| Heritage World Coin Auctions > NYINC Signature Sale 3113 | Auction date: 8 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 31046 Price realized: 95,000 USD (Approx. 86,602 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Marc Antony as Triumvir (43-31 BC), with Lucius Antonius, as Consul, and M. Cocceius Nerva, as Proquaestor Pro Praetore. AV aureus (22mm, 8.13 gm, 12h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 2/5, wavy flan. Military mint traveling with Antony in Greece or Asia Minor, 41 BC. M•ANT•IMP•AVG VIR•R•P C•M•NERVA PRO Q•P (MP, AV, and NE ligate), bare head of Marc Antony right / L•ANTONIVS-COS, bare head of Lucius Antonius right. Calicó 121. Crawford 517/4b. Sydenham 1184 var. (III VIR). The clear portraiture demonstrates subtle familial resemblance on the warm, sunny fields. An extremely rare variety of an already exceptionally rare type. Ex Long Valley River Collection (Roma Numismatics Auction XX, 29 October 2020, lot 466; Roma Numismatics, Auction IX (22 March 2015), lot 572. Younger brother of Marc Antony, Lucius Antonius "Pietas" naturally backed his brother's leadership of the Caesarian party and his attempt to seize control of the state, but both ambitions were complicated by the arrival of Caesar's adoptive son Octavian. Relations between the brothers and Octavian cooled markedly after the final defeat of Caesar's assassins in 42 BC. The cold war escalated when Lucius Antony became consul in 41 BC and took a notably hostile stance toward Octavian. He was joined in this propaganda war by Marc Antony's wife, the fiery Fulvia, and the two began rousing Italian cities against Octavian's plan to settle 100,000 of his veterans on land confiscated from Italian citizens. Octavian reacted quickly and recalled his friend Agrippa from Spain at the head of several veteran legions, which besieged Lucius Antony and Fulvia in the town of Perusia. When Lucius and Fulvia surrendered in February, 40 BC, Marc Antony washed his hands of the fiasco and hung his wife and brother out to dry. Octavian spared Lucius and appointed him governor of Spain, whereas Fulvia and her children were exiled to Sicyon. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-marc-antony-as-triumvir-43-31-bc-with-lucius-antonius-as-consul-and-m-cocceius-nerva-as-proquaestor-p/a/3113-31046.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3113-01082024 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 100000-150000 USD |  |
Match 1:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > NYINC Signature Sale 3113 | Auction date: 8 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 31061 Price realized: 15,500 USD (Approx. 14,130 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Gallienus, Joint Reign (AD 253-268). AV aureus (21mm, 3.31 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 3/5, edge bend. Samosata, AD 255-256. IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Galerius right, seen from behind / VICTORIAE / AVGG, Victory driving galloping biga right, whip in raised right hand, reins in left. Calicó -. RIC V.I -, cf. 276 (Valerian I). A simply spectacular coin in hand and the companion issue to the previous lot. Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus ruled as Augustus from AD 253-268. Hailing from a distinguished Etruscan family, he jointly ruled with his father, Valerian I from AD 253-260, with Valerian I and Saloninus in AD 260 and solely from AD 260-268. Gallienus' 15 year rule was a series of battles. Valerian I headed off to Asia Minor to work on the Eastern Empire, while Gallienus was left to work on issues in the European parts. Father and son would never see each other again as Valerian I would be captured by Shapur I of the Sasanian Empire in AD 260. Gallienus first struggled against the Germans on the Rhine and Danube, resulting in the acquisition of the title Germanicus Maximus five times from AD 255-258. Valerian II, holding the rank of Caesar, died at some time in AD 258, either from natural causes or in one of the Danubian battles. Gallienus decided to abandon that campaign in order to concentrate on an invasion staged by the Juthungi (Alemanni) in the Rhine area. The invasion met opposition with Gallienus near Milan and was sorely defeated. Around this same time, Saloninus was named Caesar and sent to Cologne to establish his authority there and begin looking after the Western Empire. Since Valerian I, while leading a plague infested army, was captured by Shapur I at Emesa in AD 260, the Eastern Empire was now in a state of flux. Assuming leadership was the praetorian prefect Callistus and the quartermaster-general Macrianus Senior. Seizing the opportunity for revolt, they proclaimed Macrianus Senior's two sons Quietus and Macrianus as emperors in Antioch. At the same time, the Franks were invading and reached as far south as Spain. Also, the governor of Lower Germany, Postumus, saw his opportunity and staged a revolt as well. Postumus took Cologne, executed Saloninus and his advisers, leaving the western provinces outside of the rule of the Roman Empire for 14 years. Revolts sprang up in Egypt (L. Mussius Aemilianus, Prefect of Egypt, not the Aemilianus who was emperor in AD 253), Pannonia and Moesia (Ingenuus) and Byzantium (in response to the raids of the Goths). All of these were quickly subdued, but another revolt arose again in Pannonia and Moesia by Regalianus. The usurpation by Regalianus was the only one resulting in coinage that is currently known. Gallienus, now devoid of offspring, gave the task of dealing with the revolt of Quietus and Macrinus to Aureolus, his general. Aureolus was used to dealing with revolts as he defeated Ingenuus. Aureolus' commander, Domitianus, met Macrinus, Macrinus Senior and army in Illyricium. There are two coins currently known for Domitianus, so he apparently made a claim for the throne as well. Quietus remained in power until Odaenathus of Palmyra, working as vice regent for Gallienus, defeated him eight months later. Aureolus decided to stage his own revolt in AD 262, but came to terms with Gallienus and was given command of the new cavalry corps. Although we do not have coins with the name Aureolus, there are Milanese antoniniani of elegant style in the name of Postumus that are attributed to him. Having suppressed most of the revolts (Postumus was still ruling in the West), Gallienus returned to Rome in AD 263 to celebrate his decennalia. Since the dynamics of the Empire were changing so rapidly, some new policies were in order: Milan became the military hub due to the proximity to the Danube and Rhine regions and the ability to thwart invasions to Italy; a new field army and cavalry corps was created, which was under the command of Aureolus; and senators could no longer assume command posts. With the new policies in place, Gallienus and Aureolus headed off to battle Postumus. After some time, Postumus was trapped in a city, but Gallienus was injured by an arrow. Progress stopped and command was turned over to Aureolus. It is suspected Aureolus allowed Postumus to escape what should have been certain capture and execution. Gallienus was forced to give up the offensive and sent Aureolus to gather more troops and set up a defense in Milan. In AD 267, a massive invasion of Asia Minor was staged by the Goths and Heruli. This invasion was so effective, the armies were within sight of Italy before being turned back. Rhodes, Crete, Thrace, Macedon, Thessaly, and Central Greece were all pillaged in the process. Gallienus and Claudius II finally defeated the invaders at Naissus. While Gallienus was off in the Balkans working on the Goth and Heruli invasion, Aureolus seized the opportunity for yet another revolt. He defected to the side of Postumus, forcing Gallienus to give up the Gothic campaign and turn his attention again to the West. He arrived in Milan in September of AD 268, finding Aureolus had already been besieged by Claudius II. Gallienus assumed command of the siege to dispose of Aureolus himself. Within a couple of weeks of his arrival at Milan, Gallienus left his tent, unprotected, as there was news of a counter-attack by Aureolus, and was assassinated. Historians record that at the very least Claudius II was part of the conspiracy and may very well have murdered Gallienus himself. Co-conspirators were Heraclianus (who was sent to dispose of Vabalathus and Zenobia, but failed), Marcianus (who had helped in the Gothic campaign at Naissus) and Aurelianus, who became emperor himself two years later. With Gallienus dead, Claudius II paid off the soldiers, was proclaimed emperor, finished the siege of Milan, executed Aureolus, joined the senate and proceeded to massacre Gallienus' family and associates in Rome in spite for Gallienus' policy of disallowing senatorial command posts in the army. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-gallienus-joint-reign-ad-253-268-av-aureus-21mm-331-gm-12h-ngc-ms-4-5-3-5-edge-bend/a/3113-31061.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3113-01082024 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 15000-20000 USD |  |
Match 2:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 31041 Price realized: 10,000 USD (Approx. 9,303 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients L. Cestius and C. Norbanus (43 BC). AV aureus (20mm, 7.96 gm, 1h). NGC Choice AU 3/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January-April 43 BC. Draped bust of Africa right, seen from front, wearing elephant skin headdress over helmet; large dotted border / L•CESTIVS / EX•S•C-P R / C•NORBA, curule chair with legs decorated with eagles flying right, back decorated with confronted coiled serpents; dotted border. Calicó 4 (same dies). Crawford 491/1b. Sydenham 1154. Cestia 2 and Norbana 4. Scarce. This eye-catching early Roman aureus is exquisite with its shimmering radiate surfaces. Ex New York Sale XL (11 January 2017), lot 1167; Baldwin's Auctions, Auction 99 (4 May 2016), lot 6; Aurora Collection (New York Sale XXXII, 8 January 2014), lot 2; Numismatica Ars Classica 63 (17 May 2012), lot 486; Triton III (30 November 1999), lot 828. This intriguing gold aureus belongs to the 12 months immediately following the assassination of Julius Caesar, which produced a chaotic situation in Rome when the Senate briefly regained its preeminence and a host of unlikely alliances were formed and broken up. Octavian, Caesar's young heir, allied himself with Cicero and the Senate against Marc Antony, who, following the end of his Consulship on 1 January 43 BC, took an army north to attack Decimus Albinus Brutus, one of the assassins, who had been appointed by the Senate as governor of Cisalpine Gaul. The new Consuls Hirtius and Pansa, in turn, raised a Senatorial army and set off to attack Antony, ostensibly with Octavian's support. Lucius Cestius and Gaius Norbanus, both Caesarians and supporters of Octavian, were elected Praetors for 43 BC and ordered the striking of this issue of gold aurei to pay the Senatorial soldiers. Two of the new legions were raised in Africa, reflected by the personification on the obverse of this piece. The curule chair on the reverse reflects the authority of the Consuls and Praetors. The alliance between Octavian and Senate would prove to be short-lived, and the latter's renewed authority was swept away when Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-l-cestius-and-c-norbanus-43-bc-av-aureus-20mm-796-gm-1h-ngc-choice-au-3-5-4-5/a/3115-31041.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 8000-10000 USD |  |
Match 3:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32268 Price realized: 5,500 USD (Approx. 5,117 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Trajan (AD 98-117). AV aureus (19mm, 7.09 gm, 6h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 4/5, Fine Style. Rome, AD 103-107. IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Trajan right, seen from behind / COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC, Ceres standing facing, veiled head left, two grain ears in lowered right hand, grounded long torch in left. Calicó 996a. RIC II 109 var. (bust type). Flashy fields highlight the artistry of the Fine Style designs. Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, better known as Trajan, carved his name in history as one of ancient Rome's most illustrious emperors, renowned for his military prowess and strategic brilliance. Born the son of a prominent Roman senator under the reign of Vespasian, Trajan followed his father's career in provincial military administration. Having just received the title Germanicus from his exploits at the Germanic frontier, Trajan ascended to power in AD 98 with the death of the elderly Emperor Nerva. Under Trajan the Roman Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, encompassing vast swathes of land across Europe, Asia, and Africa. His military campaigns, particularly the Dacian Wars, secured valuable resources and strategic advantages for the empire. Trajan's conquests also extended into the Middle East, where he captured territories such as Armenia and Mesopotamia, further consolidating Roman influence in the region. Beyond his military achievements, Trajan was renowned for his benevolent governance and commitment to public welfare. He implemented extensive building projects, including the construction of roads, bridges, and aqueducts, which facilitated trade and communication throughout the empire, while also completing iconic landmarks such as Trajan's Column and Trajan's Forum in Rome, showcasing his enduring legacy as a patron of architecture and urban development. Trajan's reign is remembered as achieving the heights of the golden age of the Roman Empire, characterized by stability, prosperity, and imperial expansion. The Senate conferred onto him the title of "Best" (Optimus) and and future emperors would be inaugurated with the phrase that they be "luckier than Augustus, better than Trajan" (Felicior Augusto, melior Traiano). https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-trajan-ad-98-117-av-aureus-19mm-709-gm-6h-ngc-choice-xf-5-5-4-5-fine-style/a/3115-32268.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 4:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32282 Price realized: 4,800 USD (Approx. 4,465 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Lucius Verus (AD 161-169). AV aureus (19mm, 7.24 gm, 1h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 4/5. Rome, March-December AD 161. IMP CAES L AVREL VERVS AVG, laureate head of Lucius Verus right / CONCORDIAE AVGVSTOR TR P, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus standing facing, heads facing one other, clasping hands right hands, volumen in left hands; COS II in exergue. Calicó 2112. RIC III (Marcus Aurelius) 451. Sharply struck, perfectly centered, with crisp detail and lustrous surfaces. Well struck on velvet surfaces. Born Lucius Ceionius Commodus, Lucius Verus was the son of Aelius Caesar, the favored heir of Emperor Hadrian. Aelius's premature demise in AD 138 thrust Lucius into the uncertainty of imperial succession. Hadrian instead chose to adopt Antoninus Pius as his replacement, a seasoned senator who agreed to ascend to the throne on the condition of a more hereditarily adoptive line of succession by naming both Lucius--the son of Hadrian's initial choice as heir--and Hadrian's great-nephew Marcus Aurelius as his heirs. Following the death of Antoninus Pius in 161, the Senate planned to confirm Marcus alone, but he insisted on Lucius's elevation to Augustus. Lucius would take on Marcus' family name, "Verus". Their co-reign forged an unprecedented partnership at the zenith of Roman power, amidst the distant thunder of Parthian aggression. Lucius, with the mantle of military leadership thrust upon him, embarked on a campaign to repel the eastern threat. His notorious affair with a low-born mistress caused Marcus to fast-track Lucius' marriage to his thirteen-year-old niece, Lucilla, in 163. Although Lucius spent the duration of the war living a life of luxury and licentiousness in Asia Minor, the success of his generals in reconquering the Armenian capital at Artaxata and sacking the Parthian capital at Csetiphon earned him a triumph in 166 and two new titles-Armeniacus and Parthicus Maximus. Yet these victories also sowed the seeds of catastrophe. As the Roman legions returned, they brought back with them an epidemic that would ravage the Empire-the Antonine Plague. Returning from the Germanic front in 169, Lucius succumbed to the merciless grip of smallpox, a victim of the very plague his victories had unwittingly unleashed. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-lucius-verus-ad-161-169-av-aureus-19mm-724-gm-1h-ngc-choice-xf-5-5-4-5/a/3115-32282.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 5:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Showcase Auction 61351 | Auction date: 11 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 24080 Price realized: 7,750 USD (Approx. 7,197 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Claudius I (AD 41-54). AV aureus (18mm, 7.70 gm, 6h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 2/5, brushed. Rome, AD 46-47. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P•M•TR•P•VI•IMP•XI (barred Roman numerals), laureate head of Claudius I right / PACI-AVGVSTAE, Pax-Nemesis advancing right, raising fold of drapery with right hand to spit on chest, winged caduceus in lowered left hand pointing at serpent advancing right. Calicó 367. RIC I 38. Spectacular example with bright watery fields. Son of the great general Drusus, and Antonia, niece of the emperor Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Drusus seemed well-positioned when he was born in 10 BC. But a serious childhood illness left him with a limp, a stammer, and other qualities that made him the black sheep of the family. While these problems barred him from a political career, such exclusion also granted him immunity from the family's murderous intrigues. Upon Caligula's assassination in January, AD 41, Claudius was the sole surviving Julio-Claudian male and, when members of the Praetorian Guard found him cowering behind a curtain in the palace, they immediately acclaimed him as Emperor. Claudius astutely awarded the Praetorians a substantial bonus, and with 10,000 heavily armed soldiers backing him, he easily forced the Senate to accept him as the next princeps. Once installed, Claudius surprised everyone by ruling with intelligence and moderation. In AD 43, he ordered the invasion and annexation of Britain, the first major addition of territory to the Empire since the days of Augustus. He exercised discernment in his selection of provincial governors and exhibited adept diplomacy in handling foreign relations. However, his notable shortcomings lay in his excessive attention to minutiae, dependence on freedmen and close associates, and his questionable choices in romantic partners. His third wife, Messalina, known for her promiscuity, wielded significant influence as Empress and became embroiled in a scandalous conspiracy in AD 48, which posed a threat to his rule. Subsequently, his next wife, Agrippina the Younger, skillfully utilized her influence to consolidate her own power and advance the position of her son, Nero, from a previous marriage, within the succession plans. This done, she fed Claudius a dish of poisoned mushrooms in October AD 54, and brought his 13-year reign to an end. Despite many missteps and his unsavory demise, Claudius had been a fairly successful ruler and his regime set a pattern for the Flavians and the reigns that followed. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-claudius-i-ad-41-54-av-aureus-18mm-770-gm-6h-ngc-choice-xf-5-5-2-5-brushed/a/61351-24080.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-61351-12112023 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
