| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 3264 Price realized: 5,500 CHF (Approx. 6,252 USD / 5,806 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Cleopatra VII of Egypt, 51-30 BC, with Mark Antony. Denarius (Silver, 17 mm, 3.64 g, 12 h), Alexandria, autumn 34. CLEOPATRAE REGINAE•REGVM•FILIORVM•REGVM Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right; below, prow to right. Rev. ANTONI•ARME[NIA•DE]VICTA Bare head of Mark Antony to right; behind, Armenian tiara. Babelon (Antonia) 95. Crawford 543/1. CRI 345. RBW 1832. Sydenham 1210. A beautifully toned piece with two very attractive portraits and an old pedigree. Flan crack and with some scratches, otherwise, very fine. From the T. Frisbie Collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 97, 12 December 2016, 58, UBS 78, 9 September 2008, 1210, and Dupriez, 23 October 1934, 48. Cleopatra's and Mark Antony's Alexandrian portrait denarii were traditionally dated to 32 BC. However, their legends and iconography clearly connect them to Antony's campaign against Armenia in 34 BC and the subsequent infamous 'Donations of Alexandria'. Upon Antony's return from what was little more than a looting expedition to distract from his disastrous defeats against the Parthians, a great victory spectacle was organized in the Egyptian capital in which captives were paraded and donatives distributed. Most striking, however, was that the queen and the general distributed titles and kingdoms to themselves and their children, with Cleopatra being named Queen of Kings and Queen of Egypt and claiming Cyprus, Libya and central Syria for herself, Alexander Helios 'receiving' Armenia, Media and Parthia, his twin sister, Cleopatra Selene, Cyrenaica and Libya, and Ptolemy Philadelphus Syria, Phoenicia and Cilicia. These donations of what were, with the exception of Egypt proper, mostly either Roman provinces or unconquered lands (such as Media and Parthia) caused great outrage in Roman society. Worst of all was the proclamation of Julius Caesar's and Cleopatra's mutual son, Caesarion, as King of Kings, god, and divi filius ('son of god'), and his appointment as his father's sole legitimate heir. This was a direct challenge to Octavian's claim to power, which stemmed from his adoption by Julius Caesar and the loyalty of the dictator's legions, and would only accelerate the irreversible break between the two most powerful men of the Roman world. Starting price: 1000 CHF |  |
Match 1:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 3265 Price realized: 4,400 CHF (Approx. 5,002 USD / 4,645 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Cleopatra VII of Egypt, 51-30 BC, with Mark Antony. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.92 g, 12 h), Alexandria, autumn 34. CLEOPATRAE R[EGINAE•]REGVM•FILIORVM•REGVM Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right; below, prow to right. Rev. ANTONI•ARMENIA•DEVICTA Bare head of Mark Antony to right; behind, Armenian tiara. Babelon (Antonia) 95. Crawford 543/1. CRI 345. RBW 1832. Sydenham 1210. Beautifully toned. Flan crack and some scratches, otherwise, very fine. From the T. Fribie Collection and the Korwin Collection, Classical Numismatic Group 103, 14 September 2016, 671. Cleopatra's and Mark Antony's Alexandrian portrait denarii were traditionally dated to 32 BC. However, their legends and iconography clearly connect them to Antony's campaign against Armenia in 34 BC and the subsequent infamous 'Donations of Alexandria'. Upon Antony's return from what was little more than a looting expedition to distract from his disastrous defeats against the Parthians, a great victory spectacle was organized in the Egyptian capital in which captives were paraded and donatives distributed. Most striking, however, was that the queen and the general distributed titles and kingdoms to themselves and their children, with Cleopatra being named Queen of Kings and Queen of Egypt and claiming Cyprus, Libya and central Syria for herself, Alexander Helios 'receiving' Armenia, Media and Parthia, his twin sister, Cleopatra Selene, Cyrenaica and Libya, and Ptolemy Philadelphus Syria, Phoenicia and Cilicia. These donations of what were, with the exception of Egypt proper, mostly either Roman provinces or unconquered lands (such as Media and Parthia) caused great outrage in Roman society. Worst of all was the proclamation of Julius Caesar's and Cleopatra's mutual son, Caesarion, as King of Kings, god, and divi filius ('son of god'), and his appointment as his father's sole legitimate heir. This was a direct challenge to Octavian's claim to power, which stemmed from his adoption by Julius Caesar and the loyalty of the dictator's legions, and would only accelerate the irreversible break between the two most powerful men of the Roman world. Starting price: 750 CHF |  |
Match 2:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 3266 Price realized: 1,900 CHF (Approx. 2,160 USD / 2,006 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Denarius (Silver, 20 mm, 3.50 g, 1 h), Alexandria, 32 BC. [CLEOPATRAE REGINAE•]REGVM•FILIOR[VM•REGVM] Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right. Rev. ANTONI•ARMENIA[•DEVICTA] Bare head of Mark Antony to right; behind, Armenian tiara. Babelon (Antonia) 95. Crawford 543/1. RBW 1832. Sydenham 1210. Porous and rough, otherwise, very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. Cleopatra's and Mark Antony's Alexandrian portrait denarii were traditionally dated to 32 BC. However, their legends and iconography clearly connect them to Antony's campaign against Armenia in 34 BC and the subsequent infamous 'Donations of Alexandria'. Upon Antony's return from what was little more than a looting expedition to distract from his disastrous defeats against the Parthians, a great victory spectacle was organized in the Egyptian capital in which captives were paraded and donatives distributed. Most striking, however, was that the queen and the general distributed titles and kingdoms to themselves and their children, with Cleopatra being named Queen of Kings and Queen of Egypt and claiming Cyprus, Libya and central Syria for herself, Alexander Helios 'receiving' Armenia, Media and Parthia, his twin sister, Cleopatra Selene, Cyrenaica and Libya, and Ptolemy Philadelphus Syria, Phoenicia and Cilicia. These donations of what were, with the exception of Egypt proper, mostly either Roman provinces or unconquered lands (such as Media and Parthia) caused great outrage in Roman society. Worst of all was the proclamation of Julius Caesar's and Cleopatra's mutual son, Caesarion, as King of Kings, god, and divi filius ('son of god'), and his appointment as his father's sole legitimate heir. This was a direct challenge to Octavian's claim to power, which stemmed from his adoption by Julius Caesar and the loyalty of the dictator's legions, and would only accelerate the irreversible break between the two most powerful men of the Roman world. Starting price: 250 CHF |  |
Match 3:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 2633 Price realized: 2,000 CHF (Approx. 2,274 USD / 2,111 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SYRIA, Coele-Syria. Chalcis ad Libanum. Cleopatra VII of Egypt & Mark Antony. AE (Bronze, 21 mm, 8.81 g, 11 h), RY 21 & 6 of Cleopatra = 32/1 BC. ΒΑϹΙΛΙϹϹΗϹ ΚΛ[ЄΟΠΑ]ΤΡΑϹ Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right. Rev. [ЄΤΟΥC ΚΑ] ΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ς ΘЄΑϹ ΝЄⲰΤЄΡΑ[Ϲ] Bare head of Mark Antony to right. HGC 9, 1451. RPC I 4771. SNG Copenhagen 382. Svoronos 1887. A wonderful example of this difficult issue, with an exceptionally attractive portrait of Cleopatra. The reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, about extremely fine. Starting price: 750 CHF |  |
Match 4:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 1466 Price realized: 2,600 CHF (Approx. 2,951 USD / 2,727 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: SYRIA, Coele-Syria. Chalcis ad Libanum. Cleopatra VII of Egypt & Mark Antony. AE (Bronze, 21 mm, 8.81 g, 11 h), RY 21 & 6 of Cleopatra = 32/1 BC. ΒΑϹΙΛΙϹϹΗϹ ΚΛ[ЄΟΠΑ]ΤΡΑϹ Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right. Rev. [ЄΤΟΥC ΚΑ] ΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ς ΘЄΑϹ ΝЄⲰΤЄΡΑ[Ϲ] Bare head of Mark Antony to right. HGC 9, 1451. RPC I 4771. SNG Copenhagen 382. Svoronos 1887. A wonderful example of this difficult issue, with an exceptionally attractive portrait of Cleopatra. The reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, about extremely fine. Ex Leu Web Auction 28, 11 December 2023, 2633. Starting price: 750 CHF |  |
Match 5:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 213 Price realized: 600 CHF (Approx. 682 USD / 633 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Ptolemy I Soter, 305-282 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 26 mm, 14.30 g, 12 h), Alexandria, early 280s. Diademed head of Ptolemy I to right, wearing aegis around neck; small Δ behind ear. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; to left, P above monogram of ΠAP. CPE 168. SNG Copenhagen 70. Svoronos 255. Nicely toned. A few minor scratches and the obverse slightly weak, otherwise, good very fine. From the James Knox Collection of Biblical related coins, ex The New York Sale XXXIV, 6 January 2015, 278, from the RAJ Collection, Triton XVII, 7 January 2014, 412, and previously privately acquired from F. Shore in 1999. Starting price: 150 CHF |  |
