Group Lots & more "Finding Provenance." From yesterday's CNG e-Auction 548

How much do you look into group lots before bidding, or do you do it "impressionistically"? What are some memorable ones?

How much can you find out about a group lot from one blurry photo and a summary description?

This one hasn't arrived yet (just won it yesterday), but I tried to research what I could before deciding my bid, and actually found quite a bit:



That's the photo for CNG EA 548 (18 Oct 2023), Lot 1115: 23 mixed bronzes "From the Dr. Michael Slavin Collection." (Actually 24. Best to count -- sometimes the titles are wrong.)

I try to have a “bibliographic collection”: coins representing past collections & published works they were part of. So, I enjoy nothing more than uncovering lost or unlisted provenances.

Group lots can be a challenge. (A good one!) Here's what I could find ahead of time:


Four or five coins ex-Henry Clay Lindgren (1914-2005) Collection, incl. at least one each illustrated in his 1989 & 1993 books (Lindgren II: Ancient Greek Bronze Coins: European Mints & Lindgren III: Ancient Greek Bronze Coins).

I recognized Lindgren's envelopes/tags in the photos. (And knew that Slavin had tons of ex-Lindgren; also SNG Levante, maybe I'll find one or two of those too?)


1. Sicily, Gela AE11, 1.15g. Lindgren II 459 “plate coin.”



I have a bunch from Lindgren I and Lindgren III (even one coin that was in both!), but this is my first from L II (European). I like small coins and it looks like a nice bull, so I’m thrilled.


2. Bithynia, Nicaea AE18 of Antoninus Pius. Lindgren I 135 “plate coin.”



I have several others of Lindgren’s from Nicaea and rival city Nicomedia (mainly Severan), so this is a great addition. Also, I like coins of Asclepius (and Hygeia).


3-5. More interesting coins that are ex-Lindgren but do NOT appear in the books. (At least, I couldn't recognize them from just the one photo.)

- Gordian III AE35 from Tarsus;
- Phrygia, Cotiaeum AE24 w/ Telesphoros, Hygeia & Asclepius (prob. Valerian I);
- Uncertain European mint, possibly Lindgren II “plate coin”?

Note: One might argue that Lindgren's unpublished coins are more “inventory” than “collection.”

Personally, I consider the Greek/RPC AEs w/ envelopes “collection” (or at least “duplicates”) since he explicitly said he founded Antioch to sell his collection, and then to disperse coins from the planned fourth book which was never completed.​

Especially looking forward to the big Gordian III. I have a suspicion about a prior collection. (Mabbott?)


6. Mesopotamia, Edessa. Severus Alexander. Wildwinds “digital plate coin.”



Great shield decoration! With an old CNG / Victor England tag. Maybe more to research.


7. Hadrian AE from Samaria, Caesarea Maritima (Jerusalem). Ex CNG 66, 1270 ($120 in 2004), cited in RPC Online III 3960, specimen 28. (I’ll submit a photo when it arrives.)



A scarce and interesting type. This will be a nice addition to my Judaea Capta & Bar Kochba Revolt sub-collection.


8. Cast AE Trias from Sicily, Silenus. Ex Breitsprecher/Ancient Imports, reportedly ex Lanz.



Looks pretty nice, as far as these go. It’ll be my first cast coinage of Silenus. The old Breitsprecher listing here. Not sure if the Lanz sale will be traceable. Maybe more info on the labels.


9-24. A bunch more interesting and/or attractive ones that fit my other sub-collections, but for which I just couldn’t find anything from just that one group photo.


Hopefully they still look as good as in all the 20-35 year old photos! That's a risk you take, though, with these big lots.

 

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Your ability to find lost provenance information is incredibly impressive @Curtis ! I admire your skill and enjoy seeing your collection.

The most recent coin for which I found a lost provenance is my new Augustus.

Roman Republic, Octavian
AR Denarius, 30-29BC, Italian Mint
(21 mm, 11h, 3.54 g)
Obv.: Bare head right.
Rev.: Curia Julia with IMP CAESAR on architrave, at apex, Victory standing upon globe with warriors at the angles.
Ref.: RIC, 266; RSC, 122
Ex Walter Niggeler Collection (1878-1964), Munzen und Medaillen AG & Bank Leu AG, Sammlung Walter Niggeler 2 Teil, lot 1014 (October 21, 1966); Ex Marc Poncin Collection, CNG Mail Bid Sale 72, lot 1357 (June 14, 2006)




I recently posted a write up on the coin over at NF.
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/5085-augustus-an-imposing-house-for-an-impotent-senate/

 

I won this lot at CNG e-auction 546. All these 25 coins seem to be from @gsimonel. Most of them have his attribution on the coin holders, but some don't and I'm still working on it (also checking his attributions and I think i found one miss-atribution), enjoying it very much.

Why I did bid on this lot? Because the Agrippina Sestertius, the Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta denarii caught my eye, as well as several LRBC


Picture courtesy CNG:

 

Ooh, I see why! That's a great looking group once you start looking.

A great looking camp gate... A couple Procopius AE3s & Aelia Flaccilla AE2? I'm sure LRBC collectors can spot a lot of stuff in there.

As a "captives & barbarians" collector, I see a great captives-and-trophy reverse from Septimius Severus (I still don't have that particular one) and a good looking Thessalonica mint Fallen Horseman AE2 ("FH2," seated & reaching up, so either Constantius II or C. Gallus, since I think the Constans ones were all the FH1 "hugging horse" reverse type).

What a great discovery! I have copies of the Niggeler auction catalogs that the ANS Library de-accessioned & sold on eBay (a great secret source!) but still no coin from the collection. Every coin in that one (at least the ones in the catalogs) was beautiful!

 

I would have bid on that lot just for the Geta denarius. Nice buy!

 

The group lot I mentioned in the original comment just arrived, and I've photographed about 8 so far (of 24 total), concentrating on the Roman Provincials first. There are a lot of very nice surprises.

Several very scarce types. I've sent in several to RPC that were already cited but without photo, or for which they didn't have a photo at all.


Philip I. Viminacium AE27 (14.42g). A rare variant. Was previously listed in RPC as “Confirmation required (not illustrated)” so I sent in the photos and now it's the "digital plate coin" (unfortunately too late to be in the print volume)
https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/20


Geta, Thrace, Trajanopolis AE20 (4.32g). I believe this is a rare little bronze. I can't find any other example of it. The relevant vol. of RPC isn't online yet, but I'll send in the type if they don't have a Temp. category for it. Also quite attractive patina. Purchased by M. Slavin from Time Machine (St. Louis):


Caracalla, Thrace, Philippopolis AE20 (3.86g). Another apparent rarity that I find quite attractive. Gift of "Rich (someone?)," wish I could make out the last name:


Valerian, Phrygia, Cotiaeum AE24 (7.75g). First coin I've had from this mint, I think. This must be at least scarce. Nicer than the photo. Hard to see in photo, but that's that little weirdo Telesphoros in his hoodie down there between Hygeia & Asclepius. Ex Lindgren Collection (unpublished):


Sicily Assaros. After 200 BCE? I couldn't tell what it was in the photo, but this one turned out to be published in Lindgren vol II (426c). (His photos of it looked better!) Not attractive at all, but interesting. Must be one of the oldest types in RPC (we'll see if they want to include this one online) https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/665


Antoninus Pius from Nicaea, Asclepius. Turned out NOT to be the Lindgren plate coin I thought but a scarce legend variant. Must've required some heavy duty cleaning for encrustations:


Philip I, Syria, Cyrrhus AE29 (11.91g). Common but nice enough looking. Looks rough in photo, but not in hand. Acq. by M. Slavin from Matt Geary (Praetorian Coins) 23 Jun 1999:


Hadrian, Samaria, Caesarea AE23 (10.25g). Interesting biblical "city coin." I wish I knew whether these were struck before or after Hadrian crush the Bar Kochba Revolt. For this one I had already found a 20 year old photo from CNG Auction 66 (great collection of similar types, don't know whose). But I like my photo better:




8 DOWN, 16 MORE TO GO. So far, not bad for about $12 or $13 each!

 

Three more photos:

By far the smallest of the 24 coins in this group lot, and probably my favorite. Looks much nicer than I expected from the nearly-40-year old photo in Lindgren & Kovacs 1985. I love tiny coins anyway, but this little 11mm bronze from Sicily, Gela, with a bull & river god Gelas, is so charming.

(This is one of those coins where people disagree about which is obverse and reverse.)

Sicily, Gela AE Onkia (11mm, 1.15g), 420-405 BCE.
Obv: Horned head of Gelas right, with flowing hair; barley grain to left.
Rev: ΓELAΣ. Bull standing right; barley grain above, pellet (mark of value) in exergue
Ref: Lindgren II 459 (this coin).
Prov: Ex H.C. Lindgren Collection, Michael Slavin Collection (CNG EA 548 [18 Oct 2023], group lot).​

My photo of the Severus Alexander from Edessa....
The obverse legend is missing (there are several variants), but thanks to a 7 year old post by @paschka , I figured it out. The 2016 comment shared a description of this very specimen & link to its photo on Wildwinds... And linked another specimen from the same obverse die but with more of the legend visible.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/id-halp-this-late-province-of-rome.278998/#post-2426664
So, many thanks to @paschka! Now I know the legend & exact RPC type!

Mesopotamia, Edessa. Severus Alexander Æ (23.5mm, 9.87g, 12h), 222-235 CE.
Obv: Laureate bust left, holding eagle-tipped sceptre and shield.
Rev: Tyche seated left before altar, river god below; stars flanking in fields.
Ref: BMC Mesopotamia pg. 108, 109; Lindgren I 2583.
Prov: Ex M. Slavin coll., acq. from CNG c. 2001; wildwinds "digital plate coin" since 2001.​

Finally, a rare-ish type from Mesopotamia, Rhesaena, for Caracalla. It's crude & weird looking, but this is actually a pretty good one for type. They hardly ever have the full obverse legend on the flan. Often there's no legend at all on at least one side:

Mesopotamia, Rhesaena. Caracalla AE (22mm, 7.17g, 12h).
Obv: AYTKM ANTΩNIN. Laureate, draped bust of Caracalla right.
Rev: ΗCΑ-Ι-ΝΗCΙΩ. River-god Chaboras seated left, holding reeds (?); upturned vase & two fish below.
Ref: Lindgren & Kovacs 2610 (for type); Castelin 19 var. [K. Castelin, The Coinage of Rhesaena in Mesopotamia, ANS NNM 108 (1946), 31, 19]. “RARE” (Slavin).
Prov: CNG EA 548 (18 Oct 2023) lot 1115 (part of), ex M. Slavin coll​

If you noticed a theme -- Michael Slavin specifically collected "river god" coins.