Auction 123 - Session 3
Date: 2023-05-23 00:00:00
Lots: 250
Total starting: $ 0.00
Total realized: $ 0.00 (+0.00%)
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Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 629
Hadrian. AD 117-138. Æ Sestertius (33mm, 25.59 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 125-126/7. Laureate bust right, slight drapery / Neptune standing left, right foot set on prow, mantel on thigh, holding acrostolium and trident. RIC II.3 811; Banti 172. Brown patina with tan highlights. Good VF. Ex Collection of an Archaeologist (Künker 347, 22 March 2021), lot 423, acquired from Günther Schlüter (Chairman of the German Numismatic Society 1975-1977), Berlin, August 1993; Seaby Coin & Medal Bulletin 514 (March 1961), no. B257.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 630
Hadrian. AD 117-138. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.24 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck AD 133-circa 135. Bare head right / Salus, draped, standing right, right hand extended, feeding out of patera serpent coiled around and rising from altar to right. RIC II.3 2048; RSC 1335. Iridescent tone, a few shallow scratches under tone on reverse. Superb EF. Struck from fresh dies. Ex Ulysses Collection (Triton XXV, 26 January 2022), lot 899; Leu Numismatik 4 (25 May 2019), lot 646.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 631
Hadrian. AD 117-138. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.10 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 133-circa 135. Bare head right / Salus, draped, standing right, right hand extended, feeding out of patera serpent coiled around and rising from altar to right. RIC II.3 2048; RSC 1335. Beautiful iridescent tone with underlying luster, a few very minor flan flaws on reverse. Choice EF. Ex Leu Numismatik 3 (27 October 2018), lot 240.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 632
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 22.72 g, 5h). Provincial series. Rome mint. Struck AD 139. Laureate head right / DACIA, S - C, COS II in exergue, Dacia standing facing, head left, holding crown in right hand, draco standard in left. RIC III 581; Banti 135. Dark green patina, flan crack, roughness on reverse. VF. Very rare, only one known to Banti. Ex Friedrich Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica, 2 April 1995), lot 1355, purchased from Frank Kovacs.The Provincial coin issues of Antoninus Pius begin early in his reign, circa AD 139, and represent something of a continuation from the similar series of his predecessor, Hadrian. Unlike Hadrian, Antoninus never left Italy over the 24 years of his reign and never saw the vast majority of the provinces depicted, although he did serve as governor of Asia during his senatorial career. The provincial sestertii of Antoninus are, as a rule, quite rare and difficult to acquire in pleasing grades.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 633
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 29.88 g, 5h). Provincial series. Rome mint. Struck AD 139. Laureate head right / DACIA, S - C, COS II in exergue, Dacia standing facing, head left, holding crown in right hand, falx in left. RIC III –; Banti 136 (this coin). Black patina, minor pitting. VF. Extremely rare, one of two known specimens. Ex Galerie des Monnaies of Geneva [1] (25 June 1976), lot 800.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 634
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (35mm, 26.48 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 140. ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS PIVS, laureate bust right, wearing aegis / P P TR P COS III, S C in exergue, Aeneas, wearing short tunic and cloak, advancing right, carrying Anchises on left shoulder and leading Ascanius by right hand: Anchises is veiled and draped and holds box in left hand, Ascanius wears Phrygian cap and holds pedum in left hand. RIC III 615; Strack 903 (this coin cited); Banti 309 (this coin illustrated); BMCRE 1264. Brown patina, tooled and smoothed. VF. Very rare. Ex Künker 288 (13 March 2017), lot 577; Kunst und Münzen XXIX (20 May 1993), lot 384; Henry Platt Hall Collection (Part II, Glendining, 16 November 1950), lot 1458; M. L. Vierordt Collection (J. Schulman, 5 March 1923), lot 1479; Egger XLIII (14 April 1913), lot 943; J. Hirsch XI (4 May 1904), lot 916.The reverse depicts a scene recounted by Virgil in the Aeneid, when the Greeks attacked and set fire to Troy; here we see Aeneas fleeing, carrying his aged father, Anchises, on his shoulder, leading his son, Ascanius, by the hand to safety.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 635
Antoninus Pius, with Marcus Aurelius as Caesar. AD 138-161. AV Aureus (18.5mm, 7.03 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head of Pius left / AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG P II F COS, bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust of Aurelius right. RIC III 421b; Calicó 1734 (same rev. die as illustration; same obv. die as illustration of Calicó 1733); BMCRE 170; Biaggi 798 (same rev. die). Minor marks and nicks, faint hairlines. Good VF. Rare.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 636
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (34mm, 28.15 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143. Laureate head right / Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius seated left on sella castrensis on raised daïs, extending hand; to left and right, lictor standing, holding rod. RIC III 628; Banti 374. Dark gray patina, smoothed. VF. From the Richard McAlee Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 87 (18 May 2011), lot 1006.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 637
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 25.12 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 143. Laureate and draped bust right / REX QVADIS DATVS, S C in exergue, Pius standing left, togate, presenting a diadem to the king of the Quadi standing right. RIC III 620; Banti 324. Dark brown patina, earthen highlights, minor cleaning scratches. Near VF. Very Rare. The Quadi were a Germanic tribe situated in modern Moravia, western Slovakia. Tacitus refers to them in his Germania as a warlike people akin to the Marcomanni, who like them were governed by kings "descended from the noble line of Maroboduus and Tudrus." Both tribes fought against, and were defeated by, the future emperor Tiberius circa 6 AD, although a revolt in Illyricum prevented the Romans from attempting to occupy or annex their lands. Tacitus, in his Annals relates a series of kings of both tribes who were raised up and rapidly deposed during the reign of Tiberius after about AD 18; the last of these kings was a Quadian named Vannius, who reigned until circa AD 50. The Marcomanni agreed to a treaty by which future kings would be appointed by Rome, but the only evidence we have that the Quadi agreed to a similar arrangement is this rare coin type of Antoninus Pius, struck in AD 143, which depicts the emperor crowning the Quadian king, along with the legend REX QVADIS DATVS ("a king given to the Quadi"). Three decades later, the Quadi would join the Marcomanni is making war on the Romans, even invading Italy and placing Aquileia under siege. The vicious, protracted conflict occupied much of Marcus Aurelius' reign. One of the books of his Meditations was written "Among the Quadi." Though Marcus ultimately pushed them back across the frontier, the Quadi remained a thorn in the Roman side until the fifth century AD.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 638
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.32 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 149-150. Laureate head right / Bonus Eventus standing left, holding patera in right hand and grain ears in left. RIC III 180; RSC 218. Iridescent toning, small edge splits. Choice EF. Well struck and attractively toned. From the DFA Collection.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 639
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. AV Aureus (18mm, 6.76 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 150-151. ANTONINVS PI VS P P TR P XIIII, laureate bust right, slight drapery / LAET I T IA, COS IIII in exergue, Ceres, draped, standing right, holding two grain ears in right hand; at her right side, Proserpina, draped, standing left, holding pomegranate in left hand. RIC III 199 var. (bust type); Strack 224; Calicó 1559a (same obv. die as illustration); BMCRE 724, note; Adda 192 (same obv. die); cf. Biaggi 733. Small flan flaw on obverse. Near EF.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 640
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. AV Aureus (18.5mm, 7.24 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 153-154. ΛNTONINVS ΛVG PI VS P P TR P XVII, laureate head right / COS IIII, Antoninus Pius, togate, standing left, holding globe in extended right hand and volumen in left at side. RIC III 233b; Strack 270δ; Calicó 1527 (same obv. die as illustration); BMCRE 813; Adda 183; Biaggi 718 (same obv. die); Mazzini 312 (same obv. die). Lustrous. In NGC encapsulation 6559106-004, graded MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Fine Style. Well struck in high relief. From the Willamette Valley Collection. Ex Grand Haven Collection (Triton XXIV, 19 January 2021), lot 1093; Heritage 3075 (15 August 2019), lot 32051; Classical Numismatic Review XXVI.1 (Summer 2001), no. 103.The mild, civilian nature of Antoninus' government is exemplified by this aureus, which depicts him on the reverse wearing the toga, traditional garb of a Roman civil magistrate, and holding a globe and volumen, or scroll. The globe had been a symbol of universal rule since the emergence of classical Greece.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 641
Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 28.41 g). Rome mint. Struck AD 159-160. Laureate head right / Pietas standing left, holding globe and child; a child standing on either side of her. RIC III 1031; Banti 287. Brown patina, smoothing. Good VF.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 642
Marcus Aurelius. As Caesar, AD 139-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 29.30 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck under Antoninus Pius, AD 153-154. Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Minerva seated right, holding spear and shield set on ground to right. RIC III 1315 (Pius); Banti 336. Brown-green surfaces, lightly tooled. Good VF. From the Richard McAlee Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 398 (31 May 2017), lot 531.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 643
Marcus Aurelius. AD 161-180. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 24.93 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 169. Laureate head right / Marcus Aurelius on horseback right, holding spear and reins; to left, three soldiers standing right; to right, soldier standing left, holding spear and shield. RIC III 963; MIR 18, 179-6/30; Banti 244. Dark brown patina, minor roughness and deposits on reverse. VF. Rare. From the D.K. Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 97 (17 September 2014), lot 670; Roma VI (29 September 2013), lot 944.This reverse commemorates Aurelius' departure in AD 169 on his first campaign against the Germanic tribes.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 644
Lucius Verus. AD 161-169. AR Denarius (18.5mm, 3.48 g, 2h). Rome mint. Struck AD 165. Laureate head right / Parthian captive seated right, hands bound behind his back; at feet, bow, quiver and shield. RIC III 540 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 112-14/30; RSC 273. Attractive iridescent tone. In NGC encapsulation 4936390-002, graded Ch AU, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 645
Commodus. AD 177-192. AV Aureus (19.5mm, 7.09 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 181. M • COMMODVS ΛNTONINVS ΛVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / SECVRITΛS PVBLICΛ TR P VI IMP IIII, COS III P P in exergue, Securitas, draped, seated right, resting head on right hand and holding transverse scepter in left. RIC III 23 var. (not cuirassed); MIR 18, 514-2/37; Calicó 2325 (same rev. die as illustration); BMCRE 54 var. (same; same rev. die); Biaggi 1011 var. (bust type); Mazzini 700 v. (same obv. die). Lustrous, minor scratch on reverse, edge lightly grazed. EF. The sole reign of Commodus, AD 180-192, is often viewed as the tipping point where The Roman Empire's long decline began. Commodus has thus been featured in novels, plays, and feature films, usually as a villain, most recently in the cinema epics "Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964), portrayed by Christopher Plummer, and "Gladiator" (2001), portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. His actual persona, and the events of his 12-year sole reign, are far more complex and fantastical than depicted in either film. The son of the greatly revered "Philosopher Emperor" Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180), Commodus was born "in the purple" in AD 161 and was raised in an almost monastically austere environment. Marcus made him co-Augustus in AD 177, and the following year he accompanied Marcus to the Danubian front on a strenuous military campaign against the Germanic tribes. Worn out by his exertions, Marcus died on 17 March AD 180, commending Commodus to the legions as his successor. Freed of his dutiful father's control, Commodus cut a deal with the Germans and abandoned all further plans of military conquest. Returning to Rome, he plunged into sensual pursuits and left governing to a succession of favorites who, for the most part, plundered the public purse and aggrandized themselves. His lax rule soon led to plots against the regime, which were ruthlessly suppressed; one ended in the exile and executions of his sister Lucilla and wife Crispina. Rejecting the intellectuality of his father, Commodus favored the physicality of the Arena and fancied himself as a great athlete, hunter and gladiator. The Roman people seemed largely to enjoy his antics; however his close advisors began to fear for their own lives and ultimately arranged his death by strangulation at the hands of his wrestling instructor. The damage done by his 12 years of listless, corrupt rule was deep and lasting. While Commodus continued and worsened the debasement of Roman silver coinage begun by his father, the gold coinage remained of high purity, weight and artistry. This beautiful aureus, struck early in his sole reign, depicts him as a young man very much in the image of his father. The historians Dio and Herodian both describe him as exceptionally handsome, a picture borne out by his coin portraits and sculpture. The reverse evokes the "Security of the Public" in an uncertain age.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 646
Commodus. AD 177-192. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 29.14 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 184. Laureate head right / Fides standing right, holding two stalks of grain and raising plate of fruits. RIC III 413; MIR 18, 598-6/30; Banti 478. Dark brown patina. Good VF. Ex Classical Numismatic Group inventory 902141 (August 2011).
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 647
Commodus. AD 177-192. AV Aureus (20mm, 7.72 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 192. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT P P, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / FIDEI CO HO R TIVM AVG, Fides standing left, holding two grain ears in right hand and vexillum in left. Cf. RIC III 199 (denarius); MIR 18 –; Calicó –; cf. G. Hirsch 303, lot 3090. Fully lustrous, minor scratch in field on obverse. EF. Extremely rare, the second known and in superior grade. Despite his increasingly erratic rule, the Emperor Commodus enjoyed relatively good relations with the soldiery during his 15-year reign. Early on, aristocratic conspiracies against Commodus caused his complete alienation from the Roman Senate, leading him to rely heavily on the army, the 10 cohorts of Praetorian Guard in particular, to carry out his will. The two Praetorian commanders, or praefects, wielded great power in this regime, but at the same time bore the brunt of his violent mood swings and arbitrary decisions. Cleander, the most powerful of these viziers, held sway for three years before a grain shortage caused public rioting and calls for his execution, which Commodus quickly heeded. This extremely rare aureus type, issued in AD 192, thanks the Praetorian Cohorts for their loyalty to him in the aftermath of Cleander's fall, slyly referenced by the figure of Fides (Fidelity) clutching two grain ears. The new praefect, Laetus, would soon engineer a successful conspiracy against his master, and the Praetorians would ultimately prove themselves loyal only to whomever paid them the most.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 648
Pertinax. AD 193. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 22.85 g, 5h). Rome mint. 2nd emission. Laureate head right / Providentia, draped, standing left, right hand slightly raised toward small star, left hand on breast. RIC IV 22; Lempereur Type 10, 780 (D281/R405); Banti 20; BMCRE 28-30. Rough green patina, some smoothing in fields, lightly double struck on reverse. Good VF. Powerful portrait.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Auction 123 - Session 3 . 649
Manlia Scantilla. Augusta, AD 193. AR Denarius (18mm, 2.95 g, 11h). Rome mint. Struck under Didius Julianus. Draped bust right / Juno standing left, holding patera and vertical scepter; at feet to left, peacock standing left, head right. RIC IV 7a (Julianus); RSC 2. Well centered on an impressive round flan, attractive portrait, lightly toned. VF. Exceptional for issue, very rare with complete legends.