Latest Pickups: a Sabina, 2 Troas; and a Harpocrates bronze figurine from Harlan Berk

Happy Holidays! After I posted my 2021 Top 10 list, I continued to pick up a few ancient coins in December. They are mainly bronze pieces. Here are a selected few that I would like to share. My latest 2021 purchase has also arrived just yesterday, and I would like to include it as well in this post.

My latest purchase is an Egyptian Harpocrates figurine I picked up from an earlier Harlan Berk sale. The Harpocrates figurine is shown with his characteristic crown, and the gesture of touching the finger to the lips. However, its style is heavily influenced by the Hellenistic Greek culture. The figurine’s clothing and pose have a heavy Hellenistic feel. Some say the Greeks mis-interpreted the Egyptian childhood gesture (finger to lips), and eventually named Harpocrates the Hellenistic “god of silence”.

Here is a composite photo from the dealer’s website. Photo Credit: Harlan Berk.


Hellenistic Bronze Figure of Harpocrates, ca. 2nd Century BC.
Harlan Berk 217th Buy or Bid Sale. December 2021.
Purchased in Paris in the early 1950's.
H. 3 3/8" (8.6 cm).

To keep this post relevant, here are a few bronzes I picked up recently.

1. Sabina AE As:
This is my first coin on Sabina. I like the coin’s large size (as compared to denarius), and it has a fine portrait. Looks like she is wearing a stephane as well.

Sabina (AD 128-136/7). AE as. AD 130-133.
Obv: SABINAAVGVSTA-HADRIANI AVG P P. draped bust of Sabina right
Rev: CONCOR-DIA•AVG, Concordia enthroned left, patera in right hand.
RIC II.3 2516. 27mm, 12.17 gm, 6h.
From the Rockport Collection, Heritage Dec 2021


2. Troas AE with Tyche and Eagle grabbing a bull
I like the eagle in the reverse design. Feels like the sharped-eyed eagle is looking back at Tyche. I don’t think an eagle can really pull up a bull though. Maybe a fish is ok. There may be some symbolic representation behind this design, and I need to research further. Maybe it is about Rome conquering smaller nations?

Troas, Alexandria, Pseudo-autonomous issue, c. mid-3rd century AD. Æ
Obv: Turreted and draped bust of Tyche r.; vexillum behind.
Rev: Eagle standing r. on forepart of a bull.
21mm, 6.66g, 12h.
London Ancient Coins. 2021.


3. Troas AE with Tyche and she-wolf.
I like the energetic and pretty nice reverse design.

Troas, Alexandria, c. mid 3rd century AD. Æ
Obv: Turreted and draped bust of Tyche r.; vexillum behind.
Rev: She-wolf standing r., suckling the twins Remus and Romulus.
Bellinger A495; SNG Copenhagen 104-7.
21mm, 5.48g, 62h.
London Ancient Coin. 2021.

4. Constantine I “Eyes to Heaven” bust-type coin
The coin I purchased recently from @John Anthony's auction is forming an interesting “coin pair” with my Fausta follis. Both are looking upwards. I wonder if they may eventually “bump into each other”. Nice to have the coins side-by-side.


That’s all for now.
Wishing everybody a wonderful and healthy New Year!!

 

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That Egyptian bronze is really interesting. I have always had in interest in artifacts, but I find it growing.

 

Thanks, @Aethelred. I think ancient artifacts are good complements to ancient coins. Displaying bronze figurines or clay pottery pieces side-by-side with ancient coins could be really fun.

 

Those are beautiful coins but that figurine is stunning!

 

Thanks, @furryfrog02