Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 91

June 2016 Pre-Long Beach

Roman Imperitorial Coinage

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1951		Julius Caesar. Gold Aureus (8.20 g), 46 BC. Rome. A. Hirtius, praetor. C CAESAR COS TER, veiled of of Vesta or Pietas head right. Reverse: A HIRTIVS PR, lituus, jug and axe. Crawford 466/1; HCRI 56; Sydenham 1018; Calicó 37. A lovely, lustrous example. NGC grade XF; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5. Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $9,400
Lot 1952		Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.65 g), 49-48 BC EF. Military mint traveling with Caesar. CAESAR in exergue, elephant advancing right, trampling horned serpent. Reverse: Pontifical implements: simpulum, sprinkler, axe and priest's hat. Crawford 443/1; HCRI 9; Sydenham 1006; RSC 49. Delicately toned. Extremely Fine. Perhaps the most ubiquitous of Caesar's denarii, this famous issue was struck at the time of his crossing of the Rubicon and the beginning of the long period of civil wars which resulted in the downfall of the Roman Republic. A few theories have been presented explaining the obverse type, the most established being that the elephant represents good, the serpent evil, thus a message of the righteousness of Caesar's cause. The reverse shows the symbols of Rome's high priest, the Pontifex Maximus, Caesar having been elected to the office in 63 BC. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,200 Tom Peterson collection; Private purchase from Tom Cederline. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,939
Lot 1953		Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (4.10 g), 40 BC. Nearly Mint State. Rome. Q. Voconius Vitulus, moneyer. DIVI IVLI before, laureate head of Julius Caesar right; behind, lituus. Reverse Q VOCONIVS above, VITVLVS in exergue, bull-calf walking left. Crawford 526/2; HCRI 329; Sydenham 1132; RSC 46. Boldly struck and well centered on a full flan. An exceptional portrait of Caesar! Lovely toned surfaces with hints of iridescense. Nearly Mint State. With the exception of a short period during the principate of Augustus, it is with the coins of Q. Voconius Vitulus and his colleague, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, in 40 BC that the long tradition of a college of moneyers producing currency at the Capitoline mint ended. The year before with the outcome of the Perusine War between Octavian and Lepidus still to be decided, the moneyers hedged their bets by using purposefully ambiguous types on their coins: M. Arrius Secundus' denarii (Crawford 513/2 and 513/3) used an ancestor's portrait that resembled Octavian; C. Numonius Vaala's aurei (Crawford 514/1) employed the head of Victory, the portrait of which is clearly Fulvia, Mark Antony's wife; and L. Servius Rufus' denarii (Crawford 515/2) have an ancestor's portrait which is most obviously Brutus. In each case the choice of types could be argued to favor the winning side, whichever side that may be. By 40 BC, however, the Perusine War was safely behind Octavian who was now firmly in control of the West, and perhaps angered by these shenanigans at the mint he decided to bring it firmly under his own authority. Estimated Value $70,000 - 80,000 Ex C. K. Collection (Triton XIV, 3 January 2011), 605; Ex Exceptional Roman Denarii Coll. #3085. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $105,750
Lot 1954		Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.95 g), 42 BC. Rome. L. Mussidiud Longus, moneyer. Wreathed head of Caesar right. Reverse: L MVSSIDIVS LONGVS, rudder, cornucopiae on globe, winged caduceus, and apex. Crawford 494/39a; HCRI 116; Sydenham 1096a; RSC 29. Pleasisng compact portrait style. Obverse struck slightly off-centered however, the portrait is not effected. NGC grade Ch XF; Strike: 4/5, Surface: 4/5. Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,408
Lot 1955		Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.91g), 44 BC Very Good to Fine. Struck at Rome, Feb.-Mar. 44 BC. CAESAR DICT PERPETVO. Veiled head of Caesar right. Reverse: Venus standidng l. holding Victory and sceptre, shield at feet. S-1414; RSC 39; Craw. 480/13. Toned. Very Good to Fine. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,300 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,351
Lot 1956		Brutus. Silver Denarius (3.74 g), 42 BC EF. Military mint traveling with Brutus and Cassius in western Asia Minor or northern Greece. P. Servilius Casca Longus, moneyer. CASCA behind, LONGVS before, Laureate and bearded head of Neptune right; trident below. Reverse: BRVTVS behind, IMP before, Victory advancing right, breaking diadem tied with fillet and holding palm; below, broken scepter. Crawford 507/2; HCRI 212; Sydenham 1298; RSC 3. Toned. Extremely Fine. It was widely rumored that Julius Caesar aspired to become king, solely wielding autocratic power and returning the Republic to its monarchical foundations. Indeed, many of his affectations - such as his donning red slippers, generally a royal prerogative, as well as placing his statue along with those of Rome's legendary kings - seemed to justify this notion. The reverse type depicting Victory violently tearing the diadem and trampling underfoot a scepter thus evokes the tyrannicides' most powerful statement: that only by their assassination of Caesar was Rome saved from devolving again into tyranny and despotism. Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500 Tom Peterson collection; Private purchase from Tom Cederline. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,055
Lot 1957		Mark Antony. Silver Denarius (3.77 g), 42 BC About VF. Military mint traveling with Antony in Greece. Bare head right; M ANTONI (IMP), bare head of Mark Antony right. Reverse: [III] VIR RPC, distyle temple containing cut figure of facing head of Sol on disk. Crawford 496/1; HCRI 128; Sydenham 1168; RSC 12. Toned. About Very Fine. Estimated Value $300 - 400 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $306
Lot 1958		Mark Antony and Octavian, Silver Denarius (3.62g). Struck at Ephesus, spring-summer 41 BC. Issued by moneyer M. Barbatius Pollio. Bare head of Mark Antony right. Reverse: Bare head of Octavian facing right. S-1504; RSC 8; Craw. 517/2. Some striking weakness around the legends 4 to 7 o'clock and on the corresponding portion of the reverse. NGC graded AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 4/5. Our grade is Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,300 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,586
Lot 1959		Octavian. Silver Denarius (3.66 g), 30-29 BC Choice VF. Uncertain Italian mint (Rome?). Laureate head of Octavian, as Apollo, right. Reverse: IMP CAESAR across field, statue of Octavian, holding spear and parazonium, atop rostral column ornamented with two anchors and six beaks of galleys. RIC 271; HCRI 423; BMC 633; RSC 124. Very scarce. Charming style and lovely multi-color toning. Choice Very Fine. Sear notes that the combination of the head of Octavian as Apollo with the reverse type of the rostral column, two of which the Senate had voted for Octavian, suggests that it was the latter of the two represented on this coin: that is, the Actian column in honor of his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium as opposed to the column decreed in his honor for his victory of Sextus Pompey in 36 BC. Estimated Value $800 - 900 Tom Peterson collection; Private purchase from Tom Cederline. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,469