Agora Numismatiek Fixed-Price List XXIII

With the summer at an end, the numismatic season starts again. And of-course the Agora Numismatiek Fixed-Price List kicks it off as usual. As it seems harder to acquire high quality pieces at more or less reasonable prices, Agora is very happy with the 36 coins on offer in this list. The devil is in the detail. And they found some rare varieties of coins: an uncia from Luceria with an unusual disposition of the legend. And a stater from Pharsalos where the warrior on horseback wears a Boiotian helmet instead of the usual petasos. This is a later state of the reverse die, as published pieces don’t have the initials as this piece has. Also, a drachm from Aitolia with the Calydonian boar. Here, the placement of the monograms is maybe even unpublished.

A rare solidus of the short lived Byzantine emperor Phocas wearing the consular robe and an impressive aureus of Maximian Herculius wearing a lion skin headdress certainly deserve mention. And there are more coins worth of note: a “Vercingetorix”-denarius by Julius Caesar supporter Hostilius Saserna, a scarce Trajan aureus with the emperor spearing a fallen Dacian and a very rare Exercitus Syriacus sestertius of Hadrian with a provenance going back to 1980. Provenances are important and many coins in this list have an already respectable summary of collections, books and auctions in which they were present. Others have not been found yet, but are waiting to be discovered.

Celtic Coins

SKU: 1581. Celts, Central Europe. Vindelici. 1st century BC. AU stater, 7.6 gr., 16.9 mm. “Vogelkopf” type. Obv: head of a bird to the left with large pellet above and below; around: wreath. Rev: six pellets within torque with pellet; all within shallow incuse. Ref: Kellner Typ II D; Flesche collection 303. Nearly extremely fine. From a Bavarian collection, acquired in the 1990’s. Price: 3,000 EUR.

Greek Coins

SKU: 1582. Sicily, Leontinoi. Circa 425-420 BC. AR tetradrachm, 17,74 gr., 26 mm. Obv: laureate head of Apollo to the right; behind: olive spray. Rev: LEONTINON; head of roaring lion to right, with open jaws and tongue protruding; three barley grains around, below: mullet (chelon labrosus) swimming to the right. Ref: Boehringer, Münzgeschichte 62 var. (same dies); HGC 2, 674. Good very fine. A striking rendering of Apollo. Privately acquired in the 1980/1990’s. Price: 3,750 EUR.

SKU: 1575: Mysia, Lampsakos. Circa 500 – 480 BC. AR didrachm, 6.32 gr., 16 mm. Obv: protome of winged horse to the right. Rev: quadripartite incuse square. Ref: BMC 2; Traité 634. Prospero 463 (same rev. punch); NAC 88, lot 409 (same rev. punch). Very rare. Good very fine. Price: 2,250 EUR.

SKU: 1591. Karia, Iasos. Circa 250-190 BC. Lampitos, magistrate. AR drachm (Persian standard), 5.32 gr., 21 mm. Obv: laureate head of Apollo to the right. Rev: Hermias holding on to dolphin swimming to the right; below: ΛAMΠITOΣ. Ref: Ashton, Pre-Imperial 6 var. (unlisted dies); otherwise unpublished. Toned, minor double strike. Extremely rare with this magistrate. Choice very fine. Price: 6,000 EUR.

Roman Coins

SKU: 1603. L. Hostilius Saserna. Rome, 48 BC. AR denarius, 3.95 gr., 18.5 mm. Obv: bearded head of Gallic warrior (Vercingetorix?) to the right; behind: Gallic shield. Rev: L·HOSTILIUS; two warriors in biga to the right: one driving, holding whip and reins, the other facing backwards, holding shield and brandishing spear; below horses: SASERN. Ref: Crawford 448/2a; Sydenham 952. Privately acquired from Maison Platt on May 17, 1975. A bold portrait of excellent style and a wonderful old cabinet tone. Minor flan flaw on reverse. Nearly extremely fine. Price: 5,500 EUR.

SKU: 1617. Trajan. Rome, 116-117 AD. Æ sestertius, 30.03 gr., 33.5 mm. Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AUG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P; laureate and draped bust of Trajan to the right. Rev: REX PARTHIS DATUS; Trajan seated to the left on curule chair on platform, with prefect standing behind, presenting King Parthamaspates, standing to the left, to Parthia kneeling to the right before him; in exergue: S•C. Ref: RIC 667; BMC 1046; Banti 96. From the Salton collection. Insignificant flan flaw on obverse. Rare. Good very fine. A medallic issue portraying the might of Rome. From the Salton collection, with collectors’ envelope and ticket. Price: 2,500 EUR.

SKU: 1596. Faustina Minor. Ilion, Troas, circa 161 AD. Æ-21, 6.22 gr., 21 mm. Obv: ΦΑUСΤΕΙΝ СЄΒΑС; draped bust of Faustina minor to the right. Rev: ΙΛΙЄΩΝ; cult-statue of Athena of Ilion, wearing kalathos, standing on short column to the right, brandishing spear and holding spindle; before: cow standing to the left. Ref: RPC IV.2 Online 106 (temporary); SNG Copenhagen 396; BMC 54. Scarce. Attractive green patina, minor scrape to the obverse. Good very fine. Beautiful reverse composition of great artistic merit. Price: 500 EUR.

SKU: 1618. Commemorative issue for Divus Commodus (died 192 AD). Trajan Decius. Rome, 251 AD. AR antoninianus, 4.12 gr., 16.8 mm. Obv: DIVO COMMODO; radiate head of Divus Commodus to the right. Rev. CONSECRATIO; lighted altar with two doors. Ref: RIC (Decius) 94. Extremely fine. Price: 600 EUR.

SKU: 1584. Maximianus Herculius. Rome, 294 AD. AU aureus, 5.24 gr., 18 mm. Obv: MAXIMIANUS P F AUG; head of Maximianus Herculius, wearing lion-skin headdress, to the right. Rev: HERCULI DEBELLAT; Hercules standing to the left, club raised, preparing to strike Hydra coiled around his leg, which he grips with left hand; in exergue: PROM. Ref: Calicó 4661; RIC -; Cohen 254; Depeyrot 9/6. British Museum collection, reg.no. 1867, 0101.875 (these dies). A very desirable and dynamic type. Minor smoothing in field. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Price: 30,000 EUR.

Byzantine Coins

SKU: 1609. Phocas. Constantinople,603 AD. AU solidus, 4.35 gr., 21 mm. Obv: D N FOCAЄ PЄRP AU’; crowned bust of Phocas facing, wearing consular robes and holding mappa with his right hand, and cross with his left. Rev: VICTORIA AUCCB; angel standing facing, holding staff terminating in staurogram in right hand, globus cruciger in left; in exergue: CONOB. Ref: DOC 4a; Sear 623. Rare. Well struck on a broad flan. Extremely fine. Price: 2,000 EUR.