Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 87

September Pre Long Beach

Roman Republican Coinage

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 2084		Anonymous. Æ Sextans (24.15 g), 217-215 BC. Semilibral standard. Rome. She-wolf standing right, head turned back, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; two pellets in exergue. Reverse: ROMA in right field, eagle standing right, holding flower in beak; two pellets behind. Crawford 39/3; Sydenham 95. Pleasing green patina. NGC grade Ch VF; Strike: 4/5, Surface: 3/5. Rare. Estimated Value $700 - 800. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $881
Lot 2085		C. Curiatius Trigeminus. Silver Denarius (3.38 g), 142 BC. Rome. TRIGE behind, helmeted head of Roma right; X below chin. Reverse: C C(VR) below, [R]OMA in exergue, Juno, holding reins and scepter, driving galloping quadriga right; above, Victory flying left, crowning her with wreath. Crawford 223/1; Sydenham 436; Curiatia 1. Delicately toned with underlying luster. NGC grade MS; Strike: 4/5, Surface: 5/5. Estimated Value $600 - 700. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2086		C. Valerius C.f. L.n. Flaccus. Silver Denarius (3.88 g), 82 BC. Massilia. Draped bust of Victory right; behind, crescent. Reverse: C V(AL) FLA on left, IMPERA[T] on right, EX S C across inner field, legionary eagle between standard marked H for hastati on left and another marked P for principe on rights. Crawford 365/1a; Sydenham 747a; Valeria 12. NGC grade AU; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5. Estimated Value $500 - 600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $705
Lot 2087		A. Postumius A.f. Sp.n. Albinus. Silver Denarius (3.60 g), 81 BC. Rome. HISPAN behind, veiled head of Hispania right. Reverse: A POST AF to left and in exergue (AL)BIN in inner left field (NV)S in outer right, togate figure standing left, raising hand, between aquila and fasces. Crawford 372/2; Sydenham 746; Postumia 8. Nicely toned. NGC grade AU; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $247
Lot 2088		M. Aemilius Scaurus and Pub. Plautius Hypsaeus. Silver Denarius (3.79 g), 58 BC. Rome. M SCAVR / AED CVR in two lines above, EX S C across field, REX ARETA[S] in exergue, the Nabatean king Aretas kneeling to right, extending olive-branch and holding reins, before camel standing right. Reverse: P HVPSAE / AED CVR in two lines above, [C]APTV to right, [C HVPSAE COS / PREIVE] in two lines in exergue, Jupiter driving quadriga left; below horses' forelegs, scorpion. Crawford 422/1b; Sydenham 913; Aemilia 8. Lovely multicolored iridescence tone. NGC grade MS; Strike: 4/5, Surface: 5/5. During the first century, it was normal for a moneyer to highlight some important event from his family's past. This was because for the Roman aristocracy an illustrious past was extremely important for advancing one's political career. Here, however, M. Aemilius has deviated from the norm, depicting an event from his own career, the first such instance in Roman coinage. While serving as Governor of Syria, Scaurus invaded Nabataea, laying waste much of its territory. Although he was unable to conquer king Aretas' stronghold, through an intermediary he was able to convince Aretas to pay a substantial bribe (300 talents) for him to desist. As the event is presented on the coin one would think that the Nabataeans were soundly defeated and that Aretas begged for mercy, but this is mere propagandistic opportunism on the part of Scaurus. Unlike the obverse, the reverse follows tradition by commemorating a past deed of the moneyer, recalling that it was his ancestor, the consul Gaius Hypsaeus, who captured the Volscian town of Privernum. Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,998
Lot 2089		C. Memmius. Silver Denarius (4.11 g), 56 BC. Rome. C MEMMI C F, head of Ceres right, wreathed with grain ears. Reverse: [C] MEMMIVS IMPERATOR, bound captive kneeling right beneath trophy. Crawford 427/1; Sydenham 920; Memmia 10. Lustrous surfaces. *NGC grade Ch AU; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5.** The moneyer of this coin, Gaius Memmius, was the nephew of Pompey the Great, the son of Pompey's sister, Pompeia Strabonia, and C. Memmius. The reverse commemorates a military victory of an ancestor with the same name who had been acclaimed imperator by his troops, but there is debate over which C. Memmius this was. It is possible that it refers to the moneyer's grandfather, who was tribune in 111 BC and then proconsul of Macedonia, or perhaps more likely his father, who according to Plutarch was Pompey's most capable general in the fight against Sertorius in Spain. Estimated Value $800 - 1,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold