Can you identify these ancients from a 17th century collection?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Nerva, Feb 6, 2018.

  1. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    111.jpg This fabulous picture was sold at Sotheby's last week for $187,500. It's from 1630 and he's taken a lot of care to depict the coins accurately. This would be a wonderful thing to hang in one's 'coin room'! Post your attributions, and any of these you have in your own collections.
     
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  3. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

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  4. Jay GT4

    Jay GT4 Well-Known Member

    The one in the middle is a tetradrachm from Thasos. Here's mine:
    Thasos_Tet.jpg

    Thasos, Thrace Tetradrachm
    Head of young Dionysos right, wreathed with ivy

    HPAKΛEOYΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ ΘΑΣΙΩΝ
    Heracles standing facing, head left, right hand resting on club, lion skin in left
    Monogram in left field

    34mm, 16.82g
    Thasos
    c. 148-90/80 BC
    SNG Copenhagen 1040
    ex-ANE

    "Hercules is the savior of the people of Thasos!"
     
  5. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    I think this is the one in the coin cabinet, just under the Roman key ring:

    P1160622.JPG
     
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  6. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    I see a German bactreat in the front! I’m afraid I don’t know these well enough to ID without some serious searching
     
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  7. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    This is going to be fun! It will be interesting to see how true the artist was to the coins. Clearly he had real coins "posing" for the picture, but some of the details aren't quite right.

    The coins in the tray (1, 2, 3) are probably denarii, judging by relative size. The rest are Roman bronzes (sestertii and middle bronzes), Greek tetradrachms, and some later coin (#9, a bractreate?).

    Here they are with numbers for ease of people posting their guesses:

    DerBorchtPainting-Coins_edited-1.jpg
     
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  8. roman99

    roman99 Well-Known Member

    1-3 look like RR denarii, 4 is a sestertius of Pertinax, 5 is a as/dupondius with FELICITAS PVBLICA, 7 looks like a celtic imitation tetradrachm, 10 looks like it could be a As of Augustus Caeser, 11 is a DIVVS AVGVSTVS, a death commemorative of Augustus(?) and 12 is just some as/dupondius. 9 is a German bractreate, and the rest are greek silvers. (I'm not good with greek).
     
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  9. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    #1: Cassius Longinus denarius?

    CNG example:

    [​IMG]
    L. Cassius Longinus. 60 BC. AR Denarius (3.81 gm). Draped and veiled bust of Vesta right; kylix behind, S (reverted) before / Togate male standing facing, dropping tablet inscribed V into a cista; LONGIN III V behind. Crawford 413/1; Sydenham 935; Cassia 10. EF, partial flat strike.
     
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  10. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    #2: Q. Titius denarius

    CNG example:

    [​IMG]
    Q. Titius. 90 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.10 g, 3h). Rome mint. Head of young Bacchus (or Liber) right, wearing ivy wreath / Pegasus springing right. Crawford 341/2; Sydenham 692; Titia 2
     
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  11. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    4. Septimius Severus sestertius... although I bet it's really a Paduan medal, like this CNG example:

    [​IMG]
    Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Cast Æ “Sestertius” (40mm, 36.91 g, 12h). By G. Cavino (1500-1570). L · SEPTIMIVS · SEVERVS · PERTINAX · AVG · IMP VII, laureate and cuirassed bust right / CONG II DAT POP, Severus seated right upon pile of arms, holding patera over modius filled with grain ears; to right, Genius standing left, holding torch and cornucopia; S · C in exergue. See I. Prokopov ‘Fake Ancient Coin Reports: Work of Known Forgers,’ no. 131 for a similar example. Good VF. Excellent workmanship. A very early cast Paduan medal.
     
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  12. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    bottum row, second from the left,most likely candidate:

    Vespasian Felicitas 3.jpg
     
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  13. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    What is #6 trying to be? Some sort of AR of Cleopatra VII? It's not ringing a bell and the legend, as painted, doesn't make sense. One of the Ptolemaic women...
     
  14. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    I think so too, although in the painting she's holding a short staff.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2018
  15. David@PCC

    David@PCC allcoinage.com

    7 & 13 could be Celtic imitation tetradrachms.
     
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  16. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    #2 could also be this version of Q Titius, if not the one posted above

    AgoraImage.jpg
    Roman Republic, AR Denarius(18mm, 3.83g, 8h). Q Titius, moneyer, 90 BC, Rome mint. Bearded head(Mutinus Titinus?) right, wearing winged diadem. Line border / Pegasus right; below, in linear frame, Q·TITI. Line border. Crawford 341/1; Sydenham 691; RSC Titia 1; BMCRR Rome 2220; Russo RBW 1274.


    And #3 is possibly this one:

    35542.jpg
    ROMAN REPUBLIC. Anonymous.
    AR Denarius
    Rome Mint, 86 BCE.
    Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo right; thunderbolt below.
    Rev.: Jupiter driving galloping quadriga right, hurling thunderbolt and holding reins.
    Reference: Crawford 350A/2

    #7 and #13 look like Celtic imitation coinage....with #13 possibly being a Philip II of Macedon imitation.
     
  17. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    My first thought was Pertinax, but you're clearly right. And I think you're right on Paduan, too.
     
  18. ycon

    ycon Renaissance Man

    I almost posted this after I saw it at Sotheby's last week, but you beat me to it!
     
  19. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    Did you go to the viewing? I saw it in London when it appeared at Bonham's, without attribution. It was widely admired and recognised, and smashed the estimate.
     
  20. RAGNAROK

    RAGNAROK Naebody chaws me wi impunitY

    I totally agree.
     
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  21. ycon

    ycon Renaissance Man

    @Nerva Yeah, I always go to the old master auction viewings in New York, in January
     
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