As a wealthy member of the high nobility, Clémentine systematically pursued the goal of elevating her sons’ ranks: She secured the position of Tsar of Bulgaria for Ferdinand I in return for considerable investment in Bulgarian infrastructure.

Clémentine traveled all her life. When she became too old to do so, she began to collect coins. A preliminary comparison of the handwriting on the coin slips and letters written in her own hand suggests that Clémentine identified her coins herself. She was particularly interested in Byzantine coinage, and owned the reference work of the time, Sabatier’s catalog.

Clémentine’s coin collection is a numismatic ensemble whose significance goes far beyond the coins themselves. It is a great stroke of luck that this collection has survived intact. Künker has therefore decided to keep it this way and offer it as an ensemble in lot 2166.

Please note that this auction is part of Künker’s October auction week, which consists of three auction sales.

Auction 415 on 28 October 2024 presents orders, decorations as well as many other numismatically interesting medals, including from the estate of Alexander Eugen Herzog of Württemberg and Carl Theodor in Bavaria. Click here to read the preview.
Auction 416 on 29/30 October 2024 was presented in this preview.
Auction 417 on 31 October 2024 is an eLive Premium Auction. It contains part 9 of the Dr. W. R. Collection. On offer are Roman coins from the capital and provinces from the time after Nero’s death to the end of the Severan dynasty. Find the review for this auction here.

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