The Most Expensive Sestertii

This week's Coins Weekly features a slideshow of the most expensive sestertii. They are the ones you'd expect -- the IVDEA CAPTAs and the Caligulas and Galbas. The Hadrian is a bit of a surprise but, then again, it truly is FDC.

What is the most treasured (not necessarily the most expensive) sestertius in your collection? I love many of my sestertii, but I'd have to say this is the one I treasure most:


Agrippina I, wife of Germanicus, 14 BC - AD 33.
Roman orichalcum Sestertius 27.92 gm, 34.8 mm, 7 h.
Rome mint. Struck under Claudius, 42-54 AD.
Obv: AGRIPPINA M F GERMANICI CAESARIS, bare-headed and draped bust right.

And although this article is about Agrippina I's daughter, Agrippina II, it's worth mentioning in this thread.
Rev: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P around large SC.
Refs: RIC I 102 (Claudius); BMCRE 219 (Claudius); Cohen 3.

 

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Do we know why sestertii are so expensive given they’re bronze rather than silver or gold? The only thing I’ve noticed is it seems very difficult to find one’s that haven’t been either smoothed or tooled or otherwise altered.

 

My most expensive sestertius is this one of Balbinus:

Balbinus. AD 238.

Æ Sestertius, 33mm, 22.9g, 12h; Rome mint. 1st emission.

Obv.: IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.

Rev.: CONCORDIA AVGG; Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopia; S C in exergue.

Reference: RIC IVb 22, p. 171.

 

Because the value of ancient coins is not in the metal, but in the artistry and historic significance. Sestertii are big and beautiful, often with stunning artistry. Indeed, there is such a demand for high-grade examples that tooling and smoothing are -- unfortunately -- commonly encountered.

 

I have only a few sestertii. Here's my favorite, selected for its wonderful style and artistry.


Nero
struck in Rome, CE 63
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24. Formerly slabbed (NGC)

 

Note that five of these top ten most expensive sestertii were from Numismatica Genevensis SA auctions. My experience with Numismatica Genevensis SA is that they're a bit, well, quirky. In many of their auctions it appears to me that they have already lined up deep-pocketed collectors who are focused on one specific coin, and as a result that coin's price far exceeds any rational explanation.

As beautiful as the highest priced Hadrian sestertius may be, I'm highly doubtful it would sell at anywhere near that price if it were to come to auction today. It is certainly not in "perfect condition" -- there's a gouge on the obverse in front of Hadrian's forehead and the obverse legend is not struck sharply enough to be of FDC quality.

Take all such lists with a grain of salt...

 

This is my most expensive sestertius. I'm fascinated with the boy-emperor, and a certain CT member has been rubbing off on me, increasing my appreciation for Victory reverses:

Elagabalus, Ruled 218-222 AD
AE Sestertius, Struck 219-220 AD, Rome mint
Obverse: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse: VICTORIA ANTONINI AVG, Victory advancing right, holding wreath in raised right hand and palm over left shoulder; S-C across fields.
References: RIC IV 377
Size: 31.5mm, 24.0g

And this is my most prized sestertius. It replaced the "one that got away" and I just love this one even more :

Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar 139-161 AD, Ruled as Emperor 161-180 AD
AE Sestertius, Struck 145 AD, Rome mint
Obverse: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS II, bare head, right.
Reverse: Minerva, helmeted, draped, standing, left, holding spear, vertical, in right hand and resting left on round shield set on ground; S-C across fields.
References: RIC III 1245
Size: 32mm, 23.56g
Note: In 145 AD, Marcus was made consul for the second time (Jan. 1) and married Antoninus Pius’ daughter Fasutina (April).

What a wonderful reverse! And the obverse and portrait are nothing to squawk at either!

 

It's a nice list. My favorite would be the one with the flavian theater.

Here's one of my sestertii. It had a bit of plastic surgery, like too many of these (and the only reason I could afford this one).

 

Oh I agree! I did not mean to imply I collect based off the base metal. I meant more... since a sestertius was less valuable then a denarius in ancient times, I would expect there to be more sestertii around today. So I would perhaps expect a similarly beautiful denarius to go for more than a similarly beautiful sestertius. It seems however sestertii are less common than denarii in today’s auctions, and so in that comparison the sestertius would sell for more.

Especially high quality sestertii that have not been modified in modern times. So I’m also intrigued as to why we see more denarii of EF grade, that have not been tooled/smoothed etc, vs sestertii. Or perhaps I’m just not looking in the right places

 

For me, it's a tie between two of Trajan's Parthian War types. The first, "Rex Parthia Datus", commemorates his assigning a puppet-king, Parthamaspates, over Parthia in 113. "Regna Adsignata" publicizes Trajan assigning kings to several other neighboring territories.

 

Great coins..
Mine are my worn but attractive Marcus Aurelius and Commodus..

 

One of the best and rarest sestersius was the Hadrian Britannia one that was loaned by Petition Crown to the British Museum. I don't think it's still there. It's a hauranging type with soldiers and standards being addressed by Hadrian. Excert. Britannia or something like.

 

May I ask how you can tell? I have very few bronze coins of the early Empire, and I think smoothing, tooling, etc. are less common with silver coins. Perhaps it's harder to accomplish with silver?

 

I have only a couple of sestertii, and this one is probably my favorite:

Marcus Aurelius, AE Sestertius, 173 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder; M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII / Rev. Marcus Aurelius standing left, holding scepter with left hand, and, with his right hand, raising by her right hand a kneeling figure of Italia, wearing a turret and holding a globe with her left hand; [RESTITVTORI ITALIAE] IMP VI COS III [bracketed portion off flan]. RIC III 1078, Sear RCV II 4997, Cohen 538. 30mm, 25.8g. [According to David Sear (see RCV II at p. 315), this coin "commemorates the deliverance of Italy from the threat of barbarian invasion resulting from the emperor's successes in his wars against the Germanic tribes of the Danubian region."] [Purchased from Incitatus Coins, June 2020.]





These show a bit more detail, even though the color isn't as accurate as the first photos:

 

Only have seen tooling with silver a few times. One time with an Aegypto Capta denarius of Octavian, where the spots on the body of the crocodile were milled (is this the correct word in English?) in.
My gorgious greeny had some 'campi ritoccati e patina rifatta'; smoothing and patina redone. The gentle smoothing is visible in hand, in the fields on the obverse. You hardly can see it in the photo. I knew what I was buying.

 

By far, the most expensive sestertii in my collection is the Judaea Capta of Vespasian.

This has also been the most problematic as well. Purchased from David Michaels back in the late 90's, I sent the coin to NGC for certification, something I normally don't do, and the coin was returned with "no opinion". Subsequently I sent it to David Sear, who issued a certificate.

27.0 grams

 

Mine is a common type but with a nice patina on a big flan and a pedigree to Henry Platt Hall collection sold by Glendinings in 1950.

 

This sestertius is common, but I love the portraiture, patina and earth contrast.

From Roma Numismatics:

Julia Mamaea (mother of S. Alexander) Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 222-235. IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust right / VENVS GENETRIX, Venus standing left, holding apple and sceptre, child standing right before her. RIC 704 (Alexander). 19.49g, 31mm, 12h.

 

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my mouth.. Some really nice Sestertii posted by members in this thread.

I've a few others, but have yet the time to take proper pictures. This one is likely still my fav.

It's got some character scars, but to me it's a beaut. I really like the round flan; it feels great in hand.



Trajan AE Sestertius Rome Mint Struck 114-117 AD 33mm 26.24g
O: IMP CAES TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Laureate and draped bust of Trajan right.

R: SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS S C Felicitas, draped, standing left, holding up caduceus in right hand and cornucopiae in left.

RIC 671

 

In the petition Crown collection of Geoffrey Cope. I cannot find the obverse. This is the finest example once was in the BM.
https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/...stery-hadrian-exercitus-britannicus-revealed/