Auction Highlights
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Greek Marble Head of Dionysus
Sold for (Inc. bp): £23,400
Carved in the half-round in three-quarter view, youthful male head with stern features, hair gathered in a browband, horns to the brow; from a frieze or relief; mounted on a custom-made stand. -
Greek Marble Head of a Ruler
Sold for (Inc. bp): £31,200
Carved in the round with thick wreath of laurel leaves to the brow, short tousled hair, stern face with thick jaw; mounted on a custom-made stand. -
Roman Veined Marble Torso of an Athlete
Sold for (Inc. bp): £48,100
Standing contrapposto with his weight on his right leg and the left leg brought slightly forward; the musculature of the torso displaying well-defined pectoral muscles, prominent abdominal muscles and wide shoulders, the back with equally toned musculature and well-formed rounded buttocks; the veining of the marble accentuating the idealised anatomy; the now-absent head was most probably turned towards the supporting leg and the left arm would have been raised; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Large Middle Elamite Cylinder Seal of Kidnu, Chief Overseer of King Tan-Ruhurater II
Sold for (Inc. bp): £15,600
A high-status green chalcedony seal with frieze depicting a seated figure in horned headdress facing a standing figure with arms outstretched, small monkey to the legs; six columns of Akkadian cuneiform text transliterated as: 1. ki-di-nu UGULA KUŠ-MEŠ 2. GAL šà tan-dru-hu- 3. ra-te-er EŠŠANA šu-ši 4. u an-za-an ARAD 5. šà dha-te-ri-iš 6. šak(?) ì-lí-šu 'Kidinu, chief overseer of the equerries(?) of Tan-Ruhurater, King of Susa and Anzan, servant of Haterishshak, his god'. The seal's owner was an official of King Tan-Ruhurater II (circa 1450 B.C.), king of Susa and Anzan. The title used to describe Kidinu is sometimes translated 'high official', elsewhere 'horse groom' or 'animal trainer'; the Elamite deity Haterish is otherwise unknown. -
Mesopotamian Torch Bearer Stand with Lion Tamer
Sold for (Inc. bp): £46,800
A substantial torch bearer depicting a male lion or panther standing with legs firmly planted on a rectangular base, tail extending to the ground, with a massive circular shaped armature or candelabra issuing from its back and wearing an elaborate muzzle, the eyes retaining shell inlay with a circular hollow for the pupils; to the right of the beast a kneeling nude male wearing a large belt-armour and a diadem, eyes inlaid, left hand extended to the side and holding the lion's leash.
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Anglo-Saxon Coins - Continental Issues - Series X 'Woden' Head - AR Sceatta Circa 695-740 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Obv: facing Woden head. Rev: crested beast right, head turned back. 1.01 grams, 11 mm.
Good fine.
Found Gloucestershire, UK.
This specimen, from is crude design and debased silver, its likely to be a British copy of the well-known Wodan type. -
Anglo-Saxon Coins - Continental Issue - Series E - AR Sceatta 695-740 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Obv: degraded 'porcupine' head right with eyes, beak, and legs below. Rev: standard with four lines, two pellets and central pellet-in-annulet. 1.23 grams, 12.05 mm.
Extremely fine, well struck with sharp details. Very rare.
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. -
Anglo-Saxon Coins - Continental Issue - Series E - AR VICO Type Sceatta 695-740 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Obv: degraded 'porcupine' head right with cross and two I's. Rev: standard with symbols around a central annulet. 1.16 grams, 12.01 mm.
Good very fine.
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. -
Anglo-Saxon Coins - Continental Issue - Series E - AR Sceatta 695-740 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Obv: degraded 'porcupine' head right. Rev: standard with angular symbols (derived from TOTII). 1.06 grams, 11.85 grams.
Extremely fine, chipped.
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. -
Anglo-Saxon Coins - Coenwulf, Kings of Mercia - AR Penny Fragment 796-821 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Obv: [+]COENVV[LF REX?] around an inner circle. Rev: triangle and remains of other characters around an inner circle. 0.31 grams, 16 mm.
Good fine.
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. -
Viking Coins - Danish East Anglia - St Edmund - Memorial Coinage AR Penny c. 885-915 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
Obv: top-barred A with +SCEA DN legend. Rev: small cross with +ANRIC.AI legend. 1.32 grams, 18 mm.
Very fine, hairline cracks.
From the private collection of a Sussex, UK, gentleman. -
Anglo-Saxon Coins - Alfred the Great - Canterbury/Hebeca - Base AR Lunettes Penny 871-899 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
Obv: profile bust right with +AELBRED REX legend. Rev: lunettes broken at edges with HEBECA for moneyer Hebeca between MON and ETA. 1.08 grams, 20.09 mm.
Very fine, edge chip. Very rare.
Found near Linton, Cambridgeshire, UK, on 13 January 2024.
Adrian W. Lyons and William A. Mackay The Lunettes Coinage of Alfred The Great, One of the authors of the above article, William MacKay, has commented as follows: 'This accords with BNJ Lyon and MacKay 2008, Alfred lunettes Mercian style obverse, var. V – see page 49. The bust aligns with the group V obverses of Burgred, in this case specifically type V5 – MacKay 2015, p. 127 and plate nos 152-182. The moneyer named on the coin is Hebeca. He appears as one the two moneyers striking lunettes pennies for Archbishop Ceolnoth so was likely Canterbury based. The Mercian style obverse die would likely have been cut at one of the Mercian mint workshops at London. The reverse type D – crooks - as here is scarce for Alfred.' -
Anglo-Saxon Coins - Cnut - London / Leofwine - Pointed Helmet Type AR Cut Halfpenny 1024-1030 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
BMC type xiv. Obv: profile bust with sceptre and +CNVT [REX A] legend. Rev: short voided cross with pellet-in-annulet to angles with +LEO[ ]VND legend for the moneyer Leofwine at London mint. 0.43 grams, 18 mm.
Very fine.
Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Norman Coins - Stephen - Watford Type AR Cut Farthing 1136-1145 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Obv: crowned bust with sceptre right, legend and beaded border surrounding, +STI[EFN]E. Rev: cross moline, lis in each angle, legend and beaded border surrounding, +F[ ]N. 0.30 grams total, 13 mm.
Very fine.
Found near Coventry, Warwickshire, UK. -
Norman Coins - Stephen - York Mint - Flag Type AR Cut Farthing 1135-1154 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
Local and irregular issues of the Civil War, Flag / Ornaments type of York. Obv: + stief-n-[e r], crowned and draped bust right, holding staff with flag or 'triple banner' in right hand, an unclear symbol in field to right of banner. Rev: cross moline in circle surrounded by some letters retrograde, decorative symbols within the legend at the four cardinal points, additionally an eight pointed star, York mint. 0.26 grams, 14 mm.
Good very fine/extremely fine.
Found near Louth, Lincolnshire, UK, 2024. -
Norman Coins - William I - London / Ealdgar - Bonnet Type AR Penny 1066-1087 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
BMC type ii. Obv: crowned bust facing with fillet each side and +PILLEM REX legend. Rev: pellet and crescent ended voided cross with annulet at centre and pile in angles with +ALDGAR ON LVN legend with initial cross offset to left for the moneyer Ealdgar at London mint. 1.23 grams, 19 mm.
Good very fine.
From the private collection of a Sussex, UK, gentleman. -
Norman Coins - William I - Profile Head AR Penny Fragment 1080-1083 A.D.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
BMC type vii. Obv: profile bust right with sceptre with [+PILLELM] REX legend. Rev: cross with annulet centre and voided trefoils to angles, +BRI [ ]. 0.39 grams, 15 mm.
Very fine.
Found near Coventry, Warwickshire, UK.