Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Ancients at Heritage's Platinum Night


IONIA. Ephesus. Phanes (ca. 625-600 BC). EL stater. NGC VF 4/5 - 4/5.
Heritage's selection of coins from across the ancient world is staggering. Leader is the impossibly rare Phanes stater. Phanes coinage falls into seven denominations, from the stater down to a 1/96 stater, all featuring the stag in various poses.

SICILY. Syracuse. Time of Dionysius I (405-367 BC) AR decadrachm NGC MS 5/5 - 5/5.
Considered to be the most beautiful coins ever struck, the silver decadrachms of Syracuse represent the apex of classical Greek sculptural art. Syracuse, the foremost Greek city in Sicily, had produced coins of great beauty for a century when engravers began signing their coin dies. Master engravers Kimon and Euainetos are recognized today.

Quintus Labienus, rebel Imperator (40-39 BC). AR denarius. NGC AU 5/5 - 3/5
Quintus Labienus was the son of Titus Labienus, one of Julius Caesar's generals, who threw his support to Pompey and the Senate during the Civil War of 49-45 BC. Following the assassination of Caesar in 44 BC, Quintus fell in with the assassins Brutus and Cassius. He would be toppled by the end of the year, 40BC.

No comments:

Post a Comment