While I spent 2016 buying dozens of budget Sestertii in order to complete my portrait gallery, I restricted myself this year and tried to buy less and better quality bronzes. Here are my personal highlights: 1. Macrinus Probably the best coin I will ever own in terms of quality and pedigree: IMP CAES M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG Laureate and cuirassed bust right, featuring a medium beard, from the front PONTIF MAX TR P COS PP S C Felicitas standing facing, head left, long caduceus in right hand, cornucopia in left hand, drapery over left arm Sestertius, Rome, 1.Oct.-31.Dec.217 20,5 gr, 31 mm RIC IV 139, Cohen 66, Sear 7386, Clay ("The Roman Coinage of Macrinus and Diadumenian") Sestertius obverse die Nr.2 and reverse Nr.42 (this coin) This rare Sestertius used to belong to the collection of Christian August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1744-1798), Austrian General and Field Marshal of the Portuguese Army (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_August,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont). He was a passionate antique collector and must have acquired this coin during his fifth Grand Tour of Italy in 1787, where he accompanied Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on his Italian Journey, or one of his many visits to excarvation sites. It helped that he was friends with Ferdinand IV, King of Naples. After Christian August died without offspring, his coin collection passed to his elder brother Friedrich Karl August as the head oft the house of Waldeck-Pyrmont (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Karl_August,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont) After Friedrich Karl August´s death in 1812, his younger brother Georg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_I,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont), who had taken over Pyrmont when the principality was divided in 1805, took over the government in Waldeck and therefore became the next owner oft the princely coin cabinet, including this Sestertius. He was succeeded in 1813 by his son Georg II (1789-1845, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont). Georg II in 1845 was succeeded by his son Georg Victor as sovereign (1831-1893, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Victor,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont ). In 1893 Georg Victor´s son Friedrich (1865-1946, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont ) became the last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. After the end of World War I, Prince Friedrich abdicated and Waldeck and Pyrmont became a state within the Weimar republic. By then, my coin had spent more than a century in a tray in the princely coin cabinet in the huge baroque-style Arolsen Castle, the residence of the ruling family oft he Principality since 1728. The coin cabinet was known as one of he eight biggest in Germany in the early 20th century. A decision on the distribution oft he princely assets was not reached until 1929. This included the founding of a family foundation for the preservation and maintenance oft he castle´s inventory and the art collections. Nevertheless, the decision was made to sell the princely coin collection. Therefore the entire collection was sold in Münzhandlung Basel´s 1935 Auction 3. It included three Sestertii of Macrinus of which this specimen, Lot 730, was by far the finest (rated "superbe" in the catalogue). By 1979 one of the other two Waldeck Sestertii, Lot 729, had made it into the collection of renowned expert Curtis L. Clay, and might have inspired him to write his pioneering study on the Coinage of Macrinus and Diadumenian, published in that year. My Sestertius however, with it´s pedigree forgotten and it´s beauty obscured by the plastic of an NGC slab, was sold in August 2016´s ANA Auction for just 493,50 USD and ended up in the inventory of Forum Ancient Coins. This is how it made it´s way into the hands of an amateur collector (me). Since I have freed it out of it´s slab, it has provided me with endless hours of marveling at it, interesting correspondence with the luminaries in the field, and incentive to read about the history of Macrinus, his coinage, and the house of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Nr. 2: Gordian I Before I freed the Macrinus out of it´s slab, I was sure that this coin would be my holy grail for the years to come, as coins by the Gordiani Africani are not only rare as such, but this one also combines unusually clean surfaces with the rarest of all reverse types of Gordian I´s Sestertii. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANUS AFR AVG Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right of Gordian I ROMAE AETERNAE S C Roma seated left on throne, holding Victoriola and leaning on sceptre; shield at side Sestertius, Rome, April 238 30,04 mm / 21,42 gr / 12h RIC 10, Cohen 9, BMCRE 10, Banti 6, Sear 8451 This coin hails from the collection of Professor Dr. Kurt Wiemers (1920-2006), the forerunner of modern Anesthesiology in Germany (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Wiemers), who had acquired this Sestertius in Münzen and Medaillen AG´s Sale 552 at Basel in 1992. The collection of more than 2000 coins was sold by Kurt Wiemers´estate via Kricheldorf´s Auktion Nr. 49 this year. Nr. 3 : Nero This Sestertius embodies everything that I like about Roman coins and whenever I try to explain to someone why I love this hobby, it is this coin that I show to them. A big, beautifully toned coin of a famous emperor with a spectacular portrait and interesting reverse, and all of that for an affordable price. NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P - Laureate head of Nero right PACE P R TERRA MARIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT - View of the Twin Janus Temple in the Roman Forum, showing closed double doors and one side wall (to the left) with latticed window running along its entire length about halfway up, S C across field Sestertius, Rome 65 22,85 gr / 32,32 mm RIC - ; BMCRE 158; CBN 371; Cohen 146 ex Jesus Vico Auction 08.06.2017, lot 574 Nr. 4: Pertinax My first Pertinax turned out to be a cast, so I was glad to be able to instead acquire this example, which despite it´s wear has a rounder flan, a better portrait, and much better surfaces than the other one - plus it was certified authentic by Sear. IMP CAES P HELV PERTINAX AVG - laureate Head of Pertinax right PROVIDENTIAE DEORUM COS II S C - Providentia standing left, holding up right hand to large star, left hand on breast Sestertius, Rome, ca. late Jan-28.Mar 193 (second emission of Pertinax) 30 mm / 21,06 gr RIC 22, BMCRE 28, C 52, Sear 6055, Banti 20, Woodward obverse die 11 and reverse die Prov.Deor I D and Pl. 12,1 (these dies) ex Stack´s Coin Galleries Sale 17.07.2002, Lot 420 5. Maximinus Thrax This Maximinus has all the qualities one could want from a Sestertius of his: a big flan, great metal quality and detail, a sensitive portrait of fine style, and a reverse type that is as rare as it is iconic - celebrating his great victories in Germany. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM – Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus I facing right VICTORIA GERMANICA, S C in exergue – Maximinus, in military attire, standing facing, head left, raising his right hand, holding spear in left, bound German captive seated at his feet, crowned by Victory standing left behind him, holding a laurel wreath in her right hand and a palm branch in her left Sestertius, Rome ca. September-December 236 21,65gr / 31 mm RIC 93, BMCRE 198, Cohen 114, MIR 26-5 ex Savoca Auction 04.10.2017, Lot 305
Supberb additions to your collection! Your coins have fine pedigree, great writeup Julius Germanicus John
All very nice sestertius!! Wow, the pedigree of your Macrinus is incredible! Congrats on such a great capture! Here is a M Thrax:
Wow @Julius Germanicus , you have really carved out a FANTASTIC collecting niche for yourself. Wonderful coins... all are great, I would love to have, and look really fun to collect. Congrats! Yeah, I love that Macrinus, but the others are just as fantastic as you have really brought a cool eye to your collectiing. I have few Sestertii from the Empire... I will drop a couple off here that I have not shown in a while... RI Maximus Thrax Junior Caesar - son of Max THrax 236-238 AE Sestertius Rome mint priestly emblems RI Galba AE Sestertius SPQR - O.B - CIV.SER in Wreath RI Aurelius Marcus 161-180 AE Sestertius S-C (My First purchase from @John Anthony , when he was FIRST hawking Ancients on CT...)
All are fantastic examples that I would LOVE to own My best sesterces is probably this example of Trajan Decius Trajan Decius, Orichalcum Sestertius, Rome mint, 249-251 AD; 14.89 grams, 31.0 mm IMP C N Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; laureate, cuirassed bust right. PAX AVGVSTI; Pax standing, facing head left, raising olive branch in right, tranverse long scepter in left; S C flanking fields. RIC IV 125a; Cohen V 93
I am impressed by your ability to select coins with the greatest of eye appeal. Looking at those coins could explain the attraction of the hobby to those normally not interested in anything older than a mechanical typewriter.
@Julius Germanicus Great coins, well written and interesting stories to go with the coins. I like the way you frame your coin pics! You must have a steady hand. The only sestertii I have are Republican:
Wow, I bet you're happy with your decision to go for quality over quantity this year! A stellar group, and the provenance on the Macrinus is fascinating.
