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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Al Kowsky, post: 8166591, member: 97383&quot;]The most famous Roman/Byzantine gold medal was discovered in 1751, at Caesarea ad Argaeum, in the province of Cappadocia. It was the highlight of the Cabinet des Medailles of the Bibliotheque Nationlale de France, until it mysteriously disappeared in 1831 <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />! The phrase &quot;mysteriously disappeared&quot; is used by security companies and police, it is a polite way of saying <u><b>stolen</b></u> <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. The original medal weighed approximately 163 grams, or 5.24 troy ounces, and had a diameter of 85 mm <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. It was struck at the Constantinople mint and commemorates the victory of Belisarius over the Kingdom of the Vandals in AD 534. The obverse depicts Justinian in battle dress holding a spear; the inscription reads: <b>D N JVSTINIANVS P P AVG</b>. The reverse depicts Justinian in battle dress holding a spear while riding horseback, and being led by Victory holding a trophy (I really doubt Justinian had a physical presence in Africa during this war <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />); the inscription reads: <b>SALVS ET GLORIA ROMANORVM, </b>in exergue <b>CON O B</b>.</p><p>Lot 1035 in <b>CNG Triton XXV</b> had two gilt electrotype shells, one of the obverse and the other of the reverse, that were made from a sulfur cast of the original medal in the British Museum, pictured below. Lot 1035 had an estimate of $2,500 and realized $19,200 <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. I don&#039;t recall an electrotype of an ancient coin selling for more than that <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. It&#039;s hard to believe a treasure like the original gold medal would have been melted down for bullion value <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie81" alt=":shifty:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />, so where is this medal today <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />?</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1426000[/ATTACH]</p><p><i>Photo courtesy of CNG.</i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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