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Two Byzantine Solidii from Heritage Auction 3085
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<p>[QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 4717070, member: 97383"]If anyone thought the ancient coin market was slowing down, think again <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. I watched Part I of the ancient coins on Thursday, featuring the big ticket coins, & most coins sold well over estimate. Part II of the ancient coins was yesterday, featuring coins of lesser importance, & 2 coins grabbed my attention. The 1st coin was an extremely rare & controversial solidus struck early in the reign of Heraclius, pictured below. It had an estimate of $2,000-$4,000 & sold for $3,360.00 despite the scratches on both sides & weakness of strike. I think the grade of <b>MS</b> on this coin is rather generous too <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1156417[/ATTACH] </p><p>The portrait on this coin is clearly not Heraclius, & looks to be Phocus instead <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. This coin type was originally thought to be struck in Jerusalem, based on research by S. Bendall & M. F. Hendy, but that research has since been refuted & currently these coins are now listed as "uncertain Eastern mint" & possibly made by a moving military mint of Heraclius. The engraver who cut the dies for this coin obviously had no idea of what Heraclius looked like & conveniently used a portrait of Phocus instead <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. Portraits of Phocus usually have a triangular shaped head with a pointed beard, like the coin below from my collection. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1156419[/ATTACH] On the other hand, early portraits of Heaclius show him with a round head & short beard like the coin below, also from my collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1156420[/ATTACH] </p><p>For a long time this coin was also thought to be from the Jerusalem Mint, but that attribution is no longer accepted. The young son of Heraclius, Heraclius Constantine, next to him is beardless.</p><p><br /></p><p>The other coin in this auction that raised my eyebrows is pictured below. This common coin was given the lofty grade of <b>Gem MS, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5</b>, & justifiably so. An NGC <b>Gem MS</b> is equivalent to <b>FDC</b> in the nomenclature more commonly used by coin collectors. With an estimate of $1,000-$1,500, this coin realized <b>$5,520.00 <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />!</b> High grade slabbed coins like this one were fetching very high prices thru both days of the auction.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1156425[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 4717070, member: 97383"]If anyone thought the ancient coin market was slowing down, think again :smuggrin:. I watched Part I of the ancient coins on Thursday, featuring the big ticket coins, & most coins sold well over estimate. Part II of the ancient coins was yesterday, featuring coins of lesser importance, & 2 coins grabbed my attention. The 1st coin was an extremely rare & controversial solidus struck early in the reign of Heraclius, pictured below. It had an estimate of $2,000-$4,000 & sold for $3,360.00 despite the scratches on both sides & weakness of strike. I think the grade of [B]MS[/B] on this coin is rather generous too :smuggrin:. [ATTACH=full]1156417[/ATTACH] The portrait on this coin is clearly not Heraclius, & looks to be Phocus instead o_O. This coin type was originally thought to be struck in Jerusalem, based on research by S. Bendall & M. F. Hendy, but that research has since been refuted & currently these coins are now listed as "uncertain Eastern mint" & possibly made by a moving military mint of Heraclius. The engraver who cut the dies for this coin obviously had no idea of what Heraclius looked like & conveniently used a portrait of Phocus instead :rolleyes:. Portraits of Phocus usually have a triangular shaped head with a pointed beard, like the coin below from my collection. [ATTACH=full]1156419[/ATTACH] On the other hand, early portraits of Heaclius show him with a round head & short beard like the coin below, also from my collection. [ATTACH=full]1156420[/ATTACH] For a long time this coin was also thought to be from the Jerusalem Mint, but that attribution is no longer accepted. The young son of Heraclius, Heraclius Constantine, next to him is beardless. The other coin in this auction that raised my eyebrows is pictured below. This common coin was given the lofty grade of [B]Gem MS, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5[/B], & justifiably so. An NGC [B]Gem MS[/B] is equivalent to [B]FDC[/B] in the nomenclature more commonly used by coin collectors. With an estimate of $1,000-$1,500, this coin realized [B]$5,520.00 :jawdrop:![/B] High grade slabbed coins like this one were fetching very high prices thru both days of the auction. [ATTACH=full]1156425[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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Two Byzantine Solidii from Heritage Auction 3085
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