Hi all! I just wanted to share a few wins from today's Elstob & Elstob auction. They had lots of quality coins (mostly antoninianii), but prices were very high, and I was only able to win one lot. While I had my eye on a Herennius Etruscus as Augustus and a Postumus ant with a C-A mintmark, I was only able to win one lot of 17 Tetricus I & Tetricus II coins (not the lot with the CONCORDIA AVG example unfortunately). However, it is pretty good in my opinion. These are the four most notable coins. Tetricus I antoninianus, PAX AVG. Unusually, this coin appears to have a faint trace of a V remaining in the left field. It is possible this reverse die was modified from a Victorinus coin. A neat little COMES AVG reverse brockage with surprisingly good detail Tetricus I - PVAX AVG (sic!). An interesting spelling error for an official coin. The last (and probably best coin) in the lot is this antoninianus of Tetricus II, with the bust facing left instead of right. The obverse was very poorly rotated in the auction pictures, which is probably why the lot went for a comparatively small amount. This is a coin I've had on my bucket list for a while, and it's nice to finally have one. Show me some Tetricus Ants, some Elstob & Elstob wins, a reverse brockage or something else that might be relevant!
Congratulations for the wins! I only have a Tetricus I and a Tetricus II. I think this is an unofficial imitation after RIC V Tetricus I 121 As for Tetricus II, this is official (and quite nice in my opinion). Bought it to tick Tetricus II also in my collection, but another good reason was the reverse as I like pontifical implements coins. Tetricus II, as Caesar AD 273-274. Treveri Antoninianus Æ 19 mm, 2,19 g RIC V Tetricus I 258 Date Range: AD 273 - AD 274 C PIV ESV TETRICVS CAES Bust of Tetricus II, radiate, draped, right PIETAS AVGVSTOR, pontifical implements
I heard about this auction only 6 days ago; never seen so many quality and « not often seen » coins of the Gallic Empire since the Jacquier’s auction in 2016 ! I’m wondering WHO was liquidating his collection ? The prices were crazy, I had an eye on two lots of Victorinus, and finally got completely destroyed (plus the UKP vs CAD). But at least the show started at 8:00 in the morning eastern time, so first time I attended a live auction in PJs… The funny thing I didn’t know at this moment is that I fought on the two lots with a friend of mine from the Netherlands…but you both got beaten… Here’s the poor pictures of my two missed target. If someone is very patient and have good eyes, maybe he’ll find out why the lots went for 550 and 600 £.
Regardless of the others, the pieces you posted were worth the price of admission. While I collected Roman from that period and I never saw quality like your posted pieces. I love large lots, they are like a box of chocolates per Forrest Gump. I'm actually at a coin show in the Seattle area this weekend. There are several dealers I really love picking Arab/Byz coins from their 7th Century Constans II bulk lots. I've picked up some very scarce coins that way and it keeps me off the streets. I got the attached from a $10 each, or 6 for $50. Please don't tell anyone. He's my first stop.
Prices were certainly strong but it was a very good offering overall. There were several lots where there were some coins of particular interest. I was destroyed on the vast majority of the lots that I was after by ended up buying 5 lots.
Those are four very interesting coins, @Harry G! I commiserate about being blown out of the water at auctions. I haven't won anything at auction since February, apparently because I've got the attitude of "Oh, I'll bid three times what that coin is worth; nobody will outbid me" only to lose anyway to someone who bids five times what the coin would have brought last year. There's somebody with deep pockets out there trying to collect Faustina I and II, I think. Here are a few coins from my general collection of Tetricus I and II. They aren't exactly rare.
I thought I had seen another Comes brockage here! I'm pretty sure that would supposed to have been an antoninianus of Tetricus I, considering that official COMES AVG antoninianii of Victorinus are extremely rare I actually bid on those lots as well... up until about £150 lol. In the first lot of Victorinus, I see a DIVO VICTORINO PIO/PROVIDENTIA AVG, and a rather nice SALVS AVG antoninianus with the bust facing left. The second lot has a nice COMES AVG example, along with a PAX AVG ant with the obverse just being radiate, rather than radiate, draped and cuirassed. There are also some types with the longer obverse legend (PIAVVONIVS). Lot 119 was actually the main Victorinus lot I was after, as it had 3 Divo issues (DIVO VICTORINO PIO/PROVIDENTIA AVG, DIVO VICTORINO PIO/CONSECRATIO and [IMP] VICTORINVS P F AVG/CONSECRATIO), and it also had a FORTVNA REDVX example.
Bronze coin (AE Antoninianus) minted during the reign of TETRICUS I between 270 - 273 A.D. Obv. IMP.C.C.P.TETRICVS.P.F.AVG.: Radiate, draped, bust r. Rev. LAETITIA.AVGG.: Laetitia standing l., holding wreath & anchor. RCS #3178. RICV #87 pg.408. DVM #5. Bronze coin (AE Antoninianus) minted during the reign of TETRICUS II, son of TETRICUS I, as Caesar, between 270 - 273 A.D. Obv. C.PIV.ESV.TETRICVS.CAES.: Radiate, draped, bust r. Rev. SPES.AVGG.: Spes walking l., holding flower & raising robe. RCS #3190. RICV #271 pg.424. DVM #5.