leunumismatik.com, Lot 1601, 31 mei 2020, 170 CHF (euro 160)
UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Early 3rd to mid 4th centuries.
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'Aureus' (Subaeratus, 18 mm, 1.84 g, 6 h), imitating Diocletian, 284-305, or Maximian, 286-305. [...]HOSIИ[...]И[...] Laureate and cuirassed imperial bust to right. Rev. Emperor on horseback to left. AB -, cf. 829 (of much cruder style). Holed and with breaks in plating, otherwise, very fine.
leunumismatik.com, lot 1600, Mei 2020, 110 CHF (euro 103) |
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'Aureus' (Subaeratus, 21 mm, 3.58 g, 12 h), imitating Probus, 276-282. CHHSNИOTSIICIIIISIIOH Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Probus to right. Rev. [...]NRSRR Securitas seated left, holding scepter in her right hand and leaning her head on her left. AB 807 var. (differing 'legends'). Cf. Calicó 4189-4198 (for prototype). Holed and somewhat corroded with breaks in plating, otherwise, very fine.
leunumismatik.com,
lot, 1599, Mei
2020,
100 CHF (euro 93)
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'Aureus' (Subaeratus, 19 mm, 2.51 g, 12 h), imitating Probus, 276-282. IOIIISIIOI[...]IIOIIIISIIII-OOO Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Probus to right. Rev. [...]SIIOII[...]IOIIIISIIO[...] Securitas seated left, holding scepter in her right hand and leaning her head on her left. AB 807 var. (differing 'legends'). Cf. Calicó 4189-4198 (for prototype). Holed and with breaks in plating, otherwise, very fine.
leunumismatik.com, lot, 1598, Mei 2020, 131 CHF (euro 123)
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'Aureus' (Subaeratus, 18 mm, 2.64 g, 12 h), imitating Marcus Aurelius (?), 161-180. -/∾CIΠ∾ •/∾C•ΛI∾ON Laureate head of Marcus Aurelius (?) to right. Rev. XCIIXCIXPX XCXIXICXICX Uncertain figure standing right, left arm outstretched. AB -, cf. 796-797 (same artist?). Holed and with some breaks in plating, otherwise, very fine.
leunumismatik.com, lot, 1597, Mei 2020, 220 CHF (euro 206) |
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Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 2.39 g, 11 h), Taman Peninsula. Stage 1, imitating Septimius Severus (193-211) and Antoninus Pius (138-161). SEVERVS PIVS AVG Laureate head of Septimius Severus to right. Rev. [...]VT - ΛS II Thunderbolt on draped throne. Sergeev -, cf. 280 ff. Surface cracks on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.
This interesting imitation combines an obverse of Septimius Severus with a reverse of Antoninus Pius. leunumismatik.com, lot, 1596, Mei 2020,
140 CHF (euro 131)
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Denarius (Subaeratus, 18 mm, 2.61 g, 12 h), Taman Peninsula. Stage 1, imitating Lucius Verus (161-169). IMP L AVRIEIL (sic!) VERVS AVG Bare head of Lucius Verus to right. Rev. PROV DEOR TR P II COS II Providentia standing front, head to left, holding globe in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left. Sergeev -, cf. 280 ff. Minor breaks in plating, otherwise,
leunumismatik.com, lot, 1595, Mei 2020,
105 CHF (euro 99)
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Denarius (Silver, 17 mm, 2.58 g, 5 h), Taman Peninsula. Stage 1, imitating Antoninus Pius (138-161). [...]HIИ NI[...] Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right. Rev. COS [...]V Roma (?) seated left on cuirass, holding Victory (?) in her right hand and parazonium in her left. Sergeev -, cf. 280 ff. Fine.
leunumismatik.com, lot, 1594, Mei 2020,
80 CHF (euro 75)
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UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Mid to late 3rd century. From the Aurum Barbarorum Collection.
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Lot 783
'Aureus' (Gold, 19 mm, 6.68 g, 12 h), imitating Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. IMP ANTONINV[S] ARM IIII AV Laureate head of Marcus Aurelius to right. Rev. P M TR P XIX IMP III COS II Annona standing front, head to left, holding grain ears in her right hand over modius filled with grain ears and cornucopiae in her left. Cf. Calicó 2019-2020 (for Annona-prototype, but with differing legends). With original suspension loop attached. Two scratches and the reverse slightly double struck, otherwise, very fine.
With its neat style and mostly readable legends, this is likely one of the earlier imitations, struck sometime in the second half of the 3rd century.
leunumismatik.com price, 2400 CHF (euro 2250)
25-May-19
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Lot 784 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.32
g, 7 h), imitating Marcus Aurelius, 161-180.
[...]DNENΛI ΛVN[...] Laureate head of Marcus
Aurelius to left. Rev.N[...]ΛNDNΛΛ /
VIIIIN Female figure standing front, head to
left, holding patera in her right hand and
cornucopiae in her left; to left, lighted altar
(or serpent coiled round altar?). With original
suspension loop attached. Scratch on the obverse
and the loop deformed, otherwise, good
fine. The reverse of this coin apparently mixes up different types: the cornucopiae and the lighted altar are reminiscent of Annona (Calicó -, but cf. NAC 84, 20 May 2015, 1032), but the legend in the exergue clearly derives from Marcus' common Salus reverse (Calicó 1908-1922). leunumismatik.com price: 1100 CHF (euro 1030) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 785 'Aureus' (Gold, 18 mm, 4.00
g, 7 h), imitating Marcus Aurelius, 161-180.
CVXU[...] CVIUTIVCIXNV Laureate head of Marcus
Aurelius to right. Rev.
[...]ITIXIVIII[.]XIII[.]VΓD / OIII[...] Fortuna
or Roma seated left, holding rudder (?) in her
right hand; below throne, wheel or shield. Holed
and with numerous bangs and scratches,
otherwise, fine. This is a particularly battered and damaged piece, but the style of the dies is actually surprisingly neat, indicating that it is a rather early imitation. However, it was obviously made by a Barbarian artist with no understanding of Latin, and the many Roman numerals (X. V and I) in the legends almost create the impression that he was making fun of the Roman habit of putting so many dates on coins. leunumismatik.com price 300 CHF Closing time: 25-May-19 |
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Lot 786 Mid 3rd-early 4th centuries.
'Quinarius' (Gold, 17 mm, 3.35 g, 12 h),
imitating Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. IMP
ANTONINV[...] Laureate bust of Marcus Aurelius
to left. Rev. MCODRIM[...]SVSTOR TP XV / COS III
Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, both togate,
standing facing each other and clasping their
right hands around scroll. Cf. Calicó 1821-1826
(for prototype). With original suspension loop
attached. Minor scrapes and scratches and the
flan somewhat wavy, otherwise, fine. leunumismatik.com price 1300 CHF (euro 1221) 25-May-19, |
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Lot 787, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Mid
3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius' (Gold, 14
mm, 2.26 g, 11 h), imitating Lucius Verus (?),
161-169. IIH[...] ΛΛIINI Bare head of Lucius
Verus (?) to left. Rev. HYLYY TNVIT Female
figure standing front, holding uncertain object
in her right hand and long scepter in her left.
With original suspension loop attached (but
somewhat deformed). Good fine. The curly hair and the lack of laurel wreath on the portrait point towards an issue of Lucius Verus (or Marcus Aurelius?) as the distant prototype of this imitation. leunumismatik.com price: 750 CHF (euro 705): 25-May-19 |
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Lot 788, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Mid
3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius' (Gold, 16
mm, 3.13 g, 6 h), imitating Lucius Verus,
161-169, or Septimius Severus, 193-211. Ꙩ
Laureate head of Lucius Verus or Septimius
Severus to right. Rev. IIVꙨIIꙨVII / XXX Five
pellets forming an inverted T. With original
suspension loop attached. Some scrapes and minor
scratches, otherwise, very fine. The perfectly centered small dies give this piece a lovely medallic aspect, but it is the wonderfully abstracted reverse that makes it a particularly charming imitation. Illiterate Germanic die cutters often just spread random symbols around their dies to create the impression of cohesive legends, but this ingenious artist carefully placed his symbols in a perfectly balanced and symmetric way. As a result, we can still recognize the basic Roman numismatic iconography he had in mind: a central reverse figure - here reduced to a small inverted T - is surrounded by a circular legend, which gets expanded by a straight line of letters below as we know it from Roman exergual marks. This is certainly far away from any official Roman coin (and, probably, from any Roman border), but it is also a fascinating testimony to the deep cultural influence that radiated for many centuries from the empire - even to the more distant 'Barbaricum'. leunumismatik.com price: 4200 CHF (euro 3945): 25-May-19 |
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Lot 789 'Aureus' (Gold, 19 mm, 4.79 g, 1 h),
imitating Septimius Severus, 193-211. [...]ND
VOKNOO Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of
Septimius Severus to left. Rev. OINOOONIO
Liberalitas standing front, head to left,
holding counting-board (?) in her right hand and
cornucopiae in her left. Cf. Calicó 2478-2480
(for prototype). Holed and with light marks,
otherwise, fine. An interesting minor detail about this coin is that the Barbarian artist cut the letter N retrograde on the obverse, whereas it is facing in the right direction on the reverse. Clearly this does not make any difference, however, as the legend is totally blundered and was certainly cut by an illiterate artist. leunumismatik.com price: 950 CHF (Eur 892) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 790 'Aureus' (Gold, 18 mm, 3.84 g, 12
h), imitating Septimius Severus, 193-211.
ΛOIHNVISNN VCETVIΛN Laureate head of Septimius
Severus to right. Rev. O[...]NBSC Pax standing
front, head to left, holding olive branch in her
right hand and transverse scepter in her left;
in field to right, traces of letters (?). Holed
and the reverse a bit misstruck, otherwise, very
fine. leunumismatik.com price: 1200 CHF (euro 1127) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 791 'Heavy Aureus' (Gold, 18 mm, 11.74
g, 10 h), imitating Septimius Severus, 193-211,
and Julia Domna, 193-217. S∾IV Laureate head (or
bust?) of Septimius Severus to right. Rev.
Draped bust of Julia Domna to right; before,
uncertain symbol. Cf. Calicó 2587-2588 (for
prototype). A minor flan fault on the obverse
and with the original suspension loop somewhat
deformed and broken, otherwise, very fine. Even among the many exotic imitations in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection, this piece is highly unusual. At no less than 11.74 g, it is almost double the weight of all the other 'aurei', which gives it the impression of a binio or 'heavy aureus'. Secondly, it is the only coin that has been cast, which perhaps indicates that its manufacturers were incapable of striking suck thick pieces of metal. And thirdly, it is one of just two pieces to imitate a Roman dynastic type - in this case, an aureus of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna struck in the year 201 (the other being lot 792 below). leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2818) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 792 'Quinarius' (Gold, 17 mm, 2.92 g, 1
h), imitating Septimius Severus, 193-211, and
Julia Domna, 193-217. [...]RUII[.]VS IMP
Laureate head (or bust?) of Septimius Severus to
left. Rev. IVLIA Λ[.]TAD Draped bust of Julia
Domna to left. Holed and with a bump on the
edge, otherwise, good fine. This is one of just two coins in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection to imitate a Roman dynastic issue, here in the form of a small 'quinarius' of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna (the other being lot 791 above, a 'heavy aureus' with a weight of 11.74 g). What makes this piece especially charming is the lovely 'barbaric' style of the portraits, especially that of Julia Domna, who is shown with wild and long flowing hair - an image that is in complete contrast to her rather static and severe Roman portraits. leunumismatik.com price: 1500 CHF (euro 1409) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 793 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.19 g, 5 h),
imitating Caracalla, 198-217, and Julia Domna,
193-217. NTTXXAA[...]ΛΛAAN[.]N (starting at 2
o'clock) Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of
Caracalla to right, seen from rear. Rev.
ΠΠΠ◠◠HΛNPΠZZΓΓΓΓ[.]NΛΛ[.]HIIM (starting at 12
o'clock) Juno standing front, head to left with
long hair falling down her back, holding patera
(?) in her right hand and inverted spear in her
left; at feet to left, peacock standing left,
looking up. Cf. Calicó 2617-2618 (for prototype
of Julia Domna). Holed and with numerous
scratches and the flan somewhat wavy, otherwise,
very fine. The obverse of this piece loosely copies an aureus of Caracalla, but the reverse, with its charming adaptation of a long-haired Juno holding a spear instead of a scepter, was taken from an issue of Julia Domna. leunumismatik.com price: 1400 CHF (euro 1315) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 794 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.32 g, 1 h).
MNOY MININ Laureate, draped and cuirassed
imperial bust to right. Rev. VNID [.]IIN[.]IN
Uncertain figure seated right, holding long
scepter in his/her right hand and patera in his/her
left. Holed and with some bangs and scuffs and
the flan hence somewhat wavy, otherwise, good
very fine. While the vigorous portrait reminds this cataloguer of Caracalla, it could just as well be Probus or one of the Tetrarchs. The 'Barbarian' artist may have had any of the numerous bearded emperors of the 3rd century in mind, or perhaps he simply crafted what he considered to be a 'typical Roman' on his obverse die. leunumismatik.com price: 3200 CHF (euro 3008) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 795 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 7.05 g, 11
h), imitating Macrinus, 217-218, or Maximinus I
(235-238). CIIIISIIIICIIICCOICIICIISIIICIIIC (counterclockwise
and read outwardly) Laureate, draped and
cuirassed bust of Macrinus or Maximinus I to
right. Rev. SCIVICOSVI VI[...]OSIIISIIII Mars
advancing right, holding inverted spear in his
right hand and trophy in his left. Holed and
with numerous small marks, otherwise, very fine.
Coins like this one remind us that Barbarian imitations sometimes just broadly follow Roman prototypes and often mix up types. Here we have a portrait that is reminiscent of Macrinus or Maximinus I, but the reverse was probably copied from an aureus of Severus Alexander. leunumismatik.com price: 3400 CHF (euro 3196) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 796 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.44 g, 6 h),
imitating Elagabalus, 218-222. NOVΛIOΛ COMVΛO
Laureate head of Elagabalus to left; below bust,
torque. Rev. OIHONOIIONOI Victory hurrying
right, holding cornucopiae in her left hand. Cf.
Calicó 3038-3041 (for prototype). Holed and with
some marks, otherwise, very fine. The prototype of this coin is an aureus of Elagabalus (Calicó 3038-3041) with the well-known VICTOR ANTONINI AVG-reverse, but the Barbarian artist added a torque below the bust on the obverse and replaced Victory's usual attributes, a palm frond and a wreath, with a cornucopiae. leunumismatik.com price: 3600 CHF (euro 3384) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 797 'Quinarius' (Gold, 15 mm, 2.66 g, 12
h), imitating Elagabalus, 218-222. IΛPIO ΛPIΛPII
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of
Elagabalus to right. Rev. ΛOIPΛCV VOIPΛIV
Victory advancing right, holding long scepter in
her left hand. Holed and with a thin flan crack,
otherwise, good very fine. The style of the portrait and the winged figure on the reverse of this charming little coin are quite similar to lot 796 above - perhaps the dies were crafted by the same artist? Estimate: 250 CHF Starting price: leunumismatik.com price: 3200 CHF (euro 3008) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 798 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.49 g, 11
h). UNJIHCNV VIHVV Laureate, draped and
cuirassed imperial bust to left. Rev. IVTIOTHN /
O Deity seated left, holding patera in his/her
right hand and scepter in his/her left. Sergeev
226 (same dies). Holed and with some scratches
and a graffito on the reverse, otherwise, very
fine. It is hard to assign this coin to a specific Roman prototype (perhaps an aureus of Gordian III?), but what makes it particularly interesting is the fact that it has a partially readable graffito on the reverse: STVN(G/Λ)UI / Y TN(Iλ?). A tempting, but admittedly speculative interpretation is to read this as the name of a somewhat literate Germanic owner, who marked the coin as his possession by engraving his name on its reverse. leunumismatik.com price: 3200 CHF (euro 3008) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 799 'Aureus' (Electrum, 22 mm, 5.09 g,
12 h). IIIIVVVIII[...]VVVIIIVII (or similar)
Laureate, draped and cuirassed imperial bust to
right, seen from behind. Rev.
VVV[...]ΩIIHVI[...]LLIHIIIIII (or similar)
Minerva standing front, head to left, holding
spear in her right hand and placing her left on
shield set on ground. Holed and with some
scrapes and an edge split, otherwise, very fine.
The nearest Roman prototype for the reverse of this coin perhaps are Maximian's and Constantius' COMES AVGG-aurei from Treveri (Calicó 4600 and 4808), but the portrait and the long (albeit clearly imitative) legends are more reminiscent of earlier barracks or perhaps late Severan emperors. leunumismatik.com price: 1100 CHF (euro 1034) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 800 'Aureus'
(Gold, 20 mm, 5.86 g, 12 h).
NVVTSΛΛOMSOSλVKKYTΓSYSOSTSVNVI Laureate, draped
and cuirassed imperial bust to left. Rev.
SOλSλOEYSλESYEλSV Uberitas standing front, head
to left, holding purse in her right hand and
cornucopiae in her left. A lovely piece of
attractive and interesting style. Holed and with
some minor scrapes, otherwise, good very fine.
The dies for this interesting imitation were certainly cut by an illiterate artist. While the decidedly Roman looking portrait does not bear any resemblance to Trajan Decius, the reverse probably copies his Uberitas-type (Calicó 3299), which widely circulated in the Barbaricum following the capture of the imperial treasure in the Battle of Abritus in 251 and the Roman tribute payments to the various Gothic tribes in the 250s. leunumismatik.com price: 1600 CHF (euro 1504) Closing time: 25-May-19 |
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Lot 801 Quinarius (Gold, 16 mm, 2.95 g, 11
h), imitating Gordian III, 238-244. IMP
GORDIANVS Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of
Gordian III to left. Rev. SLIN AAVGI Eagle
standing right with wings spread, head turned to
left. With original suspension loop attached.
Two scrapes and some scratches on the obverse,
otherwise, very fine. The dies for this and the following lot were clearly both made by the same 'Barbarian' artist, who erroneously combined portraits of Gordian III and Aurelian with the eagle from Roman Consecratio-issues. For a longer note on this fascinating pair of coins see below, lot 802. leunumismatik.com price: 2200 CHF (euro 2068) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 802 'Quinarius' (Gold, 17 mm, 3.87 g, 12
h), imitating Aurelian, 270-275. IMP AVRELIANVS
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Aurelian
to left. Rev. AIIς IMP IX Eagle standing right
with wings spread, head turned to left. A
wonderful imitation of enchanting 'barbaric'
style. Some scrapes and with the suspension loop
broken off and a slightly wavy flan, otherwise,
good extremely fine. This and the previous lot 801 above, which were clearly made by the same talented 'Barbarian' artist, are, in many regards, among the most exciting imitations in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection. For one thing, the present piece is the only coin in the collection without any traces of wear, which means that unlike its twin, it must have been lost shortly after its production. Moreover, the two coins are an interesting combination of unrelated types: the obverses bear somewhat stylized but very attractive portraits of Roman barracks emperors, whose names are given in slightly clumsy but very readable Latin as Gordian III (238-244) and Aurelian (270-275), respectively. The reverses, on the other hand, clearly imitate Roman Consecratio-issues such as the Divo Caro-series (Calicó 4261-4262). However, the unrelated and somewhat blundered legends and the fact that no Consecratio-issues were ever struck for either Gordian III or Aurelian prove that the artist did not at all understand the meaning of Roman deifications. To him, who lacked any deeper understanding of Roman religion, imperial self-representation and apotheoses, the eagle must have simply deemed an adequate companion of the most powerful rulers of the world. leunumismatik.com price: 2400 CHF (euro 2256) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 803 'Quinarius' (Gold, 13 mm, 1.99 g, 12
h), imitating Aurelian, 270-275. IMP AVR
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Aurelian
to left. Rev. AII-SMI Eagle standing right with
wings spread. The reverse slightly double struck,
otherwise, very fine. This interesting coin is a later and somewhat clumsier copy of lot 802 above, much smaller and with shorter legends. leunumismatik.com price: 1700 CHF (euro 1598) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 804 'Quinarius' (Gold, 15 mm, 3.14 g, 1
h). T ΛTI Laureate and cuirassed imperial bust
to right. Rev. ΛVASI Eagle standing left, wings
spread, on cippus. The flan a bit wavy,
otherwise, very fine. The reverse of this coin copies a Roman consecration issue, perhaps of Divus Claudius II Gothicus. leunumismatik.com price: 950 CHF (euro 893) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 805 'Aureus' (Gold, 21 mm, 6.15 g, 9 h),
Ulów type, imitating one of the barracks
emperors. ONO∞N NONBNTOIΓT Laureate, draped and
cuirassed imperial bust to left. Rev.
OSMCIIIΩIIIIOΩNOΩMIIII (starting at 12 o'clock)
The emperor riding on horseback to right,
wielding uncertain weapon in his right hand; all
within beaded inner circle. Bursche, Ulów, fig.
1-2 (same dies). Sergeev 220 var. (same reverse
die, but with bust to right). With original
suspension loop attached. Minor scratches and
the flan slightly bent, otherwise, very fine.
While the portrait on this beautiful imitative aureus is reminiscent of the latter barracks emperors - most notably of Claudius II and Aurelian - the ingenious reverse is without parallels. Bursche suggested Roman Provincial coins from Moesia as prototype, or it perhaps goes back to Aurelian's wonderful aureus showing him on horseback (Calicó 4031) or to Tacitus' double aurei with a similar reverse (Calicó 4122-4123), but the Germanic artist here decided to place the emperor and his warhorse within a beaded inner circle, hereby creating the illusion of a small raised medallion within the imitative legend. leunumismatik.com price: 3800 CHF (euro 3572) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 806 'Aureus' (Gold, 18 mm, 6.03 g, 7 h),
Ulów type. OΛΩOS/∾IPPTZΩIISՒO IIII Laureate,
draped and cuirassed imperial bust to right. Rev.
[.]IΩSOΩ∾IΩOMΩI Fortuna standing front, head to
left, holding rudder in her right hand and
cornucopiae in her left. Bursche, Ulów, fig. 8 (same
dies). Holed and with a few minor scratches,
otherwise, good very fine. leunumismatik.com price: 2400 CHF (euro 2256) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 807 'Aureus' (Gold, 21 mm, 6.26 g, 12
h), imitating Probus, 276-282.
IMSNNOMNN[.]MSNNIIC (counterclockwise and read
outwardly) Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust
of Probus to right. Rev. XNMS[.]NHT Securitas
seated left, holding scepter in her right hand
and leaning her head on her left. Cf. Calicó
4189-4198 (for prototype). An attractive piece
with a charming portrait. Holed and with some
scratches, otherwise, good very fine. leunumismatik.com price: 2400 CHF (euro 2256) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 808 'Aureus' (Gold, 18 mm, 3.85 g, 12
h), imitating Probus, 276-282. X X X X - X E X X
X Laureate bust of Probus to left, wearing
imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped scepter
in his right hand. Rev. ECM CE CEICEIESO / MISEM
Probus standing front, head to left, holding
scepter in his left hand and placing his right
on a stylized shield; to left, two figures with
raised hands; to right, another heavily stylized
figure, presenting an uncertain object to the
emperor. A lovely and very interesting imitation
with original suspension loop attached. The
reverse with light doubling and a minor scrape,
otherwise, good very fine. This beautiful imitation is perhaps a copy of Probus' PACATOR ORBIS-issue (Calicó 4172), which shows the emperor amidst four defeated Barbarians kneeling before him - certainly an unusual choice, as the Roman prototype is not only extremely rare, but also unflattering to any 'barbarian'. We can only assume that the die cutter did not understand the meaning of the original issue, or that it for some reason did not concern him. leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2820) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 809 Aureus (Gold, 19 mm, 5.16 g, 1 h),
imitating Probus, 276-282. X X X X - X E X X X
Laureate bust of Probus to left, wearing
imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped scepter
in his right hand. Rev. ECM CE CEICEIESO / MISEM
Probus standing front, head to left, holding
scepter in his left hand and placing his right
on a stylized shield; to left, two figures with
raised hands; to right, another heavily stylized
figure, presenting an uncertain object to the
emperor. Cf. Calicó 4172 (for prototype). With
original suspension loop attached. Minor marks
and the flan slightly wavy, otherwise, fine.
From the This coin was struck from the same die pair as lot 808 above. leunumismatik.com price: 1600 CHF (euro 1504) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 810 'Quinarius' (Gold, 15 mm, 3.29 g, 3
h), imitating Probus, 276-282. Laureate, draped
and cuirassed (?) bust of Probus to right. Rev.
The emperor standing front, head to left, amidst
two or more defeated barbarians. With original
suspension loop attached. Fine. This 'quinarius' is probably another attempt of copying Probus' PACATOR ORBIS-issue (Calicó 4172), which shows the emperor amidst four defeated Barbarians kneeling before and behind him. leunumismatik.com price: 440 CHF (euro 413) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 811 'Aureus' (Gold, 21 mm, 5.24 g, 1 h),
imitating Probus, 276-282. INP C V HVR PROBVS P
P HVC Helmeted, draped and cuirassed (?) bust of
Probus to left; behind, spear pointing forward.
Rev. H[.]HPH / HH[.] Probus, helmeted and
holding scepter (?) in his raised right hand,
driving slow quadriga to left. A lovely piece of
charming style. With original suspension loop
attached. Graffito of X (?) on the obverse and
with some marks, otherwise, good fine. The prototype of this coin is Probus' victory issue from Serdica of 280 (Calicó 4222-4230), but the 'Barbarian' artist replaced Victory - who is driving the quadriga on the official type - with the emperor himself. leunumismatik.com price: 2800 CHF (euro 2632) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 812 'Aureus' (Subaeratus, 22 mm, 5.70 g,
12 h), imitating Probus, 276-282. IMP C M
HIIRPOBIIS P L [A]IIG Helmeted and cuirassed
bust of Probus to left, holding spear over his
right shoulder and shield on his left. Rev.
HSΠCP / H[...] Sol, radiate, driving slow
quadriga to left, holding wreath in his right
hand and whip in his left. Sergeev 230 (but not
plated). Some breaks in plating, otherwise, very
fine. leunumismatik.com price: 950 CHF (euro 893) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 813 'Aureus' (Gold, 22 mm, 6.32 g, 1 h),
imitating Probus, 276-282. DIIIISUBOD IDSIIBBIIO
- ICICI Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of
Probus to left. Rev. TCUBSIOHOIIIN\DST / O⧝O
Sol, radiate, standing front, head to left,
holding globe in his right hand and raising his
left in salute. Holed and with a scrape on the
obverse, otherwise, very fine. The prototype of this issue is an aureus of Probus with either CONSERVAT AVG (Calicó 4149-4154) or ORIENS AVG(VSTI) (Calicó 4169-4171) on the reverse. leunumismatik.com price: 2200 CHF (euro 2068) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 814 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.71 g, 12
h), imitating one of the later barracks emperors,
perhaps Probus, 276-282. IHSSՒՒO OIISVIISD
Laureate, draped and cuirassed imperial bust to
right. Rev. IIOHYI OIIOII Female deity seated
right on low throne marked with X, holding long
scepter in her right hand and uncertain object (stylized
serpent or tree?) in her left; in field to
right, palm frond. With original suspension loop
attached. Minor scratches, otherwise, about very
fine. Clumsy imitations such as this one often mix up various types in an effort to look 'Roman', making it hard to pinpoint them to a specific prototype. Here we have a female figure seated to the right on the reverse, with a palm frond before her and holding an uncertain object in her left hand (a serpent or a tree?) - perhaps a vague combination of Roma, Salus and Pax? leunumismatik.com price: 1400 CHF (euro 1316) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 815 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 3.20 g, 12
h), imitating Probus (?), 276-282.
PECHMMNM[...]MOCNSPIԷW Laureate and cuirassed
bust of Probus (?) to right. Rev. [...]TIDF[...]
Emperor seated left, leaning left on shield (?).
Holed and heavily battered, otherwise, fine.
leunumismatik.com price: 280 CHF (euro 263) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 816 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 19 mm, 5.64 g, 12 h), imitating one of
the later barracks emperors.
ԷISIIOIԷ[...]CCԷHHFMC Laureate and cuirassed
imperial bust to right. Rev. O[...]II∾CCIICH∾IHԵ
Male figure with bird-like head in stylized biga
to right. A very interesting piece of
wonderfully abstract style. Holed and with a few
scrapes and scratches, otherwise, very fine.
The abstract style of this piece is quite amazing. It clearly imitates the Victory-in-biga-aurei of the later barracks emperors, but the Germanic artist who cut the dies has managed to change the reverse into a wonderful piece of local art: we see a long-maned and bird-mouthed figure riding a chariot to the right, drawn by a wolf-headed, double-eared and eight-legged horse reminiscent of Sleipnir, the famous horse of Odin from medieval Norse mythology. leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2820) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 817 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Binio'
(Gold, 20 mm, 3.63 g, 1 h), imitating Probus,
276-282, Diocletian, 284-305, and Maximian,
286-305. SNVSNCCVV[...]IIVC∾CSVV Radiate, draped
and cuirassed imperial bust to right, holding
olive-branch. Rev. NNIISO[.]IIISCINC / CIICCN On
the left, Diocletian-Jupiter, helmeted, standing
left, holding thunderbolt (?) in his right hand
and with transverse spear behind him; on the
right, Maximian-Hercules, helmeted, standing
left, leaning right on club; in field above,
numerous decorative pellets. A most interesting
piece. Holed and with a minor scrape on the
obverse and a few marks, otherwise, very fine.
This is, in many ways, one of the most interesting imitations from the Aurum Barbarorum Collection. It is not only unique in bearing a radiate portrait and thus being an ostensible binio - with the low weight of 3.63 g illustrating that these imitations were never intended to circulate as face value coins - but the bust also carries an olive branch as we for example know it from an extremely rare aureus of Probus (Calicó 4158, where Probus also carries an eagle-tipped scepter). Even more interesting is the reverse, where we see, under a cloud of decorative pellets, two helmeted figures standing to the left, of which the left one holds an uncertain object in his right hand and carries a spear, whereas his companion on the right is leaning on a club. The latter undoubtedly derives from Roman renderings of Hercules, and the most likely explanation of this unusual reverse type therefore is that the 'Barbarian' artist who cut the dies attempted to show the two helmeted Augusti Diocletian and Maximian, in the guise of their divine comites Jupiter (the uncertain object in his right hand would then be a thunderbolt) and Hercules, respectively. leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2820) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 818 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 19 mm, 7.11 g, 11 h), imitating
Diocletian, 284-305. DIOCINIVS AVGVSTVS Laureate
head of Diocletian to left. Rev.
COIINVIIЄIIVINIICOO Diocletian, togate, standing
front, head to left, holding globe in his right
hand and scepter in his left. Cf. Calicó 4434
ff. (for prototype). With original suspension
loop attached. Minor scratches and with a scuff
on the edge, otherwise, good fine. This must be a rather early imitation, as the style is quite neat and the legends are still mostly legible. leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2820) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 819 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 21 mm, 5.95 g, 7 h), imitating Diocletian,
284-305, or Maximian, 286-305. IIIՒIT IIIIII
Laureate and cuirassed imperial bust to left.
Rev. II IISIII Roma seated left on throne
decorated with X, holding Victory presenting
wreath in her right hand and long scepter in her
left. A lovely imitation struck on a very broad
flan. About very fine. This probably is a free-hand imitation rather than a copy of an actual prototype, as the obverse is decidedly post-reform in style, whereas the reverse was only struck pre-reform for either Diocletian or Maximian. leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2820) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 820 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 20 mm, 4.34 g, 1 h), imitating Diocletian,
284-305. HBBDBIQQDBBBSBD Laureate, draped and
cuirassed bust of Diocletian to left, seen from
behind. Rev. N∾[...]NBDΞD / ΓOH Jupiter standing
front, head to left, holding Victory on globe in
his right hand and long scepter in his left. Cf.
Calicó 4482-4487 (for prototype). A most
attractive imitation with a particularly bold
and impressive barbarized portrait. Holed and
with some scratches, otherwise, very fine. For another imitation of the same aureus of Diocletian, but of cruder style and with two figures accompanying Jupiter, see below, lot 821. leunumismatik.com price: 2800 CHF (euro 2632) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 821 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 21 mm, 6.03 g, 1 h), imitating Diocletian,
284-305. IIIRΞSIIEΞIICΞS◗IIE Laureate, draped
and cuirassed (?) bust of Diocletian to left.
Rev. OIΞΩHOΞOΞIRIRIISIO / \ΛΛΛO Jupiter standing
front, head to left, holding Victory presenting
wreath in his right hand and scepter in his left;
to left and right, two small figures standing
left, raising both hands. Holed, otherwise, very
fine. The prototype of the issue is, most likely, an aureus of Diocletian with Jupiter holding Victory on the reverse (Calicó 4482-4487). If this is true, the neat addition of two small figures accompanying the father of the gods on the reverse is probably a reflection of the joint rule of the two Augusti Diocletian and Maximian, of which the Barbarian die cutter may have had vague understanding. For another imitation of the same type, but of finer style and lacking the two figures, see above, lot 820. leunumismatik.com price: 2000 CHF (euro 1880) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 822 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 21 mm, 5.35 g, 12 h), imitating
Maximianus, 286-305. MAXIMIANVS AVGVSTVS
Laureate head of Maximianus to left. Rev. COS
III Maximianus on horseback right, raising his
right hand in salute. Cf. Calicó 4634 (with COS
II) and 4635 (COS III but head to right) for
prototype. With original suspension loop
attached. Good fine. This is a very early imitation, with a finely engraved portrait and perfectly readable legends. Estimate: 350 CHF Starting price: 280 CHF Hammer price: 3600 CHF Closing time: 25-May-19 leunumismatik.com price: 3600 CHF (euro 3384) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 823 Mid 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius'
(Gold, 14 mm, 3.22 g, 7 h). IVIIΓIΛIII I
IICIVIIΛ Bare imperial head to left. Rev.
IΘIIICIΘII / IΠI Bear, upright, standing left,
presenting basket (?) to male figure seated
right, leaning his right hand on ground and
extending his left toward the bear. A highly
unusual and most interesting coin, with a
wonderful and unparalleled reverse. About
extremely fine. From the Aurum Barbarorum
Collection. This is unquestionably the most exciting coin in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection. What it represents is unclear: the reverse, which shows a bear presenting an uncertain object (a basket?) to a sitting male figure, is without parallels in ancient coinage and thus in all likelihood a genuinely German motive. Does it portray a local tale, in which a bear comes to the rescue of a human, or is it the artist's rendering of the epiphany of a German god in the form of a bear, much like Zeus used to appear in the guise of various animals in Greek mythology? We shall, unfortunately, never know, but it certainly is an astonishing and wonderful coin and of the greatest historical interest. leunumismatik.com price: 19000 CHF (euro 17864) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 824 Mid 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius'
(Gold, 14 mm, 2.55 g, 1 h). ZO NOΛO Bare-headed,
draped and cuirassed imperial bust to right. Rev.
OZ SΛ (counterclockwise and read outwardly)
Virtus standing front, head to right, holding
spear in her right hand and shield in her left.
A lovely, sharp and unusually attractive piece.
Minor scrape on the reverse and the flan a bit
wavy, otherwise, nearly extremely fine. The dies for this lovely 'quinarius' and for the following lot 825 below were undoubtedly crafted by the same artist. leunumismatik.com price: 2600 CHF (euro 2444) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 825 Mid 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius'
(Gold, 15 mm, 2.50 g, 12 h). CON OZΛ Bare-headed,
draped and cuirassed imperial bust to right. Rev.
O OC ZC (counterclockwise and read outwardly)
Winged figure seated left, holding uncertain
object in his/her right hand. Suspension loop
broken off, otherwise, good very fine. The figure on the reverse probably is supposed to be Roma, with the 'wings' being her disjointed left arm and a spear, whereas the object in her right hand is Victory. leunumismatik.com price: 1600 CHF (euro 1504) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 826 Mid 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Quinarius'
(Gold, 14 mm, 3.04 g, 1 h). CVSII - DVICIIC
Bare-headed (?), draped and cuirassed imperial
bust to right, seen from behind. Rev.
COCIV[...]IICII Male figure (Mars?) walking
right. With original suspension loop attached.
Fine. leunumismatik.com price: 1400 CHF (euro 1316) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 827 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 18 mm, 5.18 g, 12 h). IIIII II Laureate,
draped and cuirassed imperial bust to left. Rev.
IIIIIIII[...]IIIIII / IIIII Roma seated left,
holding Victory in her right hand and long
scepter in her left. With original suspension
loop attached, but deformed and broken and the
reverse weakly struck, otherwise, very fine.
This piece is certainly among the most abstract imitations in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection. What at first glance appears to be a long beard on the obverse is in fact a highly stylized rendering of the drapery and cuirass of the imperial bust. leunumismatik.com price: 1200 CHF (euro 1128) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 828 Late 3rd-4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 20 mm, 6.34 g, 5 h). ΠΠ◠◠∾∾IIIICΠUΠUΠ◠◠
Bare-headed imperial bust to right with a
decorative line of pellets above; before, small
T. Rev. ∾UΠ◠◠III◠◠◠ΠΠIII Mars (?) walking left,
holding spear over his right shoulder; in field
to right, Γ. A most attractive piece of
curiously blundered style. Light marks and with
a minor flan flaw on the obverse, otherwise,
very fine. What this charming coin copies is impossible to say other than that the reverse probably shows Mars holding a spear over his shoulder, but the fact that even a piece this blundered looks surprisingly familiar to the modern viewer underlines how constitutive Roman coinage eventually became for the Western world. The combination of a Royal portrait with a figural reverse type and circular legends lay the groundwork for most of the later European coinage up to the widespread abolishment of monarchy in the modern era, whereas in some countries, it was only the introduction of the Euro in 2002 that brought along a radical change in the millenia-old numismatic iconography. leunumismatik.com price: 2800 CHF (euro 2632) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 829 Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus'
(Gold, 19 mm, 4.95 g, 5 h). IHIIIIIIIYW -
IIIIIIIII Laureate imperial head to left. Rev.
Horseman to right, raising his right arm in
salute. A particularly wild imitation in
excellent condition. Holed and with some light
marks, otherwise, good extremely fine. This is certainly the crudest imitation in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection. The obverse shows a heavily devolved laureate and clean-shaven Roman head, whereas the reverse loosely copies an Adventus type, perhaps from an aureus of Probus. leunumismatik.com price: 2600 CHF (euro 2444) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 830 5th century. Solidus (Gold, 21 mm,
4.40 g, 6 h), imitating Theodosius II, 402-450.
D N THEOOO-SIVS P E AVG Pearl-diademed, helmeted
and cuirassed bust of Theodosius II facing
slightly to right, holding spear in his right
hand and with a shield decorated with horseman
attacking a fallen foe over his left shoulder.
Rev. VOT XXX MVLT XXXX Z / CONOB
Constantinopolis seated left, resting her left
foot on prow, holding globus cruciger in her
right hand and scepter with her left; shield at
her side; in field to right, star. Cf. Depeyrot
81/1 and RIC 257 (for prototype). A beautifully
struck imitation of lovely style. Extremely
fine. An interesting minor detail about this coin is the decoration of the shield on the obverse, which unlike the rest of the coin is of curiously wild style - as if the Germanic artist decided to give the otherwise rather static copy at least here a personal touch. leunumismatik.com price: 2400 CHF (euro 2256) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 831 Mid to late 5th century. Solidus
(Gold, 21 mm, 4.34 g, 7 h), imitating Leo I,
457-474. D N LEO PE-RPET AV Pearl-diademed,
helmeted and cuirassed bust of Leo I facing
slightly to right, holding spear in his right
hand and with a shield decorated with horseman
attacking a fallen foe over his left shoulder.
Rev. VICTORI-A AVGGG Γ / CONOB Victory standing
left, holding long jeweled cross; in field to
right, star. Cf. Depeyrot 93/1 and RIC 605 (for
prototype). Well struck on a broad flan, but
with curiously flat edges. Good very fine. leunumismatik.com price: 3000 CHF (euro 2820) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 832 Late 5th-mid 6th century. Tremissis
(Gold, 17 mm, 1.44 g, 7 h), imitating Anastasius,
491-518. D N ANASTA-SIVS P P AVG Pearl-diademed,
draped and cuirassed bust of Anastasius I to
right. Rev. VICTOΩIA AVGVSTRRV / CONOB Victory
advancing right, head to left, holding wreath in
her right hand and globus cruciger in her left;
in field to right, star. Cf. DOC 10a, MIB 12 and
SB 8 (for prototype). A lovely imitation with a
particularly charming rendering of Victory on
the reverse. Some die rust and with some
flatness on the reverse, otherwise, good very
fine. leunumismatik.com price: 2600 CHF (euro 2444) 25-May-19 |
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Lot 833 7th century. Solidus (Gold, 20 mm,
4.44 g, 7 h), imitating Heraclius and Heraclius
Constantine, 610-641. Crowned, draped and
short-bearded bust of Heraclius facing, on the
left; crowned and draped bust of Heraclius
Constantine facing, with slight beard and
moustache, on the right; above, cross; around,
imitative legend. Rev. VICAOΛA AVVSV Є / CONOV
Cross potent on base and three steps. Cf. DOC
13d, MIB 11 and SB 738 (for prototype). Holed
twice and with a minor graffito on the reverse,
otherwise, very fine. From the Aurum Barbarorum
Collection. This is by far the latest piece in the Aurum Barbarorum Collection: it was struck at least a century later than lot 832 above and may, in fact, be of Slavic rather than Germanic origin. leunumismatik.com price: 2600 CHF (euro 2444) 25-May-19 |
