The Coin Cabinet Launches its First Kallista Auction

The Coin Cabinet launches Kallista I, their inaugural printed Ancients auction, live from their offices in London, with the first lot set to hammer this Thursday 3rd October at 2pm UK-time.

This exclusive event offers a unique opportunity to acquire treasures from the Celtic tribes, Magna Graecia, Ancient Greece, Carthage, the Roman Republic, the Imperatorial age, the Roman Empire and its provinces and the Byzantine and Migrationary eras.

Kallista I represents a monumental step forward for The Coin Cabinet’s ancients department, which has experienced a meteoric rise since its inception in May 2023. Under the expert stewardship of The Coin Cabinet’s Managing Director and Head of Ancients, Joe Hazell, Kallista I is the first in a series of biannual signature Ancients auctions that The Coin Cabinet will be bringing to the wider numismatic community.

Pre-bidding in Kallista I is available both through Biddr and The Coin Cabinet’s own auction platform, hosted at auctions.thecoincabinet.com, while the live sale will be available solely through The Coin Cabinet’s own auction platform and app, available for Apple and Android devices.

Kallista I features a number of gems of ancient numismatics; a phenomenal double decadrachm of the Kingdom of Macedon, and a Probus aureus of outstanding beauty being just two of the many highlights within the sale:

Lot 25.

• Lot 25: Sicily, Syracuse, Dionysios I AV 100 Litrai – Double Dekadrachm. Good Extremely Fine, a stunning representation.
• Lot 37: Cilicia, Tarsos, Mazaios (Satrap of Cilicia) AR Stater. Mint State; exquisite in hand – beautifully toned with attractive streaks rainbow iridescence surrounding devices. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica.
• Lot 45: Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides II “Soter” AR Tetradrachm. Mint State; an exquisite specimen – subtly toned and boasting a marvellous portrait. Ex Professor Shir Mohammad Collection, Roma Numismatics Ltd, Auction XXIII (24/3/2022), lot 444 (hammer: £2,800).

Lot 66.

• Lot 66: Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachos AV Stater. Good Extremely Fine; a lustrous and well-detailed example; previously graded NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 “edge bend” (#6158848-001). Provenanced to 1926. From the inventory of Agora Numismatiek; Ex Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XXVI (10/01/2023), lot 96; Ex Regierungsrat Dr. iur. Hans Krähenbühl Collection, Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 8 (23/10/2021), lot 41 (privately purchased from Bank Leu, 15 May 1973); Ex Hess-Leu, Auction 45 (12/05/1970), lot 110; Ex Hess-Leu, Auction 28 (05/05/1965), lot 132; Ex Collection of a Foreign Amateur, Glendining (13/12/1963), lot 242; Ex Ars Classica, Auction XIII (27/06/1926), lot 1261.
• Lot 83: Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy III “Euergetes” AV Mnaieion (Oktadrachm). Extremely Fine; highly lustrous metal – previously graded NGC XF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5 (cert: 6830208-004). Privately purchased from Numismatica Ars Classica (2014).
• Lot 124: Vespasian AV Aureus. Good Extremely Fine; highly lustrous, with a striking portrait of Vespasian. Ex Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XXVI (10/1/2023), lot 730.

Lot 132.

• Lot 132: Trajan, with Trajan Pater and Nerva, AV Aureus. About Extremely Fine. Ex collection of Hugo von Ziegler-Schindler (1890-1966).
• Lot 140: Antoninus Pius AV Aureus. Fleur De Coin; Previously graded NGC Ch MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 (cert: 6830208-005). Scarce. Ex Maison Palombo, Auction 18 (17/11/2019), lot 65; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 6 (25/2/1993), lot 439.
• Lot 143: Marcus Aurelius AV Aureus. About Mint State; a near-perfect example, boasting a spectacular portrait of Aurelius struck in high relief. Provenanced to 1989. Very Rare. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 101 (24/10/2017), lot 274 (hammer: 19,000 CHF); Ex LHS Numismatik, Auktion 95 (25/10/2005), lot 819; Ex Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Auction 200 (23/9/1998), lot 710; Ex Numismatica Ars Classica AG, Auction 2 (21/2/1990), lot 674; Ex Numismatic Fine Arts, Auction XXII (1/6/1989), lot 67.
• Lot 146: Julia Domna (wife of Septimius Severus) AV Aureus. Fleur De Coin; a spectacular aureus. Provenanced to 1957. Rare. Ex Marti Hervera (20/5/2004), lot 410; Ex Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser, Auction 17 (18/3/2003), lot 413; Ex G. Hirsch, Auction XIV (19/9/1957), lot 706.

Lot 155.

• Lot 155: Probus AV “Heavy” Aureus. Good Extremely Fine; beautifully centred and wonderfully lustrous. Very Rare. Ex Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 13 (27/5/2023), lot 348.