| Macho & Chlapovič > Auction 33 | Auction date: 26 April 2024 |
| Lot number: 55 Price realized: 13,000 EUR (Approx. 13,926 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Central Europe, Celts Stater (2nd half of 3rd century BC) (?). Athena / figure with eagle type. Light traces of corrosion. The image on the obverse was probably inspired by the 1/3 Stater of the Athena Alkidemos type. Due to the high purity of 98.3/98.2%, it is most likely a mintage from the second half of the 3rd century or from the turn of the 3rd and 2nd century BC. Extremely rare! Mitteleuropa, Kelten Stater (2. Hälfte des 3. Jh. v. Chr.) (?). Typ Athena / Figur mit Adler Kleine Korrosionsspuren. Das Bild auf der Vorderseite wurde wahrscheinlich von einem Drittel des Staters vom Typ Athena Alkidemos inspiriert. Aufgrund der hohen Reinheit von 98,3/98,2 % handelt es sich höchstwahrscheinlich um eine Münzprägung aus der zweiten Hälfte des 3. Jahrhunderts oder aus der Wende vom 3. zum 2. Jahrhundert v. Chr. Von allergrößter Seltenheit! Střední Evropa, Kelti Statér (2. polovina 3. stol. př. Kr.) (?). Typ Athéna / postava s orlem Drobné stopy koroze. Lícní obraz byl pravděpodobně inspirován třetinou statéru typu Athéna Alkidemos. Vzhledem k vysoké ryzosti 98,3/98,2 % se s velkou pravděpodobností jedná o ražbu z 2. poloviny 3. století nebo z přelomu 3. a 2. století př. Kristem. Extrémně vzácný! 5,87 g, 15 mm, Au, Paulsen –; Kellner 1990, č. 2184; Lanz –; Flesche –; Kostur – Gášpár –, about EF / EF Starting price: 8000 EUR |  |
Match 1:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 5244 Price realized: 88 CHF (Approx. 100 USD / 93 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Konstantinos Skleros, proedros, 2nd half of 11th century. Seal (Lead, 27 mm, 17.16 g, 12 h). M/I-X St. Michael standing facing, wearing loros and holding trefoil scepter in his right hand and globe in his left. Rev. ΓPAΦAC / CΦPAΓIZω / ΠPωЄΔP૪ / KωN T૪ C/KΛHPO ('I seal the letters of Konstantinos Skleros, proedros') in five lines. W. Seibt: Zwischen Identifizierungsrausch und -verweigerung: Zur Problematik synchroner homonymer Siegel, in: in C. Ludwig (ed.): Siegel und Siegler. Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Brussel, New York, Oxford, Wien, pp. 141-145, no. 10. Wassiliou-Seibt, Corpus 475. Very fine. From the collection of lic. iur. Jürg Netzer, Switzerland, ex Leu Web Auction 8, 29-30 June 2019, 1760. Werner Seibt showed that several members of the famous Skleros family were named Konstantinos in the 11th century, and at least some of them must be contemporaneous. It is likely that all seals with a standing St. Michael on the obverse belong to the same person: two types have conventional legends which mention the high court dignity of proedros (Seibt 11 and 12), and three other pieces have differing metric legend compositions (Seibt 8-10, of which our seal is an example of no. 10). Seibt 13, a seal with a half-length bust of St. Michael on the obverse, apparently belongs to the same official, but it comes from an earlier stage of his career, when he was kouropalates. It also mentions the military office of doux. The seal published by Seibt only had a fragmentary legend, but lot 1761 below, a recently surfaced example (ex Obolos 11 (2018), 776, there erroneously dated to the late 10th century), in fact confirms his reading. Starting price: 50 CHF |  |
Match 2:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Triton XXVII | Auction date: 9 January 2024 |
| Lot number: 470 Price realized: 850 USD (Approx. 779 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: LYDIA, Sardis. temp. Gordian III. AD 238-244. Æ Medallion (39mm, 23.24 g, 12h). Aurelius Rufinus, first archon for the second time. ACIAC ΛYΔIAC ЄΛΛAΔOC A MHTPOΠOΛIC CAPΔIC, turreted, veiled, and draped bust of the Tyche of Sardis right / ЄΠI AYP POYΦЄINOY APX A T B CAPΔIANΩN B NЄΩKOPΩN, Zeus Lydios seated left, holding Nike in right hand and scepter in left; within zodiac circle; ZЄYC ΛYΔIOC across field. Hochard 2222 (D381/R807); Kurth 340; RPC VII.1. 3 (this coin). Brown patina, roughness, smoothing, once gilt with traces remaining. Near VF. Very rare, five recorded in RPC. Ex Lanz 163 (7 December 2016), lot 435; Lanz 151 (30 June 2011), lot 857; Peus 366 (25 October 2000), lot 731; J. P. Righetti Collection, no. 275. A popular Zodiac reverse type. Lorber summarized the type as "...a symbolic map of the cosmos. Zeus, chief of the gods, is the central figure... Surrounding this scene is a broad band containing the twelve signs of the zodiac. The entire design reflects the common belief of third-century Romans that their lives were shaped by higher powers. This schema and variations on it were employed by numerous mints for different emperors from the mid-second through the mid-third centuries." Estimate: 1000 USD |  |
Match 3:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2820 Price realized: 220 CHF (Approx. 250 USD / 231 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Maria Bourtzaina, the former hetaireiarchissa, mid 11th century. Seal (Lead, 21 mm, 10.30 g, 7 h). The Mother of God 'Hodegetria', nimbate, wearing chiton and maphorion, pointing with her right hand towards Infant Christ seated on her left arm. Rev. [...MAPIA / TH Γ]ЄΓONVA / [ЄTЄ]PAPXIC, / [T]H ROVP/ZAINA in six lines. Cheynet, Kofopoulos 2.217. An extremely rare seal of a Byzantine noblewoman. Struck slightly off centre on a short flan, otherwise, very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. This intriguing seal belongs to a Byzantine noblewoman of the Bourtzes family, who were very prominent from the second half of the 11th century to the time of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118). The reverse legend tells us that her husband was once a hetaireiarches. It is very unusual that she mentions her husband's office (as commander of the elite imperial bodyguard), and not, as usual, his court dignity, which was less subject to change. Perhaps Maria's husband had held this important position for a long time, or he was known for a particular event that occured whilst being in office. As Cheynet notes, this legend is very curious, as even male office holders almost never mention their former positions. Starting price: 50 CHF |  |
Match 4:
| Nomos AG > Auction 33 | Auction date: 9 June 2024 |
| Lot number: 1243 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | |
| Lot description: The Jonathan H. Kagan Collection of Ancient Greek Coins MYSIA. Kyzikos. Circa 550-450 BC. Obol (Silver, 9 mm, 1.11 g). Head of a bear to right with a tunny in his jaws. Rev. Rough incuse square. Rosen 519 (AR trihemiobol, 0.956 g, with these types, identified as a boar with a fish in its mouth). SNG Ashmolean 524 (AR 1.11 g, but identified as being a tunny fish with a fish in its mouth). Cf. CNG e552, 2023, 72 and Olympus 1, 2023, 161 (AR hemiobols, 0.49 and 0.46 g, identified as having a boar with a fish in it mouth). Cf. von Fritze I 34 = pl. I, 35 (stater with these types, but identified as a bear with a fish in its mouth). Cf. M&M FPL 308, January 1970, 21 (EL Hemihekte with a griffin head with a tunny in its mouth). Rare. A powerful and dramatic looking coin, nicely toned. Slightly rough surfaces, otherwise, very fine. From the Collection of Jonathan H. Kagan. There is some controversy over what the large animal holding the tunny fish in its mouth is. When von Fritze did his study he only had a stater and a twelfth to work with, but he was unequivocal that the head on the obverse was that of a bear. Despite this, everyone since has identified the head as that of a boar (except in Oxford where they though it was that of a large tunny fish; and for the MM piece, which clearly has the head of griffin with a curved beak). But do boars go around carrying fish in their mouths? Perhaps it is time to return to von Fritze's identification of a bear. Starting price: 350 CHF |  |
Match 5:
| Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG > Auction 402 | Auction date: 14 March 2024 |
| Lot number: 464 Price realized: 1,700 EUR (Approx. 1,851 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: CILICIA. SOLOI. AR-Stater, 385/350 v. Chr.; 9,85 g. Athenakopf r. mit attischem Helm, Greif als Helmzier// Weintraube. SNG France 2, 174 (dort mit Gegenstempel); SNG Levante -. Min. korrodiert, Schürfstelle auf dem Avers, sehr schön-vorzüglich/sehr schön Exemplar der Auktion Hirsch Nachf. 189, München 1996, Nr. 338. In der Sayar Collection gibt es eine umfängliche Sammlung von klassischen und hellenistischen Münzen der Stadt Soloi (Nr. 464-477), die – wenn man sie zu lesen versteht – die Geschichte der Stadt, die sie geprägt hat, erzählen. Soloi war als Heimatstadt des berühmten Dichters Arat und des bekannten Philosophen Chrysipp, die beide im 3. Jhdt. v. Chr. wirkten, jedem gebildeten Griechen bekannt. Beide sind auf kaiserzeitlichen Münzen abgebildet (Franke 2011). Trotz dieser Dichter und Denker stand die Bevölkerung im Ruf, ein fehlerhaftes Griechisch zu sprechen, das mit Verstößen gegen die Grammatik so gespickt war, dass man von Soloikismen sprach (Salmeri 2004). Vom klassischen oder hellenistischen Soloi, das 11 km westlich der heutigen türkischen Metropole Mersin bei Viranşehir (‹Ruinenstadt›) liegt, ist so gut wie nichts mehr zu sehen. Zahlreiche heute noch aufrechtstehende Säulen markieren eine römische Säulenstraße (Borgia 2004) und gehen auf die von Pompeius neubegründete Stadt zurück (Dreizehnter 1975, 239 f.; Ziegler 1993, 208 f.): Damals wurde Soloi in Pompeiopolis umbenannt. Der geniale römische Feldherr siedelte nach der Zerschlagung der kilikischen Piratenbanden jene Korsaren an, die wieder zu einem bürgerlichen Leben zurückfinden sollten. Soloi geht neuesten Ausgrabungen zufolge bis in die hethitische Zeit zurück (R. Yağcı, Soli/Pompeiopolis kazıları 1999-2006). Möglicherweise kamen schon Mykener/Achäer, die während der Völkerwanderungszeit um 1200 v. Chr. von der Peloponnes in den östlichen Mittelmeerraum flohen, nach Soloi. Ihr Anführer soll der argivische Königssohn Amphilochos gewesen sein (Strabon XIV 5, 8 und 17). Auf einem Siedlungshügel der Vorzeit (Tell/Hüyük; vgl. Blumenthal 1963, 115 und 121) ließen sich im 7. Jhdt. v. Chr. Siedler von Argos nieder und gründeten dort einen griechischen Stützpunkt, wenn nicht gar eine griechische Stadt (Polis). Bei Soloi beginnen die Taurosberge vom Meer zurückzutreten; eine zunehmend breiter werdende Ebene schiebt sich vor sie. Dort konnten die Griechen aus Argos Acker- und Weinbau betreiben. Nicht ohne Grund erscheint auf den Münzen von Soloi immer wieder eine Weintraube. Die Siedler aus Argos brachten auch führende Gottheiten mit, insbesondere Athena Polias, die auf dem Burgberg von Argos (Larissa) ihr Heiligtum hatte, und die Dioskuren, die ebenfalls in Argos einen Tempel besaßen und mit einer hochberühmte Statuengruppe geehrt wurden. Im 6. Jhdt. kamen Siedler von Lindos auf Rhodos hinzu (Strabon XIV 5, 8 und 17). Sie brachten den Kult der Athena Lindia mit. Ein Priester der argivischen und der lindischen Athena ist auf einer kaiserzeitlichen Inschrift, die in Soloi gefunden wurde, bezeugt (Beaudouin – Pottier 1880). Die Bedeutung des Athena-Kultes wird durch die Münzen von Soloi massiv unterstrichen: Sehr viele von ihnen tragen Athena-Darstellungen. Ebenfalls auf argivischen Ursprung weisen die Dioskurenkappen (Piloi) (Nr. 475) mit Sternen. Der Helioskopf (Nr. 476) evoziert die alten Verbindungen mit Rhodos. Das Beizeichen Eule (Nr. 473) weist auf die athenische Athena. Da die Bürger von Soloi auch den Athener Solon als einen ihrer Stadtgründer ansahen (Diogenes Laertios I 50 f.: Salmeri 2004, 200), könnte die athenische Athena mit dieser Tradition in Verbindung zu bringen sein. Von der Blüte der Stadt zeugt ein Stater aus dem 4. Jhdt. v. Chr. (Nr. 465), der mit einem schönen Athenakopf geschmückt ist und die Signatur des Stempelschneiders Apaturios (Berthold 2008, 257 f.) trägt. Offenbar leistete die Stadt sich einen namhaften Künstler für das Design ihrer Münzen. [JN] The Sayar Collection comprises an extensive ensemble of Classical and Hellenistic coins from the city of Soloi (Nos. 464-477), which – if you know how to read them – tell the story of the city that minted them. Soloi was the hometown of the famous poet Arat and the well-known philosopher Chrysipp, both of whom were active in the 3rd century BC and well known to every educated Greek. Both are depicted on coins from the imperial period (Franke 2011). Despite these famous sons of the city, the population had a reputation for speaking a flawed Greek riddled with grammatical mistakes, which were referred to as soloicisms (Salmeri 2004). Above the ground, virtually nothing remains of Classical and Hellenistic Soloi, which lies 11 km west of today's Turkish metropolis of Mersin near Viranşehir ('Ruined city'). The numerous columns still standing upright today mark a Roman colonnaded street (Borgia 2004) and date back to the city newly founded by Pompey (Dreizehnter 1975, 239 f.; Ziegler 1993, 208 f.): At that time Soloi was renamed Pompeiopolis. After the destruction of the Cilician pirate gangs, the ingenious Roman general and politician domiciled those pirates there, as he considered them to be capable of finding their way back to an orderly civic life. According to the latest excavations, Soloi dates back to the Hittite period (Yağcı 2007). It is possible that Mycenaeans/Achaeans, who fled from the Peloponnese to the eastern Mediterranean during the Migration Period around 1200 BC, came to Soloi. Their leader is said to have been the Argive king's son Amphilochos (Strabon XIV 5, 8 and 17). Settlers from Argos settled on a prehistoric settlement mound (Tell/Hüyük; cf. Blumenthal 1963, 115 and 121) in the 7th century BC and founded a Greek base there, if not a Greek city (polis). At Soloi, the Tauros Mountains begin to recede from the sea, with an increasingly broad plain stretching out in front of the mountains. The Greeks from Argos were able to farm and cultivate vines there. It is not without reason that a bunch of grapes repeatedly appears on the coins of Soloi. The settlers from Argos also brought tutelary deities with them, in particular Athena Polias, who had her sanctuary on the castle hill of Argos (Larissa), and the Dioscuri, who also had a temple and highly famous statues in Argos. In the 6th century BC, settlers arrived from Lindos – one of the three old cities on Rhodes (Strabon XIV 5, 8 and 17). They brought the cult of Athena Lindia to Soloi. An imperial inscription found in Soloi attests to the existence of a priest of Argivian and Lindian Athena (Beaudouin – Pottier 1880). The importance of the cult of Athena is massively underlined by the coins of Soloi: many of them bear depictions of Athena. The Dioscuri caps (piloi) with stars should also be associated with the city's Argivian origins. The head of Helios evokes the ancient connections with Rhodes. As the citizens of Soloi also regarded Athenian Solon as one of their city founders (Diogenes Laertios I 50 f.: Salmeri 2004, 200), Athena's owl may be associated with this tradition. Of particular interest is a bronze piece from the 2nd/1st century BC (No. 473). It shows a gorgoneion on the obverse and a woman riding a bull on the reverse. Amphilochos is said to have dedicated a bowl with a gorgoneion to the sanctuary of Athena Lindia on Rhodes (Higbie 2003, 38 f. and 126 f.). The Gorgon motif may also have something to do with the fact that, according to mythical traditions, the Argive hero Perseus is said to have beheaded the Gorgo in Cilicia. The bull-riding woman is interpreted as Astarte/Aphrodite or Europa. However, in a Greek city of that period, she was probably rather seen as Europa than as the oriental goddess. A stater from the 4th century BC (No. 465) bears witness to the city's heyday. It is decorated with a beautiful Athena's head and bears the signature of die-cutter Apaturios (Berthold 2008, 257 f.). The prosperous city evidently employed a renowned artist to design its coins. [JN] Estimate: 500 EUR |  |
