Gorny & Mosch Presents Archaic Owls and a Collection of French Coins

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PRESS RELEASE Auctions 228-230, March 9-12, 2015, Preliminary Report Gorny & Mosch Presents Archaic Owls and a Collection of French Coins Once again, Gorny & Mosch will hold its March auction week

1 PRESS RELEASE Auctions , March 9-12, 2015, Preliminary Report Gorny & Mosch Presents Archaic Owls and a Collection of French Coins Once again, Gorny & Mosch will hold its March auction week featuring coins and medals from ancient, medieval and modern times. Apart from outstanding rarities, a series of coins from the city of Athens is offered, supplemented with Russian rarities and a collection of French coin types since the French Revolution. Immediately following the Munich Numismata, the auction of Gorny & Mosch will kick off on March 9, As always, it presents the high-quality ancient coins on the first day. Tuesday is devoted to auction #229 with further ancient coins and a large offer of multiple lots. Wednesday is reserved for the modern issues, while the Islamic and Russian coins are offered for sale on Thursday. That makes plenty of good reasons to come to Munich and participate in the auction. Auction 228 High-Quality Ancient Coins The top item amongst the coins from Southern Italy and Sicily is a magnificent, attractively toned tetradrachm of the Siculo-Punians (Lot 44; estimate: 12,000 euros), with Tanit being on a par with the best of Syracusan coins in terms of the fine die cutting. Besides, the about extremely fine piece has an impressive pedigree: it had been acquired from the Italian auction house Ratto in Anyone looking for something more special might well turn over. On the next pages he finds an extremely rare tetradrachm from Pantikapeion with the depiction of a grazing horse on the reverse (Lot 45; estimate: 15,000 euros), an excellent portrait of Philip V on one of the rarer tetradrachms of this ruler (Lot 79; estimate: 7,500 euros), an extremely rare stater of the Aetolian League with an apparently unpublished mintmark (Lot 101; estimate: 7,500 euros) and a gold drachm from Karystos on Euboia as they have been minted during the anti-macedonian revolt from 313 B. C. (Lot 108A; estimate: 7,000 euros). In the light that this is already spectacular, how can we describe what comes next, a series of rare Athenian tetrachdrachms dating from the Archaic Period? The top item is an early piece from around 500 to 483 that was struck on an unusually broad planchet that displays the crest of Athena s helmet in full (Lot 111; estimate: 20,000 euros). The fine Archaic smile, however, is available for considerably less money: a roughly contemporary teradrachm on a smaller planchet but with a stylistically finer obverse die is estimated at 2,000 euros (Lot 113). Special interest is likely to be aroused by a late Classical tetradrachm that, as can be inferred from the bull s head as mintmark, was certainly not 1

2 produced in Athens but issued as an imitation possibly in Western Asia Minor or the Levant (Lot 120; estimate: 2,500 euros). The earlier Athenian Wappenmünzen are secondary to the series of tetradrachms in this catalog. One discovers two didrachms (Lot 124; type: wheel; estimate: 10,000 euros Lot 125; type: gorgoneion; estimate: 10,000 euros) and a drachm (Lot 126; type: wheel; estimate: 2,500 euros). The most outstanding piece in the section of Asia Minor is one of the gold staters from Ephesus that have hitherto been thought to be associated with the conquest of Mithradates VI. Jenkins, on the other hand, was able to prove that the first ones of these have actually been minted at a much earlier date. Having said that, the extremely fine stater that features the Greek Artemis on its obverse and the Artemis of Asia Minor on its reverse still is an icon of the coinage of Asia Minor (Lot 144; estimate: 25,000 euros). Anyone interested in the ancient coinage of the Near East might start saving up money. Two very rare tetradrachms from the Seleucid province Persis in finest condition are on offer. The first is a tetradrachm of Baydad, who became satrap of the province Persis shortly before 300 B. C., as the first indigenous Persian ever (Lot 176; estimate: 12,000 euros), the second is the same nomination of his distant successor called Vadfradad II dating from the first half of the 2 nd century B. C., who refers to himself on his coin as frataraka, keeper of the fire, a high title in Zoroastrianism. In 238 AD, the Parthians conquered the major part of the Persis. Of conqueror Shapur Gorny & Mosch offers an extremely fine dold dinar (Lot 181; estimate: 12,000 euros). Almost equally as rare is the gold stater of Vahran II (Lot 182; estimate: 10,000 euros). A great rarity is hidden amongst the Greek coins from Roman imperial times: a drachm bearing the portraits of the Armenian king and Augustus, token of a short-lived agreement between Armenia and the Roman Empire (Lot 199; estimate: 17,000 euros). With this, we have arrived at Rome. When it comes to this section, auction #228 leaves nothing to be desired: gold, silver, bronze, a large collection of coins from the Roman Republic including many rarities every aficionado of the Romans will find something to his liking. Let us start with the large series of aurei: there are the ones of Tiberius (Lot 562; EF; estimate: 7,000 euros), for example, and of Commodus (Lot 638; FDC; estimate: 35,000 euros), Philipp I (Lot 669; EF; estimate: 25,000 euros), Hostilian (Lot 674; EF+; estimate: 25,000 euros) or of Trebonianus Gallus (Lot 767; FDC; estimate: 25,000 euros). 2

3 To anyone more fond of bronze coins we recommend the sestertius of Claudius (Lot 576; EF; estimate: 8,000 euros), the sestertius of Vespasian (Lot 595; EF+; estimate: 5,000 euros) or the bimetallic medallion of Philip I (Lot 670; VF; estimate: 8,500 euros). There are some particular rarities available for the admirers of Late Rome and Byzantium, like a solidus of Glycerius (Lot 727; about EF; estimate: 30,000 euros), a solidus of Michael III (Lot 768; EF+; estimate: 14,000 euros) and an unpublished gold bulla in the weight of two solidi of John I Tsimiskes (Lot 770; VF; estimate: 40,000 euros). Auction 229 Ancient Coins and Multiple Lots More ancient coins are to be found in catalog 229. They will be auctioned on the second day of the auction week. Here, too, the aficionado discovers coins of the Celts, the Greeks, the Romans and the Byzantines as well as the famous multiple lots that virtually enjoy cult status in Munich. He who collects ancient coins can enter the bidding in the two-digit region. As always, the many interesting bronze coins are remarkable, as is the large series of fractions, including numerous unpublished specimens. It is clear to see that it still does not take a great deal of money to assemble a thrilling collection of ancient coins. Amongst the Romans, the connoisseur finds several historically telling reverse depictions, like an aureus of Caracalla, whose reverse shows a sacrifice in front of the Temple of Vesta (Lot 1761; VF; estimate: 2,500 euros). Auction 230 Medieval and Modern Issues / Collection France and Colonies / Collection Russia As is tradition, the auction is concluded by coins and medals from medieval and modern times. It all starts with German coins featuring several rarities, like a very rare thaler of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, from 1675 on the victory at Fehrbellin (Lot 3050; EF; estimate: 3,000 euros) or a reichsdoppelthaler from 1592 of Georg Friedrich of Brandenburg-Ansbach for Silesia-Jägerndorf (Lot 3230; EF; estimate: 5,000 euros). The medals include a small collection of religious medals. The centerpiece of the European coins and medals is an almost complete collection of French coin types since 1789 as well as some coins struck in German under French occupation and a set of Monégasque coin types. Next in line is a separate although incomplete collection of coins from the French colonies which gives the francophile collector quite a lot to choose from. To single out just a few specimens: a rare 2 francs piece of Napoleon I from 1807 on which the emperor does not wear a 3

4 laurel wreath (Lot 3478; VF; estimate: 2,000 euros) and a rare 2 francs piece that was minted during the Hundred Days (Lot 3496; VF; estimate: 500 euros). Only 3,972 specimens were struck of an offered 10 centimes piece in 1914 (Lot 3575; FDC; estimate: 2,000 euros). Those who are enthusiastic about faraway places will appreciate the series of extremely rare fractions covering 25, 20 and 5 centimes from 1943 produced in the Pretoria Mint for Equatorial Africa (Lot 3587; about FDC; estimate: 2,000 euros), just as the, in this condition very rare, 1/2 cent piece for Indochina in tin from 1939 (Lot 3596; FDC; estimate: 1,000 euros). Under Serbia only two lots can be found, but they are of great rarity: a 5 dinar 1879 of Milan IV / I Obrenovic, minted in Vienna in 1879 (Lot 3772; Proof; estimate: 5,000 euros) and a set of fractions of both 2 and 1 dinar as well 50 para, produced in Vienna in the same year (Lot 3773; Mint State; estimate: 1,400 euros). Likewise remarkable are the more than 104 multiple lots containing more than 4,200 coins in total. Viewing them pays off for some thrilling material is hidden there. For example: what might be the story of the 181 coins that traveled as ship coinage from the New World to Spain in the 16 th /17 th centuries? (Lot 3973; 181 specs.; estimate: 5,000 euros). Next are the Islamic coins with a large series of Ottoman specimens. Many a discovery can still be made there: the range of offers include, for example, an unpublished unique specimen of Osman III, a sutani altin 1168 H. (1755) made in the Tarablus Mint (Lot 4275; estimate: 1,500 euros) or an extremely rare 1 1/2 altin 1187 H. (1773), a Misr Ziynet coinage following the Istanbul model (Lot 4285; estimate: 1,000 euros). To conclude this preview, let us have a look at the large series Russia where the great number of gold and silver coins contains numerous medals of great historical interest, like a medal of Alexander II for Finland from 1857 on the 700 th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity to Finland (Lot 5218; estimate: 1,000 euros). The rarest coin of the Russian section is a 5 kopeck piece from 1860 produced in the St. Petersburg Mint (Lot 5215; estimate: 20,000 euros). The highest pre-sale estimate has an undated Order of the White Eagle with a marvelous overall appearance (Lot 5261; estimate: 25,000 euros). All auction sale catalogs can be viewed on the internet at and ordered at Gorny & Mosch, Giessener Münzhandlung,, D Munich, phone +49 / (0)89 / , fax +49 / (0)89 /

5 Captions: Lot 44: SICULO-PUNIANS (Sicily). Tetradrachm, Acquired from Ratto in Marvelous style! About extremely fine. Estimate: 12,000,- euros Lot 45: PANTIKAPEION (Taurian Chersonese). Tetradrachm, Ex Gorny & Mosch 146 (2006), 84. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 15,000,- euros Lot 101: AETOLIAN LEAGUE (Aetolia). Stater, Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 7,500,- euros Lot 108A: KARYSTOS (Euboia). Gold drachm, around 313 B. C. Ex Stack & Kroisos Collection 2008, Very rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 7,000,- euros The gold drachms from Karystos were probably minted during the anti-macedonian revolt. Antigonos Monophtalmos had ordered his nephew to travel to Greece in order to goad the dissatisfied local cities into revolting against the Macedonian ruler Kassander and thus tie his forces. This policy had its starting point in Euboia. The rare coinage, of which no more than a dozen specimens are known today, probably served as payment for the mercenaries that were hired by Ptolemy. Lot 111: ATHENS (Attica). Tetradrachm, About extremely fine. Estimate: 20,000,- euros Lot 120: ATHENS (Attica). Tetradrachm, c Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 2,500,- euros Lot 124: ATHENS (Attica). Didrachm, Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 10,000,- euros Lot 144: EPHESOS (Ionia). Stater, around 130 B. C. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 25,000,- euros The gold coinage struck at Ephesos in the Hellenistic period is extremely rare and seldom well preserved. In the past these Hellenistic gold staters were thought to have been struck on the occasion of the Mithradatic Wars. This proposition, however, is no longer maintained. Some appear to be dated by the era of the Province of Asia and the dates they bear are too early for them to be Mithradatic War issues. They were not necessarily all issued at the same time, and such updated types as the present specimen could well have been issued much later. Lot 180: VADFRADAD (Persis), 1 st half of the 2 nd cent. B. C. Tetradrachm, Persepolis. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 25,500,- euros Lot 181: SHAPUR I (Sassanids), A. D Dinar, Persepolis. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 12,000,- euros 5

6 Lot 199: ARTAVASDES III, 5-2 B. C. (or Artavasdes IV, A. D. 4-6) (Armenia). Probably the only specimen in private possession. Very fine. Estimate: 17,000,- euros Lot 477: ROMAN REPUBLIC. L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus. Denarius, Apollonia(?), 49 B. C. Rare. Very fine. Estimate: 3,000,- euros Lot 576: CLAUDIUS, Sestertius, Rev. SPES AVGVSTA / SC Spes. Extremely fine. Estimate: 8,000,- euros Lot 638: COMMODUS as Caesar, Aureus, Rev.: LIBERALITAS AVG Liberalitas scene. Brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 35,000,- euros Lot 669: PHILIPP I ARABS. Aureus, Rev. ANNONA AVGG Annona. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 25,000,- euros Lot 670: PHILIPP I ARABS. AE bimetallic medallion, 244. Rev. P M TR P COS P P emperor with soldiers. Gnecchi II, p. 94, Lot 4 with pl (same dies). Ex Benz Collection, Lanz 100 (2000), 262. Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 8,500,- euros Lot 674: HOSTILIAN as Caesar, 251. Aureus. Rev. PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS Hostilian with spear and standard. Rare. Good extremely fine. Estimate: 25,000,- euros Lot 727: GLYCERIUS, Solidus, Ravenna. Extremely rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 30,000,- euros In the last stage of the Western Roman Empire it became common procedure that the magister militum appointed the emperors. Thus, Germanic Ricimer passed the purple on to Libius Severus, Anthemius and Olybrius. When Olybrius died, Ricimer s nephew, Gundobad of Burgundy, carried this tradition on and proclaimed the former comes domesticorum Glycerius new ruler on March 5, 473. Glycerius, however, was not acknowledged by the Eastern Empire. Consequently, the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I sent his son-in-law Julius Nepos with an army to Italy where he arrived in June 474. Glycerius realized that he was defeated and surrendered. Nepos was proclaimed Augustus, as the last one that was acknowledged by the Eastern Empire, in Rome on June 24. Glycerius then became Bishop of Salona in Dalmatia where Julius Nepos was able to control him. As early as 475, though, Nepos was deposed by the new magister militum Orestes who appointed his son Romulus Augustulus emperor. With Odoacer deposing him the line of the Western Roman emperors ended. Julius Nepos fled to Salona which he was able to maintain against Odoacer until 480. According to Eastern Roman rumors, Glycerius was somehow involved in the assassination of Odoacer. That is the last information there is about Glycerius. 6

7 Lot 768: MICHAEL III, Rare. Good extremely fine. Estimate: 14,000,- euros Lot 770: JOHN I TSIMISKES, solidi gold bulla. Unpublished unique specimen. Very fine. Estimate: 40,000,- euros Thanks to the vertical channel this item can be identified as a seal, which was usually made of lead or glass in Byzantine times. The emperors likewise used lead, generally speaking. The extremely rare gold variant was only used in very special occasions and came in four weights that varied in accordance to the status of their intended recipients. The Bishop of Rome, therefore, was given a seal with the weight of one solidus, the King of Georgia or the Emir of North Africa received a seal with the weight of two solidi while the Patriarch of Alexandria, Theoupolis and Jerusalem deserved three solidi. At the top were seals in the weight of four solidi, as the ones given to rulers like the Caliph of Bagdad or the Sultan of Egypt. Lot 3050: BRANDENBURG / PRUSSIA. Frederick William, the Great Elector, Thaler 1675, Berlin, on the victory at Fehrbellin. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 3,000,- euros Lot 3230: SILESIA-JÄGERNDORF. Georg Friedrich of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Reichsdoppelthaler 1592, Jägerndorf. Auction Peus 403 (2011), Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 5,000,- euros Lot 3330: BAPTISMAL MEDAL. Drop-shaped gold medal with serrated edge, n. y., holed. Extremely fine. Estimate: 600,- euros Lot 3478: FRANCE. Napoleon I, francs 1807 A, Paris. Auction Künker 206 (2012), Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 2,000,- euros Lot 3496: FRANCE. Napoleon I, March 20 June 22, francs 1815 A, Paris. Maison Palombo (2009), 337. Extremely rare. Very fine. Estimate: 500,- euros Lot 3575: FRANCE. 3rd Republic, Ni 10 centimes Smooth edge. 3,972 specimens struck. Brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 2,000,- euros Lot 3587: EQUATORIAL AFRICA. Br-Alu 25, 10, 5 centimes 1943, Pretoria. Set of three coins. Extremely rare. About brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 2,000,- euros Lot 3596: INDOCHINA. Zn 1/2 cent Extremely rare. Brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 1,000,- euros Lot 3772: SERBIA. Milan IV / I Obrenovic, dinar 1879, Vienna. Extremely rare. Proof. Estimate: 5,000,- euros 7

8 Lot 3797: HUNGARY. Francis II Rakoczi and the Malcontents, Gold gulden 1704 NB, Nagybanya. Auction Dorotheum 938 (2013), Very rare. About brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 3,000,- euros Lot 5039: RUSSIA. Catherine I, Rouble 1727 SPB, St. Petersburg. Rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 5,000,- euros Lot 5138: RUSSIA. Paul I, Ducat 1797 SM-GL, St. Petersburg. Rare. Very fine. Estimate: 4,000,- euros Lot 5215A: RUSSIA. Alexander II, kopecks 1860 SPB-FB, St. Petersburg. Extremely rare. Good extremely fine. Estimate: 20,000,- euros Lot 5218: RUSSIA. Alexander II, for Finland. Medal 1857 of A. Lyalin / M. Kuchkin on the 700th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity to Finland. Rare. Extremely fine to brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 1,000,- euros Lot 5261: RUSSIA. Orders and Decorations: Order of the White Eagle. Set of the order s decoration and breast star, not dated (around 1910). I-II. Estimate: 25,000,- euros 8

Numismatic Rarities: From the Wappenmünze to the German Thaler

PRESS RELEASE Auction 232-234 October 5-9, 2015, Preliminary Report Numismatic Rarities: From the Wappenmünze to the German Thaler The Gorny & Mosch October sale has much to offer. The sessions will present