I was not thinking of bidding on anything in the sale, but ended up with two coins anyways , one ancient silver, and one medieval gold coin. I will start with the ancient, a beautiful new style Athens tetradrachm, it is a little off center on the reverse, but the gorgeous dark toning makes up for it. ATTICA, Athens. Circa 165-42 BC. AR Tetradrachm (30mm, 16.46 g, 12h). New Style coinage. Mened–, Epigeno–, and Nikogene–, magistrates. Struck 135/4 BC. Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena Parthenos right. Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing, on amphora; magistrates' names in fields; to left, Asklepios standing left, holding serpent-entwined scepter; Θ on amphora, HP below; all within wreath. References: Thompson 353g (same obv. die); HGC 4, 1602. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The second coin is a medieval gold coin, the second I have purchased in a short time. It has the same obverse theme as the first one, but instead of a duke of Brittany on horseback, we have a French king. It is in a bit rougher shape than the first one I bought, but still offers enough visible detail to be a fairly attractive coin. I really like these medieval types with armored knights. FRANCE, Royal. Jean II le Bon (the Good). 1350-1364. AV Franc à cheval (29mm, 3.76 g, 1h). Authorized 5 January 1360. Obverse: Jean, crowned and in full armor, left on caparisoned horse, holding sword - (Fleur-de-lis) IOhAnnЄS: DЄI | :GRACIA: | FRAnCORV': RЄX (double annulet stops). Reverse: Cross tréflée and feuillue; in center of cross, • within quadrilobe; all within quadrilobe, trefoil fleurée at end of each arc; trilobe in spandrels - +XP'C • VIИCIT • XP'C • RЄGNAT • XP'C • IMPЄRAT (rosette stops). References: Duplessy 294; Ciani 361; Friedberg 279.
Lovely. This is something I'm after for my Jean le Bon themed collection. I haven't found the right one yet Q
Nice pickups, @Michael Stolt. I think the bidding wars in sessions 5 and 6 are not as crazy as in earlier sessions. Some coins are hammered at estimates, or just 50% more. Wonder if the recent stock market downturn discourages bidders from pushing the prices up more. I won 3 coins in sessions 5 and 6. Two are just a bit above estimates. This third one is hammered at estimate, likely due to the reverse marks. Still, a budget piece with nice obverse portrait. PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy II Philadelphos. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 13.97 g, 12h). Dated RY 33 (253/2 BC). Ioppe (Joppa) mint. Obv: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis around neck Rev: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; to left, IOΠ (mint) monogram above MT monogram; to right, ΛΓ (date) above Θ. CPE 669; Svoronos 804; SNG Copenhagen 463 var; DCA 18. From the Kenneth S. Abramowitz Collection Triton XXV. January 2022
Thanks I also read that this is the first "franc" ever issued, which is fun as I do have sets of the last francs issued before the Euro, that my grandmother gave me alongside other coins and trinkets that had belonged to my grandfather.
Michael, Nice score on the two coins ! The Athens Tet is especially nice, great strike & lovely toning . I managed to win 5 lots from all the sessions combined. I just received an email notice that the two coins I won on January 11 should arrive by this Saturday. CNG is getting slower putting the coins in the mail .
h. c., That is a great looking portrait on the Ptolemy II Tet ! You're right about the softer prices in the last two sessions . The lots in the last two sessions weren't as impressive as the first three sessions. There was a lot of Roman-Judean junk in the last two sessions that didn't sell.
Yes prices were a bit lower in some areas but still some crazy bids in session 5 and 6 too. Anything under 2x estimate is usually a decent deal at CNG nowadays imo. Congrats on your wins.
Thanks Al! Congrats on your successful bids. I haven't received any news on shipping, and as you mention they seem to be a bit slower on shipping recently, perhaps a lot of new customers. I do have some wins from last year that's still with them as well so I will receive a big package when they finally ship
Thanks Feels like will add medieval gold as a new addiction soon I will most likely confine myself with knights on horseback though, so I won't step too much into your territory
Congrats! I lost on all three coins I bid on. Two of the three didn't go super-high and I was the underbidder on one. The third coin went for what I feel was way too much. It's probably for the best, as I didn't want to explain a rather expensive purchase. All of the auctions where I'm most likely to get something are now not until late February, so I can space out my purchases.
I would not consider it a budget piece. For Joppa mint it is in great shape, usually they are much worse!
Aidan, That's an exceptional Carthaginian Tet ! The engraving is as fine as the best Tets that were done in Syracuse, & I wouldn't be surprised if the dies were done by a Greek artist .
Thanks! I look forward to receiving it - fingers crossed I haven't doomed it to postal purgatory by posting the auction photo'. Interestingly, it was sold by CGB last summer, so hopefully it was a case of someone hoping to flip it rather than some un-obvious-in-photos defect. It was more expensive in CGB, so I got a good deal. ATB, Aidan.