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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Curtis, post: 24761981, member: 26430&quot;]How much do you look into group lots before bidding, or do you do it &quot;impressionistically&quot;? What are some memorable ones?</p><p><br /></p><p><b>How much can you find out about a group lot from one blurry photo and a summary description? </b></p><p><br /></p><p>This one hasn&#039;t arrived yet (just won it yesterday), but I tried to research what I could before deciding my bid, and actually found quite a bit:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583985[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>That&#039;s the photo for <a href="https://auctions.cngcoins.com/lots/view/4-BDX2BQ/mixed-greek-roman-imperial-lot-of-twenty-three-23-mostly-bronze-issues" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://auctions.cngcoins.com/lots/view/4-BDX2BQ/mixed-greek-roman-imperial-lot-of-twenty-three-23-mostly-bronze-issues" rel="nofollow">CNG EA 548 (18 Oct 2023), Lot 1115</a>: 23 mixed bronzes &quot;From the Dr. Michael Slavin Collection.&quot; (Actually 24. Best to count -- sometimes the titles are wrong.)</p><p><br /></p><p>I try to have a “bibliographic collection”: coins representing past collections &amp; published works they were part of. So, I enjoy nothing more than uncovering lost or unlisted provenances.</p><p><br /></p><p>Group lots can be a challenge. (A good one!) Here&#039;s what I could find ahead of time:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Four or five coins ex-Henry Clay Lindgren (1914-2005) Collection</b>, incl. at least one each illustrated in his 1989 &amp; 1993 books (<i>Lindgren II</i>: <i>Ancient Greek Bronze Coins: European Mints</i> &amp; <i>Lindgren III: Ancient Greek Bronze Coins</i>).</p><p><br /></p><p>I recognized Lindgren&#039;s envelopes/tags in the photos. (And knew that Slavin had tons of ex-Lindgren; also <i>SNG Levante</i>, maybe I&#039;ll find one or two of those too?)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>1. Sicily, Gela AE11, 1.15g. Lindgren II 459 “plate coin.” </b></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583986[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I have a bunch from <i>Lindgren I</i> and <i>Lindgren III</i> (even one coin that was in both!), but this is my first from <i>L II</i> (European). I like small coins and it looks like a nice bull, so I’m thrilled.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>2. Bithynia, Nicaea AE18 of Antoninus Pius. Lindgren I 135 “plate coin.”</b></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583987[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I have several others of Lindgren’s from Nicaea and rival city Nicomedia (mainly Severan), so this is a great addition. Also, I like coins of Asclepius (and Hygeia).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>3-5. More interesting coins that are ex-Lindgren but do NOT appear in the books.</b> (At least, I couldn&#039;t recognize them from just the one photo.)</p><p><br /></p><p>- Gordian III AE35 from Tarsus;</p><p>- Phrygia, Cotiaeum AE24 w/ Telesphoros, Hygeia &amp; Asclepius (prob. Valerian I);</p><p>- Uncertain European mint, possibly <i>Lindgren II</i> “plate coin”?</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583988[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><i><b>Note:</b></i> One might argue that Lindgren&#039;s unpublished coins are more “inventory” than “collection.”</p><p><br /></p><p>Personally, I consider the Greek/RPC AEs w/ envelopes “collection” (or at least “duplicates”) since he explicitly said he founded Antioch to sell his collection, and then to disperse coins from the planned fourth book which was never completed.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Especially looking forward to the big Gordian III. I have a suspicion about a prior collection. (Mabbott?)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>6. Mesopotamia, Edessa. Severus Alexander. <a href="https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/severus_alexander/t.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/severus_alexander/t.html" rel="nofollow">Wildwinds “digital plate coin.”</a></b></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583989[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Great shield decoration! With an old CNG / Victor England tag. Maybe more to research.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>7. Hadrian AE from Samaria, Caesarea Maritima (Jerusalem)</b>. Ex CNG 66, 1270 ($120 in 2004), cited in <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3960" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3960" rel="nofollow">RPC Online III 3960</a>, specimen 28. (I’ll submit a photo when it arrives.)</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583990[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>A scarce and interesting type. This will be a nice addition to my Judaea Capta &amp; Bar Kochba Revolt sub-collection.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>8. Cast AE Trias from Sicily, Silenus</b>. Ex Breitsprecher/Ancient Imports, reportedly ex Lanz.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1583991[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Looks pretty nice, as far as these go. It’ll be my first cast coinage of Silenus. The old <a href="https://mrbcoins.com/cgi-bin/lotinfo.pl?id=9719" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://mrbcoins.com/cgi-bin/lotinfo.pl?id=9719" rel="nofollow">Breitsprecher listing here</a>. Not sure if the Lanz sale will be traceable. Maybe more info on the labels.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>9-24. A bunch more interesting and/or attractive ones</b> that fit my other sub-collections, but for which I just couldn’t find anything from just that one group photo.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Hopefully they still look as good as in all the 20-35 year old photos! That&#039;s a risk you take, though, with these big lots.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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