Donna's first Aureus, with published provenance to 1938 and also to 1910

That's great -- I had no idea that there's a denarius with an almost identical design! The only difference I see is that on the aureus, Victory holds a palm branch in her left hand, whereas she doesn't appear to be holding anything in her left hand on the denarius.

 

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A beautiful example that I would be proud to own! I have two coins myself from the Bruce R. Brace Collection. I have no information on where he acquired either of them. They are among my favorite Roman Republican coins. He obviously had excellent taste in ancient coins!






Here is my footnote concerning Mr. Brace, appended to my descriptions of both coins:

Bruce R. Brace "was a scholar and by many considered to be a dean of Roman Numismatics in Canada. Coins from his extensive collection were sold by CNG in 2012 and 2013." https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/an..._ex_bruce_r_brace_library/630746/Default.aspx . According to Google, he was the former General Chairman of the Canadian Numismatic Association, the recipient of their J.D. Ferguson Award in 1984, and the former honorary curator of the McMaster University Museum of Art coin collection, at least a portion of which is now known as the Bruce R. Brace Coin Collection.

 

With the new information from @pprp -- for which I thank him profusely, although I still hope that @Voulgaroktonou has an opportunity to consult the book in the U. of Cincinnati Classics Library, so he can make and send me copies of some of the pages -- I have revised the description of my coin's provenance in the title of this thread, which stated that the provenance goes "to 1938 and perhaps to 1910." It now says that the provenance goes "to 1938 and also to 1910"!

I have also revised the end of my description of the coin in my personal catalog. Until now, it took the form set forth in the OP. It will now read as follows; the added text is in boldface:

Vespasian AV Aureus, 75 AD (Cos VI), Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, IMP CAESAR - VESPASIANVS AVG [counter-clockwise from 5:00] / Rev. Victory holding palm branch in left hand and wreath in outstretched right hand, standing left on cista mystica flanked by two coiled serpents with heads pointing upwards*, PON MAX - TR P COS VI [clockwise from 8:00]. Two small edge dents/cuts on obverse at 3:00 and 6:00 (possibly from old jewelry mount). 19 mm., 7.22 g. RIC II-1 Vespasian 775 (2007 ed.), old RIC II Vespasian 82 (1926 ed.), BMCRE 168, Cohen 370, Sear RCV I 2254 (ill. p. 431). Purchased from Arete Coins, Seattle, WA, Dec. 2021; ex. Triskeles Auctions Sale 21, Lot 392, 29 Sep. 2017; ex. Ars Classica XVIII (“COLLECTION TRÈS IMPORTANTE MONNAIES ROMAINES FORMÊE PAR UN DIPLOMATE ÉTRANGER DEPUIS LONGTEMPS DÉCÉDÉ”[Collection of Vicomte de Sartiges]), Lot 144 [ill. Pl. 6], 10 Oct. 1938, l'Hôtel Schweizerhof, Lucerne, Switzerland (Experts Dr. Jacob Hirsch & M. Lucien Naville); ex. Collection of Louis, Vicomte de Sartiges (1859-1924), published in Sartiges, Vicomte de, “Collection du vicomte de Sartiges. Séries grecque et romaine, en 1910, ainsi que les acquisitions depuis cette date”
(Paris, D.A. Longuet; Plates I-XLIII published 1910; undated supplement contains five additional plates), Pl. XXVI, No. 105 [this coin, acquired before 1910]. [Footnotes omitted.]

 

Here are the cover (container?) and title page of the de Sartiges Collection book, found on Google Images:




The cover looks more like a box, to hold plates, than a standard bound book. But I don't really know.

 

As far as I am aware only the plates exist there is no descriptive text.

 

Thanks. What an odd sort of "book"!

 

My only Medallion has my oldest and also most extensive pedigree:



1) Rollin & Feuardent "Catalogue d´une Collection de Medailles Romaines", Vol. 3 (late 1860´s):



2) Henry Cohen, "Description Historique des Monnaies frappes sous l´Empire Romain", 2nd edition, Vol.6 (1886):



3) Dr. Jacob Hirsch, "Sammlung Consul Eduard Friedrich Weber", Vol.2 (1909):



4) Francesco Gnecchi, "Medaglloni Romani", Vol II (1912):



5) Naville & Cie, "Collection Clarence S. Bement" (1924):



6) Jacques Schulman B. V.: "The Richard J. Graham Collection" (1966):

 

Apparently, my Vitellius aureus has a pedigree back to Amecourt 1887, lot 122:





I am indebted to Cicero12 (the Yoda of provenances) for this discovery.

 

Amazing. But without photos or at least drawings, how could you ever "prove" 1, 2, or 4 if it were necessary? Not that it's likely you'll ever be in that position!

 

Thanks Donna! Actually, the reverses are identical, it's just my denarius is a bit worn and doesn't show the design as well.

 

Thank you Donna!
David Sear has certified that my coin is indeed 1, 2, and 4.
Also, 2 cites 1, 3 cites 2, 4 cites 2 and 3, 5 cites 2, and Pink ("Die Medaillonprägung unter Carus und seinen Söhnen", 1958) Nr.18 confirmes that 5 is 1.
Lastly, the coin is certainly unique.

Nevertheless I would gladly trade it against your splendid Aureus. Congratulations!

 

Wow. How many auction catalogs back in 1887 had photographs?

 

The 1910 catalog has a photo of a plaster cast of the coin. So it is possible that there may be small differences.

 

Thanks. I didn't realize that it's a photo of a cast. I thought it was just a slightly blurry photo of the coin itself, with the edge cropped.

 

Congratulations for your fantastic aureus !

it's funny because i really have the same criteria as you regarding the possible acquisition of an aureus but i have not pulled the trigger yet.

I also have a coin from the Vicomte de Sartiges collection. A rare Corinthian type stater of Leontini in Sicily. #291 in the Longuet catalogue of the collection. I'm pretty sure that there is a booklet with a brief description of the coins along with the plates, I will check that for you.

 

A very attractive coin with a fabulous provenance. Congratulations!

 

@DonnaML : That's what we could call a minimalist description. At least it confirms that this is Vespasian

 

Thank you so much! And it even gives the AD 75 date of the coin!

Plus it certainly confirms that de Sartiges acquired the coin before 1910. The plaster cast images really aren't bad. Considerably better than some I've seen.

If you don't mind my asking, do you own the book? If not, where did you find a copy? And does it in fact have some sort of booklet accompanying the plates?

 

Classy aureus, Donna!