Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVI, radiate head to right / INDVLGENTIA AVG COS IIII, Indulgentia seated to left on throne, extending hand and holding sceptre; S C in exergue. RIC III 907; Cohen 453. 14.41gr, 27mm, 7h.

Very Fine.

From the private collection of an Essex, UK, lady.

AVRELIVS CAES ANTON AVG PII F, bare head to right / TR POT XII COS II, Felicitas standing to left, holding caduceus and sceptre. RIC 475 note (Pius); RSC 729. 3.32gr, 17mm, 7h.

Near Very Fine.

London gentleman's collection, 1970-1990s, by descent.

AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F, bare head to right / TR POT COS II, Spes advancing to left, holding flower in her right hand and raising skirt with her left. RIC 437; BMC 615; Cohen 600. 3.03gr, 18mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

London gentleman's collection, 1970-1990s, by descent.

AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head to right / PIETAS AVG, sacrificial implements: knife, sprinkler, jug, lituus and simpulum; S C in exergue. RIC 1240a (Pius). 9.98gr, 27mm, 5h.

Very Fine. Nice patina with golden highlights.

Private collection, France. Private European collection.

DIVVS M ANTONINVS PIVS, bare head of Divus Marcus Aurelius to right / CONSECRATIO, eagle standing facing on thunderbolt, wings spread and head to left. RIC 269; BMC 22; Cohen 83. 3.07gr, 18mm, 12h.

Near Extremely Fine. Well-struck and attractively toned.

Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.

L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, laureate head to right / TR P VI IMP IIII COS II PAX, Pax standing to left, holding olive branch in her right hand and cornucopia in her left. RIC 561; BMC 230; Cohen 126. 2.82gr, 18mm, 8h.

Very Fine.

London gentleman's collection, 1970-1990s, by descent.

L AVREL COMMODVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / TR P III IMP II COS P P, Castor, nude but for cap and short cloak, standing to left, holding horse by bridle in right hand and spear in left. RIC III 648 (Marcus Aurelius); BMCRE 774 (same obv. die); Calicó 2337b (same rev. die as illustration); Biaggi 1014 (same rev. die as illustration). 7.31gr, 20mm, 11h.

Mint State. A truly spectacular specimen.

Ex Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Auction 377, 20 October 2022, lot 5892 (hammer: EUR 30,000). Acquired on the UK coin market. From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman.

M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate head to right / ANN AVG TR P VI IMP IIII COS III P P, Annona standing facing, head to left, holding cornucopia and grain ears over modius at her feet to left; S C across fields. RIC III 307a; Cohen 5; BMCRE 442. 23.71gr, 32mm, 12h.

Extremely Fine.

Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd, E-Sale 103, 24 November 2022, lot 1042 (since professionally conserved). From the Graham Slater (1927-2024) collection.

SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head to right / P M TR P XVI COS III P P, Concordia seated to left, holding patera and cornucopia. RIC 218. 2.68gr, 19mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine.

London gentleman's collection, 1970-1990s, by descent.

IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, laureate head to right / VICTOR SEVER AVG, Victory advancing to left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left. RIC 428; BMC 399; Cohen 749. 2,64gr, 18mm, 12h.

Very Fine. Toned.

London gentleman's collection, 1970-1990s, by descent.

SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head to right / P M TR P XIII COS III P P, Jupiter, nude but for cloak, standing facing, head to left, holding thunderbolt in his right hand and sceptre in his left; at his feet to left, eagle. For prototype: RIC 196; BMC 471; Cohen 469. 2.59gr, 19mm, 7h.

Near Very Fine.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

'Limes Denarii' (misnomer) are more or less faithful bronze copies of silver Denarii, minted on the fringes of the empire out of necessity. Perhaps they may be officially sanctioned issues for use in regions where political unrest made it hazardous to ship large amounts of silver. These low value issues could have served troops on the front and been redeemable for good coinage when they returned to the stable regions. Were they a form of military scrip meant to keep large quantities of precious metal from falling into enemy hands in the event of a defeat?

IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust to right / DIANA LVCIFERA, Diana standing to left, holding torch in both hands. RIC IV 548 var. (S. Severus, crescent on neck); Hill 223; Calicó 2610. 7.08gr, 20mm, 6h.

Fleur De Coin. A spectacular aureus. Rare.

Ex G. Hirsch, Auction XIV, 19 September 1957, lot 706. Ex Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser, Auction 17, 18 March 2003, lot 413. Ex Marti Hervera, 20 May 2004, lot 410. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 143, 7 May 2024, lot 558 (11,500 CHF hammer). Acquired on the UK coin market. From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman.