My first Etruscan coins...

I am happy to share with you my two first Etruscan coins (recently won at Baldwin's last auction).
It was a long time ago that I was looking for a coin of Populonia (with an interesting pedigree):
Etruria, Populonia (c.300-250 BC), Silver 20-Asses, facing head of Metus, hair bound with a diadem, X:X below, rev traces of a legend (‘poplv’) (?), 8.50g (EC Series 37.241 (661) (O1), this coin; Sambon 59.1; Vecchi, SNR 69, 1990, 13 & 53; HN Italy 142). Oval flan, iridescent cabinet tone, very fine.

Pedigree: ex Adolphe Menjou collection, Kreisberg & Schulman, New York, 25-26 January 1957, lot 2765/6 (part)


The second coin was not 'premeditated' but rather a last minute decision:


Etruria, Uncertain mint (c.300-250 BC), Æ Uncia, wheel of six spokes, pellet in field, rev anchor, pellet o n left, Etruscan C on right, 8.12g (Sambon 106a; Vicari, RIN XCIII, 1991, 226a; Vecchi 154; HN Italy 67). Dark green patina, about very fine and rare.

Pedigree: ex Naville XII, 18-23 October 1926, lot 62 (part) ex Lockett collection, Greek (Part I), Glendining’s, 25 October 1955, lot 29 (part) £120-160


Feel free to post your etruscan coins.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Both are interesting, but the Populonia is my favorite. The pedigree's of both are impressive.

 

Fantastic!!! I'm still missing any of these....hopefully not for much longer.

 

Thanks!

I am attracted by coins with pedigree. I like to know as much as possible about the second life of my coins... (I am also more confident about their authenticity, especially for the bronze coins of Sicily...)

I hope you'll catch one! The 20-asses of Populonia are quite common. I seize the opportunity of this auction with a large selection of etruscan coins. The more coins of a type during a sale, higher is the chance to catch one (at a decent price).

 

Congratulations @Prokles ! I bid on several Etruscans with Baldwin, but my bids were not enough. Looks like you got one! I loved the story behind Metus, and the Etruscan heritage... I want one of those 20 Asses Coins!

At the recent NAC Auction I was able to capture an Etruscan. I am really glad I got this one due to the excellent provenance, the denomination, and the rarity. I actually enjoy collecting pre-bronze Sestertii (sliver), as they are tiny coins. Although this one seems not to be CALLED a Sestertius, it is the same denomination and size of the Roman version that comes a little later...


Etruria, Populonia
2 ½ asses , AR 0.85 g
3rd century BC
Obv: Radiate female head r.; behind, CII.
Rev: Blank.
Ref: EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179.
NAC Comment: Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known. Dark patina and about very fine.
Ex: From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli
(@ancientcoinguru further pointed out and had me further research E.E. Clain-Stefanelli's excellent provenance...
ANS Executive Director Ute Wartenburg reported that Elvira Eliza Clain-Stefanelli died Oct. 1, 2001. Mrs. Stefanelli retired in 2000 as the Senior Curator of the National Numismatic Collection in the Numismatics Division of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. She was at the Smithsonian for forty years, and was responsible with her husband Vladimir for organizing and building up the National Numismatic Collection (from 60,000 to over 1,000,000 pieces.) She survived a Nazi concentration camp in WWII Europe, moved to Rome, and learned numismatics there. In New York she and her husband worked for Stack's and started the Coin Galleries division there. Her most recent publication was "Life In Republican Rome On its Coinage", a lavishly illustrated discussion of the themes which appear on the coinage of the Roman Republic, published in 1999. Her major contribution to the science of numismatic literature was her classic "Numismatic Bibliography", published in 1985.

 

Man I need an Etruscan coin. All of these are like crazy rare. Maybe someday I will be able to wrap up this very long list, but that doesn't seem likely.

 

They may indeed be rare but there has been quite a number of them at auction in the last year. Was a hoard recently found, or old collection disbursed?

One of my dream coins is an Etrurian. The odds of me being able to find or afford it are very low

 

I agree... Did not see them, then, POOF, some large offerings. I think mine was the only one on NAC, but Baldwin had a slew of them. Unfortunately, I was a terrible bidder there!

 

Both are neat coins, congrats.

 

Congrats to @Prokles and @Alegandron for your recent Etruscan wins....awesome coins!!

Here's a struck issue from Etruria I don't think I have shown before:

240-225 BC
Uncertain of Etruria
AE Uncia (struck issue) 9.01gm - 22 mm
Obv: Six spoked rim, 1 pellet
Rev: Bipennis, 1 pellet
Reference: Vecchi ICC 170b

 

Great coins, Prokles. Congratulations! I can't speak to any glut of Etruscan coins on the market, but I do know that the coins in the Baldwin's sale were from an old collection formed in the late 1950's. I was fortunate to acquire a nice-quality, old-provenance (1959) Aes Grave Quadrans in this sale from the same collection.

 

@Carausius welcome to CoinTalk Ancients! Please show us your quadrans when you receive it...I love aes grave! Recently won a Tuder sextans and a quincunx of Luceria.

 

Welcome @Carausius !!! I'd LOVE to see what you have !!!

 

Here is my Aes Grave Quadrans, ex Baldwin's 4 May 2016 and privately acquired from Baldwins in December 1959. This is the auction photo. Like most Aes Grave, it looks considerably better in hand. It's tough to capture high relief coins without focus-stacking.

 

Georgeous coin!

 

Well done!

 

Stunning coin @Carausius Also welcome to CT!

 

I don't know but two important collections were sold this year (Baldwin's 99 and Roma Auction X with the VCV collection).

 

The VCV collection must be what I'm remembering.