Triton XXVII - Session 2
Date: 2024-01-10 00:00:00
Lots: 310
Total starting: $ 0.00
Total realized: $ 0.00 (+0.00%)
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Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 611
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. January-February 44 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.91 g, 5h). Rome mint. L. Aemilius Buca, moneyer. Laureate head right; CAESAR • IM downwards to right; large crescent dividing P M upwards to left / Venus Victrix standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand and leaning on scepter in left; L • AEMILIVS BVCA around from upper right. Crawford 480/4; Alföldi Type IV, 103 (A8/R4 – this coin illustrated); CRI 102 (same rev. die); Sydenham 1060; RSC 22; RBW –. Wonderful cabinet tone, reverse off center, reverse die wear. Near EF. A magnificent portrait of Caesar. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 78 (26 May 2014), lot 480; Sternberg XI (20 November 1981), lot 547.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 612
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. January-February 44 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.93 g, 5h). Lifetime issue. Rome mint. L. Aemilius Buca, moneyer. Laureate head right; CAESAR • IM downwards to right; large crescent dividing P M upwards to left / Venus Victrix standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand and leaning on scepter in left; L • AEMILIVS BVCA around from upper right. Crawford 480/4; Alföldi Type IV, 21 (A4/R13 – this coin illustrated); CRI 102; Sydenham 1060; RSC 22; BMCRR Rome 4152-3; Kestner 3685; RBW –. Toned with iridescence, light marks, areas of minor flatness on reverse, slight edge roughness. Good VF. Superb portrait of Caesar. From the Wayne Scheible Collection. Ex Gemini III (9 January 2007), lot 315 (hammer $6,500); Luigi de Nicola Collection.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 613
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. March-April 44 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 4.08 g, 3h). Rome mint; M. Mettius, moneyer. Laureate head right; CAESAR downwards to right, IMPER upwards to left / Venus Victrix standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand and transverse scepter in left, resting her left elbow on shield set on celestial globe to right; A to left, M • METTIVS downwards to right. Crawford 480/17; Alföldi Type XVI, 59 (A9/R7); CRI 101; Sydenham 1055; RSC 35; BMCRR Rome 4137; Kestner –; RBW 1686. Toned, underlying luster, a few light scratches on reverse. EF. Well struck with a bold and expressive portrait. Verism, a style of portraiture that strives to be hyper-realistic in its depiction of the subject "warts and all," can be traced as far back as the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 13th century BC. It came to its full fruition in the late Roman Republic, perhaps influenced by the practice of making wax masks of the deceased. Caesar was the first living Roman to place his image on coins, and, in keeping with the style of portrait busts in stone and bronze, many of his numismatic portraits are veristic to the extreme. It is surprising to modern sensibilities that a man of his alleged vanity would allow himself to be portrayed with the balding pate, sagging jowls, and long "turkey neck" seen on this lifetime denarius. But it was clearly less important to Caesar that he be flattered with an idealized portrait, in the manner of Hellenistic kings, than to have his image convey the power and gravitas that only age and experience could provide.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 614
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. April 44 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.10 g, 6h). Rome mint; C. Cossutius Maridianus, moneyer. Laureate and veiled head right; apex and lituus flanking neck; PΛRENS PΛTRIΛE upward to left, CΛESΛR upward to right / Cruciform COSSVTIVS MARIDIANVS; A A A F • F in angles. Crawford 480/19; Alföldi Type XVII, 10 var. (O–/R5, [rev. die unrecorded]); CRI 112; Sydenham 1069; RSC 8; BMCRR Rome 4187; Kestner –; RBW 1687. Toned, off center. In NGC encapsulation 4241286-009, graded AU, Strike: 3/5, Surface: 3/5, Fine Style. One of the rarer portrait types for Julius Caesar. Ex Münzen und Medaillen AG FPL 506 (January 1988), no. 41; Waddell 2 (12 September 1987), lot 464.Gaius Cossutius Maridianus was apparently the last man appointed to the recently expanded quatrovirate of moneyers in 44 BC. All of his Caesar heads are veiled, alluding to Caesar's role as Pontifex Maximus. This issue is the last Caesar portrait type struck in 44 BC and is, according to David R. Sear, "clearly posthumous, presumably belonging to mid-April."
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 615
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. 42 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.86 g, 10h). Rome mint. L. Livineius Regulus, moneyer. Wreathed head of Caesar right; laurel branch to left, winged caduceus to right / Bull charging right; L • LIVINEIVS above, REGVLVS below. Crawford 494/24; CRI 115; Sydenham 1106; RSC 27; BMCRR Rome 4274-6; Kestner 3729-30; RBW 1730. Lightly toned. In NGC encapsulation 4936382-001, graded Ch XF★, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Fine Style. Ex Freeman & Sear FPL 7 (Spring 2003), no. 201.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 616
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. 42 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.00 g, 2h). Rome mint; L. Mussidius Longus, moneyer. Laureate head right / Rudder, cornucopia on globe, winged caduceus, and apex; L • MVSSIDIVS • LONGVS in semicircle above. Crawford 494/39a; CRI 116; Sydenham 1096a; RSC 29; BMCRR Rome 4238-9; Kestner 3750; RBW 1742; CNR I 108/11 (this coin). Deep cabinet toning, reverse somewhat off center, light porosity, trace reverse die rust. EF. Excellent portrait of Caesar. Ex Künker 257 (10 October 2014), lot 8843; Münzen und Medaillen AG 43 (12 November 1970), lot 229; Münzen und Medaillen AG XXVIII (19 June 1964), lot 240.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 617
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. 42 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.55 g, 9h). Rome mint; L. Mussidius Longus, moneyer. Laureate head right / Rudder, cornucopia on globe, winged caduceus, and apex; L • MVSSIDIVS • LONGVS in semicircle above. Crawford 494/39a; CRI 116; Sydenham 1096a; RSC 29; BMCRR Rome 4238-9; Kestner 3750; RBW 1742; CNR I 108/4 (this coin). Toned, light marks. Near EF. An attractive portrait of Julius Caesar. Fine style. Ex G. Hirsch (16 April 1958), lot 252; Cahn 71 (14 October 1931) lot 1372.Lucius Mussidius Longus is a moneyer with an otherwise unknown cursus honorum. His nomen Mussidius indicates that he was a novus homo, or up-and-coming man with no long family pedigree. As such, he would have allied himself to any potential long-term power base. In 42 BC, as the Second Triumvirate was defeating Caesar's assassins, Mussidius oversaw the striking of this denarius of the now-deceased and soon to be deified dictator, a clear nod to the Caesarian cause. Apparently, such a move benefitted the gens Mussidia. A distant relation, T. Mussidius Pollianus, was a senator under the new regime in the first century AD.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 618
The Caesarians. Julius Caesar. 40 BC. AR Denarius (21mm, 3.89 g, 9h). Rome mint; Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, quaestor designatus. Laureate head right; S C flanking neck / Signum, aquila, plow, and decempeda (measuring rod); TI · SEMPRONIVS above and to right; GRACCVS below; · Q · DESIG to left. Crawford 525/4a; CRI 327a; Sydenham 1129; RSC 47; RBW –. Lightly toned. In NGC encapsulation 4164524-007, graded Ch VF, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Fine Style. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 46 (2 April 2008), lot 947.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 619
The Republicans. C. Cassius Longinus. Spring 42 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.99 g, 6h). Military mint, probably at Smyrna; P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, legatus. Tripod surmounted by cortina and two laurel branches, fillet hanging on either side; C • CASSI upwards to left, IMP upwards to right / Capis and lituus; LENTVLVS/SPINT in two lines below. Crawford 500/1; CRI 219; Sydenham 1308; RSC 7; BMCRR East 79; Kestner –; RBW 1761. Deep iridescent toning, minor marks, reverse slightly off center. EF. Rare. Ex Triton XII (6 January 2009), lot 518.Shakespeare depicts the "lean and hungry" Cassius as primary ringleader in the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, motivated more by envy than love of liberty. The Bard gets the basic facts right, but omits the details of Cassius' colorful career. Born into a senatorial family but lacking any talent for politics, Gaius Cassius Longinus found soldiering more to his liking and joined the triumvir Crassus on his doomed expedition against the Parthians in 53 BC. Cassius managed to rescue himself and a handful of others from the massacre and escaped to Roman Syria, where he remained for another two years ably defending the province from Parthian attack. He returned to Rome as a war hero in 51 BC and fell in with the Pompeian faction, serving as commander of Pompey's fleet during the civil war of 49-48 BC. After Pompey's defeat and death, Cassius accepted a pardon from Caesar and loyally served him for the next four years. Cassius perhaps hoped to attain supreme power once Caesar retired, but it soon became apparent the dictator had no intention of stepping down. Thus, Cassius suborned his close friend Marcus Junius Brutus and several other senators into a conspiracy, and he was one of the first to plunge his dagger into Caesar on the Ides of March, 44 BC. After fleeing Rome with the other conspirators, Cassius returned to Syria and commandeered several crack legions and a fleet, which he used to attack and pillage the wealthy island of Rhodes in order to procure gold for the approaching civil war. He joined forces with Brutus in 42 BC and the two marched into Thrace to meet the pro-Caesarian legions led by Mark Antony and Octavian. Though their army outnumbered the Caesarians, Cassius and Brutus seemed oddly fatalistic and made a suicide pact should either meet defeat or capture. At the first clash at Philippi in early October, Cassius suffered a reverse and rashly fell on his sword before he could be told that Brutus had counterattacked and saved the day. Demoralized by his friend's death, Brutus was easily defeated three weeks later and took his own life.The obverse of this rare denarius closely copies the reverse of the aureus struck by M. Aquinius, and was probably minted on the occasion of the meeting in Smyrna between Cassius and Brutus. The capis and lituus, symbols of the pontificate, recall Spinther's election to that college in 57 BC.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 620
The Republicans. C. Cassius Longinus. Spring 42 BC. AV Aureus (21mm, 7.95 g, 6h). Military mint, probably at Smyrna; P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, legatus. Diademed head of Libertas right; C • CASSI • IMP upward to left, LEIBERTAS upward to right / Capis and lituus; LENTVLVS/SPINT in two lines below. Crawford 500/2; CRI 220; Sydenham 1306; Bahrfeldt 58; Calicó 65b; Biaggi 45; BMCRR East 76; Kestner 3766; RBW –. Small scratches on reverse, areas of slight weakness. VF. Struck on a broad flan. Very rare. Ex Chaponnière & Firmenich 13 (16 May 2021), lot 251; Vinchon (23 April 1976), lot 210; Münzen & Medaillen AG 43 (12 November 1970), lot 237.Shakespeare depicts the "lean and hungry" Cassius as primary ringleader in the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, motivated more by envy than love of liberty. The Bard gets the basic facts right, but omits the details of Cassius' colorful career. Born into a senatorial family but lacking any talent for politics, Gaius Cassius Longinus found soldiering more to his liking and joined the triumvir Crassus on his doomed expedition against the Parthians in 53 BC. Cassius managed to rescue himself and a handful of others from the massacre and escaped to Roman Syria, where he remained for another two years ably defending the province from Parthian attack. He returned to Rome as a war hero in 51 BC and fell in with the Pompeian faction, serving as commander of Pompey's fleet during the civil war of 49-48 BC. After Pompey's defeat and death, Cassius accepted a pardon from Caesar and loyally served him for the next four years. Cassius perhaps hoped to attain supreme power once Caesar retired, but it soon became apparent the dictator had no intention of stepping down. Thus, Cassius suborned his close friend Marcus Junius Brutus and several other senators into a conspiracy, and he was one of the first to plunge his dagger into Caesar on the Ides of March, 44 BC. After fleeing Rome with the other conspirators, Cassius returned to Syria and commandeered several crack legions and a fleet, which he used to attack and pillage the wealthy island of Rhodes in order to procure gold for the approaching civil war. He joined forces with Brutus in 42 BC and the two marched into Thrace to meet the pro-Caesarian legions led by Mark Antony and Octavian. Though their army outnumbered the Caesarians, Cassius and Brutus seemed oddly fatalistic and made a suicide pact should either meet defeat or capture. At the first clash at Philippi in early October, Cassius suffered a reverse and rashly fell on his sword before he could be told that Brutus had counterattacked and saved the day. Demoralized by his friend's death, Brutus was easily defeated three weeks later and took his own life.This aureus was issued by P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther and M. Servilius, who were joint legates to Cassius and Brutus and issued coins in the names of their generals. Lentulus Spinther was born in 74 BC and assumed the toga virilis in 57 BC, and in the same year was elected to the college of augurs. After the murder of Caesar, he joined the parties of Cassius and Brutus and was probably killed at Philippi. The reverse type of this coin refers to Lentulus' appointment to the college of augurs, and is one of the few instances in imperatorial coinage in which a moneyer used a reverse type that was personal to himself.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 621
The Republicans. Brutus. Early 42 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.74 g, 12h). Military mint, probably at Smyrna; P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, legatus. Emblems of the pontificate: securis, simpulum, and secespita; BRVTVS below / Emblems of the augurate: capis and lituus; LENTVLVS/SPINT in two lines below. Crawford 500/7; CRI 198; Sydenham 1310; RSC 6; BMCRR East 80-1; Kestner 3770; RBW 1766. Toned, porosity, light roughness, minor scratches. Near EF. Ex Triton XII (6 January 2009), lot 520.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 622
The Republicans. Brutus. Late summer-autumn 42 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.96 g, 12h). Military mint traveling with Brutus and Cassius in western Asia Minor or northern Greece; Pedanius Costa, legatus. Laureate head of Apollo to right; LEG upwards to left, COSTA downwards to right / Trophy composed of cuirass, crested helmet, oval shield with incurved sides, and two crossed spears; IMP upwards to left, BRVTVS downwards to right. Crawford 506/2; CRI 209; Sydenham 1296; RSC 4; BMCRR East 59-61; Kestner 3775-6; RBW 1778. Toned with a hint of iridescence, minor marks, slightly off center on reverse. EF. Ex Lampasas Collection (Triton XXIV, 19 January 2021), lot 977; Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 453 (2 October 2019), lot 485.Brutus is best known for his role in the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC. This action, while often thought as an attempt to save liberty and justice, was actually meant to try to preserve aristocracy and privilege. Brutus and the other conspirators wanted to restore power to the Senate, comprised of the wealthiest and most powerful of Roman citizens. This brought him in conflict with Julius Caesar, who wanted to break the old power holds in the Senate, populating it with men of lower rank and birth. In a way, Julius Caesar could be seen as promoting a dictatorship with some flavor of a democracy, whereas Brutus and the other conspirators were attempting to save the aristocracy.After his assassination of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius occupied Rome, but had to flee when a funeral oration delivered by Caesar's protégé, Marc Antony, turned public opinion against them. Brutus and Cassius went their separate ways, but met again in early 42 BC in Smyrna, Ionia, where they began preparations for the inevitable conflict that would ensue between them and Marc Antony and Octavian, Caesar's grandnephew. They began using their armies to conquer cities, for which this series of coins was undoubtedly issued. The title IMP on the reverse shows that Brutus still styled himself the savior of the Republic, as that was a title only the Senate could award.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 623
The Republicans. Brutus. Late summer-autumn 42 BC. Fourrée Denarius (18mm, 3.43 g, 6h). Military mint traveling with Brutus and Cassius in western Asia Minor or northern Greece; L. Plaetorius Cestianus, magistrate. Bare head of Brutus right; BRVT above, IMP to right, L • PLAET • CEST around to left / Pileus between two daggers pointing downward; EID • MAR below. Cf. Crawford 508/3; Campana, Eid Mar, P13 (dies OP6/RP6) = Cahn 29a (this coin); cf. CRI 216; cf. Sydenham 1301; cf. RSC 15; cf. BMCRR East 68-70; Kestner –; RBW –. Toned, small planchet delamination in obverse field, minor marks and scratches. Good VF. Very rare, three fourrées cited in Cahn, thirteen listed in Campana, two additional specimens in CoinArchives, including this coin. One of the finest quality fourrées known. From the Father & Son Collection, purchased from ArtAncient on VCoins in 2016 ($89,000). Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 83 (20 May 2015), lot 498 (hammer CHF 52,500); Sternberg 15 (11 April 1985), lot 297.One of the most important coins associated with an event in ancient history, this denarius pointedly commemorates the assassination of Julius Caesar by depicting the perpetrator of the act (Brutus), by naming the date of the act (EID[ibus] MAR[tiis], and by displaying the instruments of the act (daggers) between the reason for the act (the pileus [freedman's cap] as a symbol of liberty). Though many senators plotted against Caesar and are collectively represented by the two daggers, the portrait of Brutus alone emphasizes his primary role in the conspiracy.The only securely identified portraits of Brutus occur on coins inscribed with his name; all others, whether on coins or other artifacts, are identified based on the three issues inscribed BRVTVS IMP (on aurei) or BRVT IMP (on denarii). A careful study of Brutus' portraits by S. Nodelman segregates these inscribed portraits into three main categories: a 'baroque' style portrait on the aurei of Casca, a 'neoclassical' style on the aurei of Costa, and a 'realistic' style on the 'EID MAR' denarii, which Nodelman describes as "the soberest and most precise" of all.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 624
The Republicans. Cn. Domitius L.f. Ahenobarbus. 41-40 BC. AR Denarius (19.5mm, 3.75 g, 8h). Uncertain mint in the region of the Adriatic or Ionian Sea. Bare head of Ahenobarbus right, wearing short beard; AHENOBAR upward to right / Prow right surmounted by a military trophy; CN • DOMITIVS • IMP around from lower left. Crawford 519/2; CRI 339; Sydenham 1177; Domitia 21; BMCRR East 94-7; Kestner 3801-2; RBW 1803. Toned with areas of iridescence, minor lacquer deposit on reverse. Near EF. Ex Classical Numismatic Group Review XLVI.1 (Winter 2021), no. 561917; Numismatica Ars Classica 120 (6 October 2020), lot 654; Nomisma 59 (14 May 2019), lot 139; Hans Schulman (14 February 1958), lot 1958.Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus commanded a fleet against the Triumvirs, achieving a minor victory in September of 42 BC. But that very day, the Triumvirs won the battle of Philippi, and Ahenobarbus found himself fighting for a lost cause. He became a piratical rogue, terrorizing the ports of the Adriatic like his western counterpart, Sextus Pompey, until he signed the Pact of Brundisium in 40 BC, which reconciled him to Mark Antony. His great-grandson would become the Emperor Nero (AD 54-68). The rare coinage of Ahenobarbus belongs to his stint as a "pirate king" 42-40 BC. This silver denarius bears an appropriately nautical reverse celebrating his victories at sea. The balding, bearded portrait on the obverse remains enigmatic; it may represent Gnaeus himself, or one of his ancestors.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 625
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Octavian. Spring-early summer 41 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.85 g, 12h). Ephesus mint; M. Barbatius Pollio, quaestor pro praetore. Bare head of Mark Antony right; M ANT • I(MP) (AV)G III VIR • R • P • C • M BARBAT Q P around / Bare head of Octavian right, with slight beard; CAESAR • IMP • PONT • III • VIR • R • P • C • around. Crawford 517/2; CRI 243; Sydenham 1181; RSC 8a; BMCRR East 100; Kestner 3793-5; RBW 1798. Iridescent tone, a couple of minor marks. Choice EF. Two handsome portraits. From the Wayne Scheible Collection. Ex Numismatic Fine Arts XXVII (4 December 1991), lot 92.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 626
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Octavian. Spring-early summer 41 BC. AR Denarius (21mm, 3.72 g, 1h). Ephesus mint; M. Barbatius Pollio, quaestor pro praetore. Bare head of Mark Antony right; M ANT • I(MP) • (AV)G • III • VIR • R • P • C • M • BARBAT • Q • P around / Bare head of Octavian right; CAESAR • IMP • PONT • III • VIR • R • P • C • around. Crawford 517/2 note; CRI 243 note; Sydenham 1181 var. (obv. legend); RSC 8d; BMCRR East –; Kestner –; RBW –. Lustrous, small die flaw on obverse. Choice EF. Rare obverse legend variety. Two excellent portraits.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 627
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Octavian. Spring-early summer 41 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 3.69 g, 12h). Ephesus mint; M. Barbatius Pollio, quaestor pro praetore. Bare head of Mark Antony right; M ANT • I(MP) (AV)G III VIR • R • P • C • M BARBAT Q P around / Bare head of Octavian right, with slight beard; CAESAR • IMP • PONT • III • VIR • R • P • C • around. Crawford 517/2; CRI 243; Sydenham 1181; RSC 8a; BMCRR East 100; Kestner 3793-5; RBW 1798. Toned with light golden hues, some luster. Superb EF. A pair of excellent portraits.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 628
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Octavia. Summer 38 BC. AV Aureus (18mm, 8.14 g, 12h). Athens mint. Bare head of Mark Antony right; M • AN[TONIVS • ]M • F • M • N • AVGVR • IMP • TER around / Head of Octavia right, her hair tied in a knot behind with one long plait arranged as a loop on top of her head; [COS • DESIGN • ITER] • ET • [TER • III • VIR • R • P • C] around. Crawford 533/3a; CRI 268; Bahrfeldt 90 (Pl. IX, no. 6, same dies); Calicó 111; Sydenham 1200; BMCRR East 144; Cohen 1; Biaggi 67; Mazzini 1; RBW –. Toned, off center, reverse double struck. Good Fine. Extremely rare, one of approximately eight known: Bahrfeldt notes 5 examples, of which 4 were in museums (Berlin, London [2 examples], and Paris), with the fifth offered in the Trau sale; CoinArchives adds three examples, Triton XXIV, lot 979, as well as NAC 70, lot 194, and this coin. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 111 (24 September 2018), lot 153 (hammer CHF 27,000).Shortly after the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, cracks began to appear in the Second Triumvirate. Antony's affair with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, and his designs on Rome's eastern holdings, prompted Octavian to formulate a binding agreement that would buy him time. At Brundisium a pact was signed, bringing about a reconciliation and some semblance of peace. As a condition of this reconciliation, Antony was married to Octavian's widowed sister, Octavia. She stayed with him in Athens while he continued to prepare for a war against Parthia, and where, in 39 BC, he was associated with the "New Dionysus". In 37 BC, she helped negotiate the Pact of Tarentum, which renewed the triumvirate until 33 BC. Antony, by this time, however, had renewed his affair with Cleopatra. He remained in the East, where he married the queen, and subsequently fathered several children. In 32 BC, as a renewal of civil war became imminent, Antony divorced Octavia. In the aftermath of Antony's death, Octavia, known for her loyalty and nobilty, brought Antony's surviving children to Rome to live with her.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 629
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Octavia. Summer-autumn 39 BC. AV Aureus (19mm, 8.16 g, 11h). Athens mint. Bare head of Mark Antony right; M • ANTONIVS • M • F • M • N • AVGVR • IMP • T II RT around / Head of Octavia right, her hair tied in a knot behind with one long plait arranged as a loop on top of her head; COI • DII IIG • ITIIR • IIT • TIIRT • III • UIR • R • P • C around. Crawford 533/3b; CRI 269; Bahrfeldt 91; Calicó 116; Sydenham 1201; BMCRR East 145; RBW –. Lightly toned with underlying luster, minor marks. Near VF. Extremely rare. The aurei of this issue that have appeared at auction over the last twenty years have different obverse and reverse legends to the example offered here (cf. Crawford 533/3a). The first example of this specific type, and with these legends, to have been publicly offered at auction was the same coin that was published by Eckhel in his 1828 Doctrina Numorum Veterum (VI, pp. 46-7), where it was described as being the only example known, prior to it selling in Sotheby's Metropolitan Museum of Art sale (Part I, 10 November 1972, lot 11), where it was described as being "of the highest rarity and probably unique." Since the Sotheby's sale, another seven have come to market.Shortly after the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, cracks began to appear in the Second Triumvirate. Antony's affair with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, and his designs on Rome's eastern holdings, prompted Octavian to formulate a binding agreement that would buy him time to strengthen his own position. At Brundisium a pact was signed, bringing about a reconciliation and some semblance of peace. As a condition of this reconciliation, Antony was married to Octavian's widowed sister, Octavia. She stayed with him in Athens while he continued to prepare for a war against Parthia, and where, in 39 BC, he was associated with the "New Dionysus". In 37 BC, she helped negotiate the Pact of Tarentum, which renewed the triumvirate until 33 BC. Antony, by this time, however, had renewed his affair with Cleopatra. He remained in the East, where he married the queen, and subsequently fathered several children. In 32 BC, as a renewal of civil war became imminent, Antony divorced Octavia. In the aftermath of Antony's death, Octavia, known for her loyalty and nobilty, brought Antony's surviving children to Rome to live with her.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 630
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Autumn 34 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.85 g, 1h). Alexandria mint(?). Bare head of Mark Antony right; Armenian tiara to left, ANTONI • ARMENIA • DEVICTA around / Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right; at point of bust, prow right; CLEOPATR REGINAE • REGVM • FILIORVM • REGVM around. Crawford 543/1 note; CRI 345; Sydenham 1210 var. (rev. legend); RSC 1b; BMCRR East –; cf. Kestner 3836; RBW –. Iridescent toning, scratches, pitting. VF. From the Collection of a Texas Wine Doctor, purchased from C. H. Wolfe, 26 October 1989. Ex Seaby Coin & Medal Bulletin 842 (July/August 1989), no. C386.
Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVII - Session 2 . 631
The Triumvirs. Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Autumn 34 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.86 g, 12h). Alexandria mint(?). Bare head of Mark Antony right; Armenian tiara to left, ANTONI • ARMENIA • DEVICTA around / Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right; at point of bust, prow right; CLEOPATRAE REGIN[AE • REGVM • FILIORVM • R]EGVM around. Crawford 543/1; CRI 345; Sydenham 1210; RSC 1; BMCRR East 179–81; cf. Kestner 3836; RBW 1832. Toned, porosity, obverse pits, reverse off center. VF. From the Wayne Scheible Collection. Ex Triton I (2 December 1997), lot 1270; Münzen und Medaillen AG 81 (18 September 1995), lot 140.