The ten most expensive Roman aurei ever sold at auction

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Very interesting that # 1 was three times the price of # 2, and six times # 10 -- even though I happen to think # 10 is much more beautiful. History trumps everything, I guess.

Here's their slideshow of the 10 most expensive types of denarius ever sold: https://coinsweekly.com/coin_records/the-most-expensive-roman-denarii/. (They only allowed one of any given type on the list; otherwise specimens of the Eid Mar denarius would have filled 9 of the 10 spots.)

And here are two whole pages of " ten most expensive coins" lists, including one for sestertii, one for tetradrachms, and one for electrum coins: https://coinsweekly.com/rekordkategorie/the-most-expensive-coins/ . So five different lists for ancients.

 

I think the Augustus is stunning, especially that portrait - wow!

 

I'll take the Augustus and the Labienus, thank you

Q

 

Since nobody wants it, I will take the Allectus. Thanks in advance.

 

Basis of my collecting habits.

 

Why did you post this link ? @panzerman will probably have a stroke ! Very mean.

 

Plus rarity, of course. Both more important than mere beauty, at least for the aureus list. Not so much for the denarius list, given that the Eid Mar denarius isn't really all that rare for an ancient coin. The Eid Mar aureus is a different story.

 

I'm sure @panzerman has stoically accepted that @AncientJoe owns all ten of them.

 

Agreed. Many of my coins have less than 20 known, as with many of the folks here on CT. To me, Historical significance, critical junctures in Human History, and rarity has more of an allure than how "pretty" a coin is. But those are MY attributions to Collecting.

I left collecting Modern coins years ago because everyone was focused on "pretty". They were boxing the coins into plastic tombs, worrying over rating numbers, and having multiples of the same looking, machine manufactured coins differing only by a year number or a mint letter. It was not the "pretty" that got me into collecting then, it was historical significance of the what's and why's those coins were created.


India - Shakya Janapada
AR 5-Shana
6th-5th Century BCE
25mm x 21mm, 7.05g
Obv: Central Pentagonal punch plus several banker's marks
Rev: Blank
Ref: Hirano Type I.8.29
19 known.
Coinage from the Ghaghara Gandak River region
Minted in the Shakya Janaprada during Siddhārtha Gautama's (Later the Buddha) lifetime while he was prince, and under the authority of his father as King

 

LOL

 

I agree, Donna. #10 would be my choice of the group (save for the Colosseum aureus below which they missed).

This video could use an update: the coin which previously sold as #8 should now be #2 as it sold last year for the nice round number of 1M CHF hammer.



They also likely didn't perform appropriate currency conversions or inflation adjustments as this should be #3 now (but perhaps wasn't found when compiling their list). It sold for $800K hammer in 2008, which would be just over $1M hammer now:

 

Pretty neat stuff. I am surprised that some did not make the list.
Alexander of Carthage NFA
Saturninus NFA
Laelinus NFA

If I could have my free pick, Alexander of Carthage NFA auction XXII/ 1989

 

The Alexander and several aurei including the cover coin of NFA XXII were condemned as fake so I'd probably look elsewhere

 

About Saturninus’ aurei, there are two known specimen, not from the same dies. The first one is the example @panzerman was talking about, the second one was acquired by the Cabinet des médailles (the only picture I could find was from the revue numismatique of 1898…). I didn’t know they were condemned as fakes ? If you’d like to learn about the weird story of the first coin, read this, especially the reply by Barry Murphy :
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/saturninus-the-usurper.364687/#post-4723523

 

I just edited my post: the cover coin and several other aurei from that auction were condemned as fake although the Saturnius might be okay (the style matches at least). In any event, it was not an auction to envy, knowing the doubt cast on it.

 

That’s NFA XXVII, not XXII. The Saturninus is fine.
NFA XXII has a fake Ahenobarbus on the cover.

 

Looking at my Aureo & Calico 2 vol. books.

These would for sure be in the running

Gordian I
Gordian II
Orbiana
Macrianus the Younger
Quietus
Marius
Nigrinianus
Domitius Domitianus 2 types
Alexander 2 types
Sponsianus

 

Who said that $$$$$ cannot buy happiness, I would love to give it a whirl