Agora Numismatiek’s Fixed Pricelist XXIV

Dirk Drijver presents his Agora Numismatiek Spring Pricelist XXIV. With ever more online auctions appearing, almost daily, it should be easier to compile a pricelist. However, the reality is that high quality ancient coins are harder to acquire than ever. Whether this is due to the lack of old, high quality collections or the fierce competition, or both. That said, Dirk Drijver managed to put together an interesting list of ancient Greek and Roman coins. A coin he has always admired is the Syracusan tetradrachm with Arethusa with the flowing hair, or “la Scapigliata” as the Italians name her. There’s also a Pergamene tetradrachm with an impressive head of Seleukos I, formerly in the Nelson Bunker Hunt collection.

Among the Roman coins, a nigh perfect Balbinus denarius catches the eye. And there are few coins that can compete in rarity with an antoninianus of Hostilian as Augustus. A rare Aelius aureus with a provenance going back to before the First World War also deserves mentioning. To complete this list, a couple of early Islamic coins and a few interesting medals have been added. All coins offered by Agora Numismatiek come with a lifelong guarantee and a Certificate of authenticity. Here are some highlights:

Greek Coins

Sicily, Syracuse. Circa 405, AR tetradrachm, 17.29 gr., 26 mm. In the style of Eukleidas. Obv: charioteer, holding kentron and reins, driving fast quadriga to the left.; above: Nike flying to the right, crowning him; in exergue: dolphin to the left. Rev: [ΣY]PAKOΣIΩИ; head of Arethusa to the left, hair in bands, wearing double-loop earring and plain necklace with frontal pendant; around: four dolphins. Ref: Rizzo pl. XLVIIII, 15; SNG Lloyd 1405 (these dies); SNG Fitzwilliam 1253 (these dies); Garrett II, 137 (these dies); Tudeer 96. Delicate toning. Near extremely fine. Price: 12,500 EUR.

Sicily, Gela. Circa 450-440 BC. AR tetradrachm, 17.66 gr., 25 mm. Obv: charioteer driving slow biga to the right; above, Nike flying to the right crowning the horses; in exergue: palmette with tendrils. Rev: CEΛΑΣ; protome of the river god Gelas as a man-headed bull, to the left. Ref: Jenkins, Gela, 363, (O71/R146); SNG ANS. From the European Connaisseur collection before 2002. The obverse somewhat weak, however a pleasing coin in hand, Rare. Choice Very Fine. Price: 7,000 EUR.

Islands off Thrace, Thasos. Circa 148-80 BC. AR tetradrachm, 16.62 gr., 34 mm. Obv: head of Dionysos wearing ivy wreath to the right. Rev: HPAKΛEOYΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ; Herakles standing to the left, holding club and lion skin; to inner left: HM-monogram, below: ΘAΣIΩN. Ref: Le Rider, Thasiennes 51; Prokopov Group XII (V HG1/R 700); BMC 74; HGC 359. Ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. 277 (Frankfurt 1971), lot 65. With collector’s ticket. Old collection patina. A few old marks. Near Extremely Fine. Price: 1,000 EUR.

Kingdom of Thrace. Lysimachos. Amphipolis, circa 288-281 BC. AR tetradrachm, 17.24 g, 29.2 mm. Obv: diademed head of the deified Alexander to the right, with horns of Ammon. Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ; Athena Nikephoros seated left, arm resting on shield, behind: spear; to inner left: race torch, to outer right: cornucopiae. Ref: cf. Thompson 187 and 189 (control marks); cf. Müller 445a var. (outer right control); HGC 1750l. Toned, minor flan flaw on obverse. Extremely rare, unpublished issue. Good Very Fine. Price: 2,500 EUR.

Roman Coins

L. Manlius Torquatus, with L. Cornelius Sulla, military mint moving with Sulla, 82 BC. AR denarius, 4.00 gr., 16.2 mm. Obv: [L]•MANL[I•T] PRO•Q; head of Roma to the right, wearing winged helmet, pendant earring and pearl necklace. Rev. [L•SULLA•IMP]; Sulla driving triumphal quadriga to the right, holding caduceus in right hand and reins in left; above, Victory flying to the left, crowning Sulla with wreath. Ref: Crawford 367/3; Sydenham 759. Extremely Fine. Price. 800 EUR.

Aelius, as Caesar. Rome, 137 AD. AU aureus, 7.03 gr., 18.3 mm. Obv: L•AELIUS CAESAR; bareheaded, draped bust of Aelius to the right. Rev: TRIB POT COS II; Concordia seated to the left on high-backed throne, holding patera in outstretched right hand and resting left arm on a cornucopiae; in exergue: CONCORD. Ref: Calicó 1443; RIC (Hadrian) 443b; BMC (Hadrian) 998. From the Trausnitz and Chabenat collections. Ex Brand & Sonntag FPL 8 (Summer 1992), lot 414; ex Bourgey (14 December 1911), 403, and Merzbacher (15 November 1910), lot 1676.Very rare. Near Extremely Fine. Price: 12,000 EUR.

Julia Maesa, as Augusta. Rome, 218-220 AD. AR antoninianus, 5.48 gr., 22 mm. Obv: JULIA MAESA AUG; draped bust of Julia Maesa wearing stephane to the right, set on crescent. Rev: PIETAS AUG; Pietas standing to the left, dropping grains of incense on lighted altar to the left and holding acerra. Ref: RIC (Elagabalus) 264. From the Lionel Tenby collection (with his ticket). A very delicate portrait and a small masterpiece of Roman art. Toned, minor flan flaw on obverse. Good Very Fine. Price: 250 EUR.

Medals

Germany, Gotha. Christian Wermuth, 1661-1739 AD. AR medal, 14.99 gr., 32,8 mm. Obv: bust of the Roman Emperor Maxentius to the right, wearing lion’s skin headdress; around: text. Rev: 19 lines of text. Ref: Bürchner cf. 73. From the collection of Dr. E., acquired from Höhn auctionhouse (Leipzig, Germany). Beautiful toning. Extremely Fine. Price: 500 EUR.