“From the collection of E.E Clain-Steffanelli“: how do I know?

Hello Group!

Can someone please help me determine the if the above denarius (Mn Acilius Glabrio, Cr 442/1a, Syd 922) is from the E.E Clain-Stefanelli collection as the auction house claims? The auction house has not been helpful in supporting their statement, nor did it come with an old ticket – just the claim in the catalogue.

While I am happy with the coin itself, I’d like to know if the denarius really was from the E.E Clain-Stefanelli collection. Is there a catalogue or any resource to which I can turn?

Many thanks for your comments and assistance.

D

 

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Nice example.

Mine:

Man. Acilius Glabrio ( 49 B.C.)
AR Denarius
O: SALVTIS behind, laureate head of Salus right, wearing earring and necklace; hair in knot, falling down neck.
R: MN. ACILIVS III. VIR. VALETV, Valetudo (Salus) standing left, holding serpent, resting elbow on column.
Rome
18mm
3.9g
Sear 412; Crawford 442/1a; CRI 16; Sydenham 922

 

I don't believe there's any single catalog of the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection. There was a large handwritten notebook kept by the collector that was sold in a Kolbe and Fanning auction at NYINC 2018 but I don't know if the buyer plans to do anything to publish it. The underbidder is a member on this forum so perhaps he'll have more information. I haven't heard anything about it since the sale but I really do hope to see it again in some form one of these days.

As far as provenances, it is fairly normal for auction houses to list them but be unable to give more information. By simply listing a real person's name the auction house has done more than most. While some collectors keep tickets for all their coins many do not so you often have to trust the auction house's reputation. The auction house really has very little to gain here by making up a provenance like this so I'd be inclined to believe them in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

 

Some more information on the notebook from the K&F auction catalog

 

Thank you very much red_spork - what a shame my coin wasn't the Deidius denarius photographed in the auction catalogue!
Appreciate the help.
D

 

Clain-Stefanelli also wrote several books, and used coins from her collection to illustrate them. Maybe search on Abebooks for second hand copies. "Life in Republican Rome on its Coinage" is full of her coins. I'm told one or two of my ex Clain-Stefanelli coins are in there, though I don't have the book!

The largest recent C-S sale was Numismatica Ars Classica 92 (I looked for your coin in the catalogues and didn't find it). Naville Numismatics, an affiliate of NAC has been selling lots of C-S coins since NAC 92 (the lower quality material that was not suitable for the premier NAC 92 sale). If your coin came from Naville, I think you can feel confident that it is an ex C-S coin.

 

Thank you Carausius.
My denarius is from Naville's auction 31 of May 2015, lot 350. So it's nice to know that it is likely from the E E Clain-Stefanelli collection.
Although NAC must have considered the coin second-rate to sell it through Naville, it fits well with my collection.
Thanks again; I appreciate the information.

 

You'll just have to believe NAC/Naville on this. After all you can't prove that any coin from any auction is from any given collection since collections aren't (generally) published except in their eventual auction sale catalogues. If the NAC or Naville sale listing says it's from Clain-Steffanelli, then it is. Such a well-reputed auction house isn't going to buy a coin at a CNG sale last month and then say it's from Clain Steffanelli (who died I think in 2001) if it isn't. If any further reassurance is needed, a small number of Clain Steffanelli coins are illustrated in her book "Life in Republican Rome". I own a couple of those "Life in Republican Rome" coins. NAC didn't cite that book as they weren't then aware the coins were illustrated. So they said "Clain-Steffanelli" on their word, and the proofs arrived later. Also your coin has a typical old collection toning. Some of the Clain Steffanelli coins that I own seem to have been bought by her in auctions or fixed price lists from the 1960s to 1980s. For others I haven't found prior provenances but I guess she bought them retail. I have no doubts that they came from her collection.

 

I think that's an overstatement! It's a lovely example. Coins that are not suitable for a NAC premier sale are often suitable for printed sales at other high-end auction houses, and I've bought many coins at Naville that I'm absolutely thrilled to own. Material not suitable for NAC is not necessarily second-rate.

 

I have several coins from the Clain-Stefanelli collection sold by Naville. All include handwritten tickets, the handwriting of which matches the style of handwriting in the Clain-Stefanelli notebooks. I saw the notebooks on display at the ANS in New York a couple of years ago, and took some photos of them so I could compare to the tickets when I got home.

 

I also bought a coin that was stated as once a part of the Clain-Steffanelli collection, it was this very nice Julian the Apostate barbarous bull maiorina. It came with a little penciled envelope, that is somewhere in my tickets drawer. But this is the coin. I bought it on Ebay.

 

Dunno, but I am comfortable with my Clain-Steffanelli's... I have various tags and envelops that came with them.

PIG



EAR

Campania, Capua Bronze circa 216-211, Æ 14.5mm., 2.35g. Diademed and veiled bust of Hera r.; lotus-tipped sceptre over shoulder. Rev. KAPV in oscan character Grain ear; in r. field, tripod-like object. SNG France 517. SNG ANS 219. Historia Numorum Italy 500.Good Very Fine/Very Fine.In addition, winning bids of EEC clients for this coin are subject to a 5% fee on hammer price as a reimbursement for import duty paid to HMRC.This coin is Not subject to any kind of US import restrictions.
From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


WUFF

Roman Republic
AE Sextans 217-215, Anonymous
Æ 29.5mm., 24.54g.
Obv: She-wolf suckling twins; in exergue, two pellets.
Rev. ROMA Eagle standing r., holding flower in beak; behind, two pellets.
Ref: Sydenham 95. RBW 107. Crawford 39/3.
Comment: Nice brown-green patina. Very Fine.
Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


SPEAR


Sicily, Mamertini
AE Pentonkion circa 264-241,
Æ 26mm., 10.61g.
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus r.
Rev: MAMERTINΩN Warrior advancing r., holding spear and shield; in r. field, Π.
Ref: SNG ANS 441. Calciati I, 41.
Comment: Attractive green patina. Good Very Fine.
Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


XOANA


Campania, Capua
AE Semuncia circa 216-211,
Æ 18.4mm., 4.58g.
Obv: Bust of Juno r., holding sceptre on shoulder.
Rev: KAPV Two xoana draped.
Ref: SNG ANS 215.
Ref: Historia Numorum Italy 495.
Comment: Rare. Green patina. Obv. Slighlty double struck; Very Fine/Good Very Fine.
Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


WOW, COOL


Etruria, Populonia
2 ½ asses 3rd century BC, AR 0.85 g. Radiate female head r.; behind, CII. Rev. Blank. EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179.
Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known.
Dark patina and about very fine
From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli.


E.E. CLAIN-STEFANELLI DIES
ANS Executive Director Ute Wartenburg reported that
Elvira Eliza Clain-Stefanelli died Oct. 1, 2001 of cardiac
arrest. Mrs. Stefanelli retired in 2000 as the Senior
Curator of the National Numismatic Collection in the
Numismatics Division of the National Museum of
American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
DC.

She was at the Smithsonian for forty years, and was
responsible with her husband Vladimir for organizing and
building up the National Numismatic Collection. She
survived a Nazi concentration camp in WWII Europe,
moved to Rome, and learned numismatics there. In New
York she and her husband worked for Stack's and started
the Coin Galleries division there.

Her most recent publication was "Life In Republican Rome
On its Coinage", a lavishly illustrated discussion of the
themes which appear on the coinage of the Roman Republic,
published in 1999. Her major contribution to the science of
numismatic literature was her classic "Numismatic Bibliography",
published in 1985.
Elvira E. Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001) and her husband Dr. Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli (1914-1982) were academic numismatic historians and later numismatic authors and curators. They pursued their interest in ancient coinage of the Black Sea region and U.S. medals as a team, serving together as members of the American Numismatic Society and numerous other national and international numismatic organizations. Vladimir became an ANS Associate in 1951 and a Fellow in 1957; Elvira became a Fellow in 1963. The two were frequent visitors to the Society when they worked for Hesperia Art Galleries and then Stack’s in the 1950s. In 1956 Vladimir became curator of the Smithsonian's Division of Numismatics; a year later, Elvira joined him as Assistant Curator. Together, they built the National Numismatic Collection from approximately 60,000 specimens in 1956 to almost one million objects. Two years after Vladimir's death in 1982, Elvira became the department's first executive director, holding that position until her retirement in 2000.
Dr. Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli (born Waldemar Günther Klein, but later changing the spelling of his surname to Clain and adding Stefanelli, his mother's maiden name) was born in Czernowitz, Bukovina, Austria (now part of the Ukraine and Romania). Vladimir was initially a well-known specialist of Eastern European coinage, in particular of his native Romania. He also specialized in historical documentation of United States coinages as well as coinages of Greek colonies and southeast European issues of the 15th and 16th centuries. Vladimir received a B.A. and M.A. in 1936, and Ph.D. in 1938 from the University of King Carol II in Austria. His 1938 doctoral dissertation, concerning the ancient coinage of Callatis, is included in the collection. Vladimir married the former Elvira Eliza Olinescu on January 3, 1939. After WW II, the couple moved to Italy where they worked for the P&P Santamaria firm. They moved to the United States in 1951, where they would live out the remainder of their lives.
Elvira E. Clain-Stefanelli was born in Bucharest, Romania. She received a degree in history from Franz Josef University in 1936 and later an M.A. in history from the University of Cernauti in Romania. Working with her husband after his appointment as manager of Stack's Coin Galleries subsidiary in 1954, Elvira wrote their first sales catalog. She joined the Smithsonian staff in 1957. In 1973 Elvira, along with her husband, received the Smithsonian Gold Medal for Exceptional Service. In 1996, she received the ANA's Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. During her numismatic career, Elvira was advisor to the U.S. Mint, the Department of Treasury, and many boards, committees, and associations.
Together or separately, Elvira and Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli wrote and published many important works including: Monetary history and medallic art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C (Numisma, año) (1965); History of the National Numismatic Collections (1968); La monnaie: trésor d’art (1971); Medals Commemorating Battles of the American Revolution (1973); The Beauty and Lore of Coins Currency and Medals (1974); Chartered for Progress, Two Centuries of American Banking: A Pictorial Essay(1975); Muenzen der Neuzeit (1978); Numismatic Bibliography (1984); Life in Republican Rome (1999).

 

Great coins! And thanks for the biography.

 

I currently own 10 coins from the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection, 3 of which are illustrated in her book "Life in Republican Rome on its Coinage". Just to pile on the reassurances to the OP's concerns, I have no doubt whatsoever that the coins sold as EEC-S by NAC are indeed from her collection.




M. Tullius. Denarius 121, AR (3.95g, 20.0mm, 12h). Helmeted head of Roma r.; behind, ROMA. Rev. Victory in prancing quadriga r., holding palm branch; above, wreath and below horses, X. In exergue, M·TVLLI. Babelon Tullia 1. Sydenham 531. RBW 1103. Crawford 280/1. "Life in Republican Rome on its Coinage" p. 41 (this coin).

Provenance:

NAC 92 Part I, E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection, May 23, 2016 Lot 287;
P.& P. Santamaria, Count Allesandro Magnaguti, October 14, 1949 Lot 90




Q. Pomponius Musa. Denarius 66, AR (3.72g, 20.1mm, 7h). Laureate head of Apollo r.; behind, wreath. Rev. Q·POMPONI – MVSA Polyhymnia standing facing, wearing wreath. Babelon Pomponia 15. Sydenham 817. RBW –. Crawford 410/10a. "Life in Republican Rome on its Coinage" p. 100 (this coin).

Provenance:

NAC 92 Part I, E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection, May 23, 2016 Lot 347;
Jacob Hirsch Auction No. XVIII, Dr. Freidrich Imhoof-Blumer, May 27, 1907 Lot 379




L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus. Denarius 62, AR (4.04g, 5h, 20.2mm). PAVLLS LEPIDVS – CONCORDIA Diademed and draped bust of Concordia r. Rev. Trophy; to r., togate figure (L. Aemilius Paullus) and to l., three captives (King Perseus of Macedon and his sons). Above, TER and in exergue, PAVLLVS. Babelon Aemilia 10. Sydenham 926. RBW 1497. Crawford 415/1."Life in Republican Rome on its Coinage" p. 48 (this coin).

Provenance:

Harlan J. Berk BBS 199, Lot 142;
NAC 92 Part I, E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection, May 23, 2016 Lot 352

 

After reading this thread, I ordered the "Life in Republican Rome On Its Coinage" as I have some Clain-Stefanelli coins and wondered if any were illustrated.

The book arrived today and I just got home and leafed through it. On p. 60 I spotted a coin under "Pompey Versus Caesar" - a denarius of Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio & M. Eppius. It's mine! And the provenance had been lost, so this is a good result!

Cr. 461/1.




Here is the book listing:



Thanks for the thread and posting this book. I haven't seen any of the coins which I bought as C-S coins illustrated, but finding this one is useful and I'll update its provenance.

ATB,
Aidan.

 

I can't help on your provenance question - but your coin is fantastic!