Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. > Buy or Bid Sale 226Auction date: 13 February 2024
Lot number: 413

Price realized: Unsold
Lot description:


Julia Titi. Denarius; Julia Titi; Rome, 79-81 AD, Denarius, 3.21g. RIC-389 (R); Paris-108, pl. LXXVI (same obv. die); C-16 (30 Fr.); BMC-144 note. Obv: IVLIA IMP T AVG F - AVGVSTA Bust draped r., hair piled high in front and tied in knot at back. Rx: VESTA in exergue, Vesta, veiled, seated l. holding Palladium and transverse scepter. A rare reverse type in a rare issue: there was only one specimen of this VESTA denarius of Julia Titi in the Reka Devnia hoard, compared to eight specimens with VENVS AVGVST and three with VENVS AVG. Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection; ex CNG 91, 19 Sept. 2012, 888.. aVF

Estimate: 1000 USD

Match 1:
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. > Buy or Bid Sale 226Auction date: 13 February 2024
Lot number: 155

Price realized: Unsold
Lot description:


Hadrian. Denarius; Hadrian; 117-138 AD, Rome, c. 132-8 AD, Denarius, 3.16g. RIC-1590 (R2), pl. 35 (same obv. die), C-951 (30 Fr.). Obv: [HADRIANVS] - AVG COS III P P Laureate, draped bust r., seen from side. Rx: MAR - TI Mars helmeted and in military dress standing l., holding spear and resting on shield. Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection; ex Dionysos, eBay, 2 Sept. 2015. A rare type: only two specimens in Reka Devnia hoard with two different bust types. This MARTI type occurs only on denarii, not on aurei or bronze coins.. aVF

Estimate: 150 USD

Match 2:
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. > Buy or Bid Sale 226Auction date: 13 February 2024
Lot number: 180

Price realized: Unsold
Lot description:


Hadrian. Sestertius; Hadrian; 117-138 AD, Rome, c. 132 AD, Sestertius, 23.11g. Strack-757 pl. XIII (rev. only, same die as ours), C-70 (20 Fr.), BM-1666 note. Obv: HADRIANVS - AVG COS III P P Bust laureate, draped r., seen from side. Rx: ADVENT - VI A[VG MAVR]ETANIAE on l. and r., S C in exergue, Hadrian raising r. hand in greeting stands r. before altar at which Mauretania sacrifices from patera, she wears drapery to feet and an elephant-skin headdress and also holds two wheat stalks in l. arm, a sacrificial bull emerges from behind her and falls towards altar. Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection; ex Triskeles 190, 19 Dec. 2013, 190. The female on reverse wearing long rather than short dress and holding wheat ears rather than vexillum matches Africa rather than Mauretania; probably the engraver mislabeled her.. Fine / VF

Estimate: 500 USD

Match 3:
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. > Buy or Bid Sale 226Auction date: 13 February 2024
Lot number: 157

Price realized: 500 USD   (Approx. 464 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description:


Hadrian. Denarius; Hadrian; 117-138 AD, Rome, c. 132-8 AD, Denarius, 2.68g. Bust var. of RIC-1590 (R2), pl. 35 (same obv. die) and C-951 (30 Fr.). Obv: HADRIANVS - AVG COS III P [P] Bust laureate r., with fold of cloak on front shoulder. Rx: MAR - TI Mars helmeted and in military dress standing l., holding spear and resting on shield. Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection; ex Roma E7, 26 April 2014, 1112. A rare type: only two specimens in Reka Devnia hoard with two different bust types. Our coin seems to show a new bust variety for the type. This MARTI type occurs only on denarii, not on aurei or bronze coins.. EF / VF

Estimate: 500 USD

Match 4:
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. > Buy or Bid Sale 226Auction date: 13 February 2024
Lot number: 680

Price realized: Unsold
Lot description:


Set of Colosseum Sestertii by Titus and Domitian. ; Set of Colosseum Sestertii by Titus and Domitian; Two coins in lot.

Coin #1: Titus; 79-81 AD, Rome, c. 80-81 AD, Sestertius, 27.99g. BM-190 pl. 50.2 (same rev. die), Paris-189 pl. LXXXI (same dies), RIC-184 (R2), Cohen-400 (80 Fr.). Obv: Colosseum seen from front and above between obelisk on base (Meta Sudans) and porticoed building of two stories (Baths of Titus), without legend; Rx: IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII S - C Titus seated l. holding branch and roll on curule chair set on globe among arms. Ex Gemini XIII, 6 April 2017, lot 162. From a British collection, acquired in 1978 by Paul Munro Walker, Bournmouth. See N.T. Elkins, The Flavian Colosseum Sestertii, Numismatic Chronicle 166, 2006, p. 216, 6, pl. 31 (our dies). To demonstrate the popular nature of Vepasian's rule, the Colosseum was built on the site of Nero's demolished Golden Palace. The reverse type of Titus seated as master of the world (his curule chair set on globe), bringing peace (olive branch) by means of victory over enemies (captured arms), fits well with the recently discovered dedicatory inscription of the Colosseum, stating that the emperors constructed it "from booty" (ex manubis), doubtless chiefly the booty of the Jewish War.

Coin #2: Domitian, Divus Titus; 81-96 AD, Rome, 81 AD, Sestertius, 25.02g. C-399 (80 Fr.), BMC Titus-191 note, RIC-131 (R), pl. 137 (same dies). Obv: No legend. The Flavian amphitheater filled with spectators, seen partly from above; Meta Sudans to l., two-storied porticus of the Baths of Titus to r. Rx: DIVO AVG T DIVI VESP F VESPASIAN Togate Titus seated l. on curule chair, holding branch and roll, and placing his feet on a captured cuirass; the curule chair rests on a globe, and other captured shields, spears, and a helmet are scattered before, below, and behind the emperor; S C in exergue. Titus himself struck the first Colosseum sestertii, but their production was then briefly continued by Domitian for Divus Titus, using one of the same Colosseum obverse dies that Titus had already used, coupled with two new reverse dies naming Divus Titus. Elkins knew just ten specimens of this Colosseum sestertius struck by Domitian for Divus Titus.To the best of our knowledge, a pair of Colosseum sestertii of this original period has never been offered together.

The only other Colosseum coins issued are an exceptionally rare aureus and sestertius issued by Severus Alexander in 223, to commemorate the re-opening of the Colosseum after it had been struck by lightning in about 218, under the reign of Macrinus. These coins were struck 142 years after the coin of Domitian.

Further study in the British Royal Numismatic Chronicle of 2006, in an article by Nathan T Elkins, "The Flavian Colosseum Sestertii: Currency or Largess?" shows that our Titus Colosseum is Elkins 7, of which 11 examples are recorded. But in total, there are about 40 examples from all recorded dies. Of Domitian colosseums, there are 10 recorded by Elkins. Our die is Elkins 9, of which there are six recorded, giving us a total of 10 by both dies, with our coin being the eleventh. Our coin is certainly unrecorded, as when we obtained it, it was in a slab from a far-less-used slabbing company, identified as Titus, and listed as corroded. In fact, our coin was not truly corroded at all, but rather heavily encrusted, and when it was artfully cleaned, it revealed the legend "DIVUS TITUS", which made it the excessively rare issue of Domitian.

These coins are expected to feature in multiple upcoming publications; our Titus Colosseum is anticipated to replace #625B in David Hendin's "Guide to Biblical Coins" after the current 6th edition sells out. In this edition of David Hendin's Book, he lists the Domitian issue of the Colosseum, #626, as "RRR", the highest level of rarity. Even though this coin is listed in his book, it is not illustrated.

Additionally, Whitman has hired Harlan J Berk to re-write Zander Klawans's book on Greek and Roman coins; in that book, this coin will certainly be illustrated.

This pair of Colosseum Sestertii is being offered only as a pair at this FIXED PRICE of $325,000.
. Coin #1: VF
Coin #2: Some isolated corrosion, otherwise EF / VF

Estimate: 325000 USD

Match 5:
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. > Buy or Bid Sale 227Auction date: 14 May 2024
Lot number: 225

Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot
Lot description:


Titus as Caesar. Aureus; Titus as Caesar; 70-79 AD, Rome, 77-8 AD, Aureus, 7.30g. BM-223; C-64 (50 Fr.); Calicó-738a; RIC-954 (C); Paris-199, pl. XXXIII (same dies). Obv: T CAESAR IMP - VESPASIANVS Head laureate r. Rx: COS VI in exergue, Roma seated r. on oval shields, l. foot drawn back and set on helmet, r. hand in lap, l. holding transverse spear; before her, Wolf and Twins; eagles flying behind and in front of her. The reverse is copied from the anonymous Republican denarius of c. 115 BC, Crawford 287/1, pl. XL.Hairlines in obverse field. aEF

Estimate: 10000 USD