2023 Lost & Found Provenances, Part 2: Roman Provincial Coinage (RPC)

2023 Lost & Found Provenances, Part One was for Greek coins.

Now, Roman Provincial. The Provinces are the prime real estate – for cultivating numismatic “object biography,” that is.

FORMAT:

Titles link to ACSearch records (most recent, if available).
Short summary of significance.
Images (thumbnails & full images throughout) should expand greatly if clicked.​

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Provenance Given: For each coin, what the seller said about it.
Also: The other stuff I figured out.​

1. Michael Molnar’s “Star of Bethlehem.” Antioch Æ22 (8.29g), Dated 13/14 CE, Zeus/Ram leaping, star.

One of the world’s most widely reproduced coins in private hands (undoubtedly my most “famous” coin).



Provenance Given: “Molnar p. 52, fig. 9 (this coin) … From the Dr. Michael R. Molnar Collection.”

Also: My only New York Times “plate coin.” (Daily circulation >1 million copies then.) Illustrated (twice!) in the 21 December 1999 issue: “Coin May Link Star of Bethlehem to King of Planets.”

The very coin that inspired astronomy professor Michael Molnar’s (1945-2023) well-known theory about the “Star of Bethlehem.”

First published in The Celator in 1991 (popular ancient coin magazine, 1987-2012).

Featured prominently in Molnar’s 1999 book, The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of Magi, a popular bestseller far beyond the numismatic world with multiple printings/editions & translations. Many other books, academic colloquia & conference proceedings followed; 100s of academic articles have discussed the theory.

This coin was placed at the front of his popular website to explain the theory [Archived website, 2015]. He gave permission to reproduce all the coin photos (many did so).

Every December new articles discuss the book/theory, many of them illustrated with Molnar’s enlarged photo of my coin’s reverse (e.g., Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [1 Jan 2016], Christianity Today [22 Dec 2014], Wisconsin Life [6 Jan 2017], etc.). Far too many to list – or even to keep track of, though I try to maintain a list and save PDFs and/or print copies of the notable ones.



2: Nero’s Dear Mother, Agrippina Jr. Cappadocia, Caesarea AR Drachm (18mm, 3.68g), c. 54 CE.

Straddling publications for Roman Imperial and Provincial; representing various publication types & their audiences beyond the numismatic; from several important collections (Niggeler, Trau, Merani).



Provenance Given: “RPC I 3637.5 (this coin). … From a Dutch collection, ex Triton XXIV, 19 January 2021, 139, Classical Numismatic Group 58, 19 September 2001, 955, Classical Numismatic Group 51, 15 September 1999, 965, from the Walter Niggeler Collection, Part II, Leu & Münzen und Medaillen AG, 21 October 1966, 659, and from the collection of Franz Trau, Gilhofer & Ranschburg, 22 May 1935, 394.”


Also: Peter J. Merani (1936-2020) Collection, the sole consignor for Triton XXIV (where I was soundly outbid!). Probably from the “Cappadocia 1906 Hoard” (IGCH 179), sold to Franz Trau by the “Indjoudjian Frères, Paris” (and Istanbul).

“Plate coin” in Jasper Burns (2007), Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars. NY: Routledge. P. 83, Fig. 4.23 (this coin illustrated, reverse).
I love to see what ancient coins mean to audiences outside of numismatics and how they use them – here, for the study of women in history.

“Plate coin” in Banti & Simonetti (1978), Corpus Nummorum Romanorum, vol. XVI, p. 136, no. 73.

Cited in Howgego’s (1985/2005) Greek Imperial Countermarks (850i, sixth coin) – the most important standard reference on the topic.

Illustrated in the 1935 Trau catalog; also, consequently, in Attic Books’ fine 1976 reprint: Sammlung Franz Trau: Münzen Der Römischen Kaiser.

Wildwinds “virtual plate coin.”

“Plate coin” in the print volume of RPC I (1992) and cited in RPC Supplement II (2006) p.56 (noting a more recent appearance at CNG). Illustrated on RPC Online (I have some updates to send in).


3. Trajan Alexandrian “ΒΑΛAΝΗΟΥ” Drachm. AE 34mm (27g), dated in RY 12 = 108/9 CE.

Misidentified by the seller and RPC 4337.2 (different type for Trajan Year 12), and much of its provenance forgotten. Fascinating design used only on this rare type for Trajan’s Year 12. (Many Alexandrian coin scholars have written about these since the late 19th century. For background, see Note in RPC III 4287.1.)



Provenance Given: “Ex CNA XII, September 1990, lot 53.”


Also: “Plate coin” in Kampmann & Ganschow, 27.205.

RPC III 4287.3 (Online), ex. 5;

Cited erroneously in RPC III 4337 print vol.; corrected in RPC Online (formerly 4337.2.2);

Ex Kerry K. Wetterstrom (1960-) Collection, with collector tags;

Ex Johns Hopkins University/“Garrett” Collection, part III (Bank Leu & NFA, 1985, 484i), but probably posthumously added in the 1960s/1970s by the last curator, Carl Carson, who augmented the coll. w/ Alexandrian bronzes.


4. Apollonia-Mordiaeum & Lycian Alliance. AE Großbronze (29mm, 16.34g), temp. Caracalla or Septimius?

Fascinating coin on multiple grounds, but also w/ a nice lost provenance (my first ex Mabbott). Coincidentally, I was able to reunite this Peck-Mabbott coin with Peck’s agent’s copy of the Mabbott catalog from 1969 – which I bought a couple of years ago, just in case! (I love coin-numis. lit. combinations like that.)



Provenance Given: “From the Aleph Collection. Ex Morris Collection (Heritage 61160, 10 May 2020), lot 97068.”


Also: Published: von Aulock (1979) Pisidiens II, 29 (this coin);

Ex T.O. Mabbott (1898-1968) Collection = Mabbott I, Schulman (6 Jun 1969), Lot 2045;

Ex Phil Peck Collection, the “Morris” Collection named above;

Ex NGC 4884253014 (since removed).

(Note: My copy of Schulman’s Mabbott I sale ex John Aiello Library, who sold coins to Phil Peck, and had written his name and phone number on the cover. I’m not sure yet if that’s how Peck got this coin, but maybe.)


5. Augustus Peacock from Samos (Ionia). Struck c. 20 BCE, Æ (18mm, 5.43g).

I have others from all three of this coin’s old collections (Grantley-Lockett-Vermeule), but didn’t yet have any single coin from all three (or any Lockett-Grantley), though many coins flowed through exactly this pathway. Unfortunately, for different reasons, none of those very significant collections of Greek/RPC bronzes were well illustrated (or at all, in Grantley’s case), and many of their provenances have been lost.



Provenance Given: “From the St. George Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 297 (27 February 2013), lot 172; Cornelius C. Vermeule III Collection; Lord Grantley Collection. Probably from lot 2309 of the Grantley sale (Glendining, 29 June 1944), a lot of 50 ‘autonomous and imperial’ coins of Samos.”

Also (and more detail): Richard Cyrill Lockett (1873-1950) Collection, Part XII, Glendining's (23 February 1961), Lot 2894 (part);

John Richard-Brinsley Norton, 5th Baron Grantley (1855-1943) Collection (“universally known as one of the foremost coin collectors of our times,” per L. Forrer);

Cornelius Vermeule (1925-2008) Collection, Triton III (30 Nov 1999), Lot 1709 (part), sold for the benefit of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts;

RPC I 2681, ex. 30 (illustrated online).

TWO EX GIOVANNI DATTARI (1853-1928) COLLECTION
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Among others (Dattari is a favorite of mine)…

6. Hadrian Alexandrian Portrait Drachm. Euthenia, Dated RY 6 = 121/2 CE (36mm, 24.49g).

The seller recognized this one as ex-Dattari but not that it was photographed in his 1901 catalog (much harder to find, of maybe a dozen from the collection, this is my only one).



Provenance Given: “Dattari 1703 (dies Exemplar)... Exemplar der Sammlung Giovanni Dattari. Exemplar der Auktion Peus Nachf. 283, Frankfurt am Main 1974, Nr. 213.”

Also: “Plate coin” in the following:

Dattari (1901) Numi Augg. Alexandrini, No. 1703 (this coin illustrated in v. 2, Pl. II);

Dattari-Savio (1999/2007) Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari – Numi Augg. Alexandrini, No. 1703 (this coin illustrated on Pl. 81);

Figari-Mosconi (2017) Duemila Monete della Collezione Dattari, No. 312 (this coin illustrated; still need a copy);

RPC III 5253, ex. 9 (this coin illustrated online, probably cited [not ill.] in print vol.);

Referenced in: Vogt II (1924), Alexandrinischen: p. 45 (this coin cited).


7. Aelius Alexandrian Diobol. “ΔHM • ЄΞOY C • VΠAT • B •” rev., dated RY 21 of Hadrian = 136/7 CE (24.5mm, 8.73 g, 12h).

I’d bought another ex-Dattari from this collection, so I checked; also turned out to be in Figari-Mosconi, like the coin above. (I was lucky to get it: It went unsold twice before I saw it!)




Provenance Given: “From the Rocky Mountain Collection of Alexandrian Coins, purchased from William M. Rosenblum.”


Also: “Plate coin” in:
Dattari-Savio 7999 (this coin illustrated, pencil rubbing);

Figari-Mosconi 424 (this coin illustrated from 1980 auction photo; still need a copy);

RPC III 6242, ex. 33 (this coin illustrated online, probably cited in print [not ill]);

Ex Giovanni Dattari Collection;

Ex Kunst und Münzen 42 (1980), Lot 78 (need a copy).

THREE EX HENRY CLAY LINDGREN’S (1914-2005) COLLECTION/BOOKS​

Among others (Lindgren is another favorite)…

8. Elagabalus Nikopolis Captives. Circa 218-222 CE (11.89g, 26.1mm).

I love when I can combine my “captives” and “bibliographic” collections! A nice history of numismatics c. 1990s-present given in this coin.



Provenance Given: Purchased from Minotaur Coins, or @zumbly. “Ex Dr. George Spradling Collection.” (Notable collection, I have at least one other.)

Also: “Plate coin” in HHJ Nicopolis, 8.26.34.2 (2015 ff. editions) & = HHJ Addenda 3, #149;

RPC VI 1197 (Temp.), ex. 1 & 5 (now combined, primary illustration);

Agora Auctions, Sale 38 (8 Nov 2015), 74 (the George Spradling sale where @zumbly got it);

Ex Heather Howard Collection, who had an important reference coll. of Elagabalus;

“Digital plate coin”: Wildwinds, AMNG 958 (contrib. Heather) = Aeqvitas (H. Howard’s site, Elag 125 on Elagabalus Page, Nikopolis search page) = Coinproject 38-074;

Joe Winnett Collection (kerux, Tantalus 16683, posted 26 Jun 2006);

Henry Clay Lindgren Coll., for his planned vol. IV but never published;

Antioch Associates BBS 42 (15 Nov 2002), 72 (Lindgren’s firm for selling his coll.).


9. A Published Lydian Flussgotter. Thyatira AE22 (5.72g), Artemis-Boreitene / River God Lykos.

Representing several important collections/publications of Roman Provincial Coinage, and one of its popular themes – the “Flussgotter,” or river gods. (There have been several notable collections of RPC river gods; Imhoof-Blumer’s [1923] famous book on the topic was published over a century ago.)



Provenance Given: “MÜNZEN MIT FLUSSGÖTTER-DARSTELLUNGEN … Aus Sammlung Marcel Burstein, Nevada, Auktion Peus 366 (2000), Los 745.”


Also: “Plate coin” in Lingren & Kovacs (1985), A831A.

RPC IV, 2 online 2502.6 (this coin).

Ex Collections of:
Michel Thys (the consignor), notable Belgian numismatist;

H. C. Lindgren, important American psychologist and numismatist (I have > 12-15 or so of his coins); and,

Michel Burstein. This is my second Lindgren-Burstein coin; but my other one wasn’t included his important sale catalog, Peus Auktion 366 (25 October 2000), an important reference for Provincial coins before the later RPC volumes.


10. Sicily Assorus. After 210 BCE (8.72g).

Another ex-Lindgren Flussgotter. About as early as “Roman Provincial” coins come, shortly after they took Sicily. Not the best condition, but interesting.




Provenance Given: Ex Dr. Michael Slavin Collection. (Another collection of river-gods.)

Also: “Plate Coin” in Lindgren II, European Mints, 426c;
Ex H. C. Lindgren Collection, with tag;

RPC I 665.30 (this coin illustrated online).

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Would love to post more of my 2023 RPC with interesting lost-and-found provenances (didn't even get to my BCD coins!), but I think the 10 photos limit makes a good stopping point!

 

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@Curtis Outstanding post!

Thank you for taking time to share all this in one place.

 

Also: Just noticed that one of those coins (the first one) was featured in a History Channel documentary that originally aired in December 2001.

Now available on Youtube (starting here, shown throughout the first minute):



History Channel, Dec 2021, “In Search of Christmas,” Episode 1: “Evidence of Jesus Birth Revealed." Starting at 50:45 (Michael Molnar…)

I don't think I can embed just the 50 second "clip" above (it just starts playing from there) but I think I can link the small bit that's most relevant:
50:45 through 51:35