Axumites and More at Leu Numismatik AG Auction 14
Leu Numismatik AG
Auction 14
Coins
14 October
CH-Zurich
Leu Numismatik AG presents their Auction 14 on 14th October 2023. They offer a selection of 350 Celtic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Axumite coins in their second floor auction of this year. Once again, quality, style, rarity, and provenance are paramount.
The attentive reader of this catalogue will quickly realize that Leu has never held a floor auction with so many consignments from the USA. More than a third of the coins come from American collections, enriching the abundance, quality, and breadth of their assortment. A coincidence? Hardly! The fruitful cooperation with US customers is no doubt a result of the establishment of the US branch and the dedication of its managing director, Ken McDevitt. Within a short time frame, he has succeeded in establishing the name “Leu Numismatik” in the transatlantic numismatic world while meeting the high standards of both the parent company and the American clientele.
Lot 19
Lot 19: Bruttium, Terina. Circa 440-425 BC. AR Didrachm or Nomos. Estimate: 7,500 CHF.
Lot 125
Lot 125: Lydia, Saitta. Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD. AE Medallion. Estimate: 25,000 CHF.
Special thanks also go to Thomas Frisbie (Texas) and Dr. Stephan Coffman (Oregon), both of whom decided to rely on the services of Leu Numismatik USA, Inc. and entrust their collections to Leu for auction. Theit collections consist on one hand of Greek and Roman coins, often with outstanding provenances (Thomas Frisbie). On the other hand, there is the largest and most important collection of Axumite coins ever assembled (Dr. Stephan Coffman). Leu has made a selection from both collections and now offer the most outstanding pieces in this catalogue. The firm gladly invites you to read about the background of these coins in the detailed historical and numismatic commentaries. In particular, the Coffman Collection offers a fascinating insight into a culture that is still little known to the wider public – that of the East African Axumites. The second part of the Frisbie and Coffman Collections will be auctioned in December in Web Auction 28, so if you are outbid in Auction 14, don’t be too disappointed, because a second chance will present itself just before Christmas.
Lot 222
Lot 222: Julia Mamaea, 222-235 AD. AR Medallion. Estimate: 35,000 CHF.
Lot 279
Lot 279: Axum. Ousanas I, circa 325-345 AD. AV Chrysos. Estimate: 5,000 CHF.
Naturally, the time in Winterthur, Munich, Vienna, and London was not spent idly, and Leu are equally pleased about the consignment of many coins by European collectors and dealers. In this context, Leu would like to thank Stefan Sonntag (AMS Auktionen Münzhandlung Sonntag, Stuttgart), who arranged for the firm the consignment of the collection of Greek and Roman coins of Prof. Dr. Dietrich Mannsperger (*1933). Until his well-deserved retirement, Prof. Dr. Mannsperger was the head of the numismatic department of the University of Tübingen and the curator of the university’s coin collection at the Institute of Classical Archaeology. In addition to his professional activities, he was intensively involved with ancient coins in his private life, and over six decades, he has amassed a wonderful collection of Greek and Roman pieces. For many years, he was advised and represented at auctions in Switzerland and abroad by Dr. Roland Maly (Hess AG, Lucerne, later Nomos AG, Kriens). Moreover, as the author of a large number of numismatic writings, Prof. Mannsperger has frequently published about his own coins offered here.
