Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863). Studies of four Greek coins, 1825. Lithograph. 20x18cm. Third state of four. Signed and dated in stone. Delteil 43. Usual foxing. Of great numismatic interest. From a European private collection
Beyond his most emblematic works, it is less known that the young Delacroix had a taste for the design of ancient coins. For two years, between 1824 and 1825, he thus produced drawings and lithographs depicting Greek coins - still perfectly recognizable today - from the Cabinet des Médailles. Critic and art historian Théophile Silvestre described these studies as "the foundation of Delacroix's drawing system"...Rather than prescribing a contour, the content "determines the shape and measure of the container," an approach to drawing from the middle that Delacroix believed he had inherited from the ancients.
Lot 31
Starting price: 200€
Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863). Studies of six Greek coins, 1825. Lithograph. 25x19cm. Fourth state of four. Signed and dated in stone. Delteil 44. Usual foxing. Of great numismatic interest. From a European private collection
Beyond his most emblematic works, it is less known that the young Delacroix had a taste for the design of ancient coins. For two years, between 1824 and 1825, he thus produced drawings and lithographs depicting Greek coins - still perfectly recognizable today - from the Cabinet des Médailles. Critic and art historian Théophile Silvestre described these studies as "the foundation of Delacroix's drawing system"...Rather than prescribing a contour, the content "determines the shape and measure of the container," an approach to drawing from the middle that Delacroix believed he had inherited from the ancients.
Lot 32
Starting price: 200€
Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863). Studies of nine greek coins, 1825. Lithograph. 30x21cm. Fourth state of five. Signed and dated in stone. Delteil 46. Usual foxing. Of great numismatic interest. From a European private collection
Beyond his most emblematic works, it is less known that the young Delacroix had a taste for the design of ancient coins. For two years, between 1824 and 1825, he thus produced drawings and lithographs depicting Greek coins - still perfectly recognizable today - from the Cabinet des Médailles. Critic and art historian Théophile Silvestre described these studies as "the foundation of Delacroix's drawing system"...Rather than prescribing a contour, the content "determines the shape and measure of the container," an approach to drawing from the middle that Delacroix believed he had inherited from the ancients.
Lot 33
Starting price: 200€
Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863). Studies of twelve greek coins, 1825. Lithograph. 30x24cm. Third state of five. Signed and dated in stone. Delteil 47. Usual foxing. Of great numismatic interest. From a European private collection
Beyond his most emblematic works, it is less known that the young Delacroix had a taste for the design of ancient coins. For two years, between 1824 and 1825, he thus produced drawings and lithographs depicting Greek coins - still perfectly recognizable today - from the Cabinet des Médailles. Critic and art historian Théophile Silvestre described these studies as "the foundation of Delacroix's drawing system"...Rather than prescribing a contour, the content "determines the shape and measure of the container," an approach to drawing from the middle that Delacroix believed he had inherited from the ancients.
Lot 34
Starting price: 200€
Gallia. Marseille. 520-500 BC. AR Hemidrachm (2.58g). Furtwängler 91/1 (same obverse die); Chevillon A4. Old cabinet tone. One of the finest known. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; former H.A. collection, Tradart 1991 (1) lot 135; Frank Sternberg 1986 (17) lot 133; possibly from the 1867 Auriol hoard (IGCH 2352)
Lot 35
Starting price: 600€
Gallia. Marseille. 250-220 BC. AR Obol, obverse die signed by the master PAR (0.61g, 6h). LT 685; Forrer 262/2. Lightly toned. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Millon & Associés 2008 (21 May) lot 11
Lot 36
Starting price: 200€
Calabria. Tarentum. 390-385 BC. AR Nomos, reverse die signed by the master H (7.78g, 8h). Fischer-Bossert 372c (this coin); Forrer 157/1. Old cabinet tone. Several scratches under tone, otherwise, extremely fine. From a European private collection; Jean Vinchon 1999 (14-15 December) lot 702; former Eugène Aubry-Vitet (1845-1930) collection, Sotheby's 1970 (22 April) lot 9; former Claudius Côte (1881-1956) collection, Rodolfo Ratto 1929 (28-29 January) lot 128
Lot 37
Starting price: 600€
Calabria. Baletium. 480-460 BC. AR Tetrobol (2.86g, 1h). Jameson 79; SNG France 1468. Old cabinet tone. Unobtrusive metal flaw on obverse. Probably the finest known. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection
Only three denominations (stater, tetrobol and diobol) and very few coins are known of this rare and mysterious city. The National Archeological Museum of Naples owns two specimens of Baletium (tetrobol and diobol), which were acquired at the 1907 Martinetti-Nervegna sale, where they fetched the astronomical figure of 26.000 Italian lire in gold!
Lot 38
Starting price: 2000€
Lucania. Sybaris. 550-510 BC. AR Nomos (8.31g, 12h). AMB 169; Schefold 442 (this coin). Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck. A magnificent specimen in the finest style of the period. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Münzen & Medaillen 1975 (52) lot 47; former Robert Käppeli (1900-2000) collection
The first coins struck in Italy are of a unique and original form, whose invention has been attributed to none other than Pythagoras, the famous philosopher and mathematician. Impressed in relief on one side and incuse or intaglio on the other, perhaps adopted from repoussé work, these silver nomos were struck on the Italic-Achaean weight standard of about 8 grams which on the authority of Aristotle was called nomos, meaning 'law or convention'.
Lot 39
Starting price: 10000€
Lucania. Sybaris. 550-510 BC. AR Obol (0.39g, 9h). HN Italy 1739; SNG ANS 854. Attractively toned. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection
Lot 40
Starting price: 200€
Sicily. Katane. 460-450 BC. AR Litra (0.73g, 2h). Hirsch 334; Jameson 536. Old cabinet tone. A masterpiece in miniature. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc. From a European private collection
Greek coins and Attic vases depict satyrs as being strongly built with flat noses, large pointed ears, long curly hair and full beards (sometimes with ivy wreaths circling their balding heads). Satyrs, whose chief was Silenus, are described as roguish, subversive, dangerous, and greatly dreaded by mortals (Theocritus 13.44). They love music, wine, women and always ready for every physical pleasure.
Lot 41
Starting price: 1000€
Sicily. Katane. 415-405 BC. AR Litra (1.01g, 1h). Boehringer 6-7; SNG Copenhagen 182. Old cabinet tone. Extremely fine. From a European private collection; Lanz Numismatik 2004 (121) lot 112
Lot 42
Starting price: 600€
Sicily. Katane. 412-410 BC. Æ Tetras (1.98g, 6h). Laffaille 56 = Strauss 158 (this coin). Lovely dark green patina. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Tradart 1994 (4) lot 14; former Maurice Laffaille (1902-1989) collection, Münzen & Medaillen 1991 (76) lot 158
Lot 43
Starting price: 200€
Sicily. Abacaenum. 420-410 BC. AR Litra (0.64g, 1h). Bérend 11,1 (this coin); Luynes 837. Old cabinet tone. One the finest known. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Numismatica Ars Classica 2005 (29) lot 65; Numismatica Ars Classica 2001 (21) lot 40
The wild boar was widespread throughout ancient Greece. Its ferociousness, destructiveness, and strength made it a worthy opponent for hunters and mythological heroes. Greek artists were attracted to the muscular build, pliant skin, bristly mane, and fierce countenance of the wild boar; its image appeared often on coins, gems, vases or reliefs.
Lot 44
Starting price: 600€
Sicily. Leontinoi. 440-430 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.42g, 1h). SNG ANS 243; Gemini 2012 (9) lot 3. Lightly toned. Traces of overstriking. Light scratches under tone. NGC XF 4/5 2/5. From a European private collection; former H.F. collection; Jean Elsen 2009 (249) lot 5
Lot 45
Starting price: 1000€
Sicily. Messana. 338-331 BC. Æ Dilitron (14.76g, 9h). Laffaille 59; MAST 42 (this coin). Superb green patina. Perfectly centered and struck. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Münzen & Medaillen 1997 (85) lot 26
This is certainly one of the finest and most elaborate renderings of Poseidon in Greek numismatics. This head shows a serenity that is both noble and majestic while the reverse, with an ornate trident and two dolphins, reminds the viewer of the awe-inspiring might of the sea god.
Lot 46
Starting price: 2000€
Sicily. Syracuse. Timoleon. 357-354 BC. Æ Hemidrachm (15.62g, 7h). Calciati 72; Laffaille 79. Nice glossy green patina. Extremely fine. From a European private collection; Gerhard Hirsch 1988 (158) lot 27
Lot 47
Starting price: 400€
Sicily. Syracuse. Agathokles. 310-305 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.94g, 3h). SNG ANS 632; Franke-Hirmer 134. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; The Numismatic Auction 1982 (1) lot 35
Agathokles was born at Thermae in Sicily. Son of a potter who had moved to Syracuse in about 343 BC, he learned his father's trade, but afterwards entered the army along with his brother Antander. He was twice banished for attempting to overthrow the oligarchical party in Syracuse. In 317 BC he returned with an army of mercenaries under a solemn oath to observe the democratic constitution which was established after they took the city. Having massacred the oligarchs, he thus made himself master of Syracuse and subdued the greater part of Sicily.
Lot 48
Starting price: 1000€
Sicily. Syracuse. Agathokles. 310-305 BC. EL 50 Litrae (3.58 g, 6h). Jenkins Group B; SNG Copenhagen 704. Lightly toned. Extremely fine. From a European private collection; former James Ferrendelli collection, Triton 2004 (7) lot 103; Coin Galleries 1992 (22 July) lot 1; Stacks 1991 (9 December) lot 4; Numismatic Fine Arts 1987 (18) lot 63
Lot 49
Starting price: 1000€
Sicily. Syracuse. 310-305 BC. EL 5 Litrae (0.74g, 11h). Bérend 6, 23 (same dies); Adams 15. Lightly toned. Good very fine. From a European private collection; 51 Gallery 2015 (29 April) lot 16
Classical art is full of representations of the octopus, from the sinuous creatures on amphorae in Minoan 'Marine Style' through images on Greek coins, to the combat between crayfish and octopus which was so popular on Roman mosaics. The characteristics of the octopus that impressed the Greeks were both its tenacity and its flexibility: it can change its shape and colour, while apparently defenceless it can kill creatures much more heavily armoured than itself, and it was even said to be able to take birds from the sky (Aelian 7.11).
Lot 50
Starting price: 1000€
Thrace. Lysimachos. Kolophon. 299-297 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.14g, 1h). Thompson 123; Gillet 864. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered on a broad flan. Extremely fine. From a European private collection; Tradart 1993 (3) lot 49; Bank Leu 1987 (42) lot 158
Lot 51
Starting price: 1000€
A Greek gold finger ring with the engraved portrait of Alexander the Great. Early 3rd century BC. 25mm long. Pollitt 14; Vollenweider 29. A magnificent portrait of enchanting beauty. From a European private collection
Introduced in 297 BC by Lysimachos, this portrait is one of the first and strongest posthumous images of Alexander the Great to have been made in antiquity. The famous conqueror is shown with his head and eyes turned to heaven, wearing the royal diadem and the ram's horn, a direct allusion to his being the son of Zeus Ammon. There are two variants of this portrait of Alexander: on the first, the ram's horn is carefully wrapped around the right ear, while on the second, from 287 BC onwards, the ram's horn now passes through the ear. Jerome Pollitt has suggested that Lysimachos may even have commissioned this portrait from the renowned Pyrgoteles, one of the three artists authorized to depict Alexander's figure in art (the others being Apelles for painting and Lysippos for sculpture).
Lot 52
Starting price: 40000€
Thrace. Byzantion. 240-220 BC. AR Tetradrachm (13.87g, 12h). Schönert-Geiss 1002; SNG Black Sea 59-61. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck. Possibly the finest known. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Gorny & Mosch 2011 (199) lot 142
As with so many Greek coins, the beauty of this coin, with its lovely, elegant head of Demeter, the goddess of the fertile fields, and its figure of Poseidon Asphalaios (God of the earthquakes) sitting on a rock, shows how the Greeks believed that the money they minted had to be both useful and attractive to the eye.
Lot 53
Starting price: 4000€
Thrace. Abdera. 450-425 BC. AR Tetradrachm (14.47g, 5h). AMNG -; cf. May 151. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck on a broad flan. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; former H.B collection, LHS 2008 (102) lot 103; Leu Numismatics 2000 (77) lot 134; Bank Leu 1981 (28) lot 56
The griffin is a legendary powerful and majestic creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle. They were known since antiquity for guarding treasures and priceless possessions. The engraver has here allowed the abstract and decorative qualities of his subject to predominate, and has produced a deliciously curvaceous and flowing design, interwoven with anatomical details which succesfully depict this fanciful creature.
Lot 54
Starting price: 10000€
Thrace. Thasos. 500-480 BC. AR Stater (9.56g). Le Rider 2; Franke-Hirmer 435. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck on a broad flan. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; former F.D. collection; The Numismatic Auction 1983 (2) lot 71
The overtly sexual displays seen on Greek coins can be disconcerting to the modern eye, viewing them through the lens of centuries of Christian fulminations against 'paganism' and its erotic excesses. These scenes are at their most graphic in northern Greece, showing the interplay of nymphs and satyrs.
Lot 55
Starting price: 2000€
Thrace. Thasos. 390-335 BC. AR Tetradrachm (15.39g, 11h). West 32b; Pixodaros 28a (this coin). Finely toned. Perfectly centered and struck. A coin of enchanting beauty. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Münzen & Medaillen 1987 (72) lot 550
The figure of Herakles the archer became iconic for Thasians. Herakles is shown in a kneeling position and firing an arrow from his bow, a scene which was intended to protect the city from evil and which was also placed on the gates of the city.
Lot 56
Starting price: 10000€
Macedon. Amyntas III. Aigai. 381-369 BC. AR Stater (9.96g, 12h). AMNG 6; Regling 694. Attractively toned. Perfectly centered and struck. A coin of great interest and fascination. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Frank Sternberg 1988 (21) lot 65
The designs are usually interpreted together, as showing a rider and his quarry, a lion. But the lion holds a broken spear in his mouth, and so can be identified as the Nemean lion, which was impervious to weapons. The defeat of the Nemean lion was one of the labours of Herakles and the type can therefore be seen as an allusion to the claim of the Macedonian kings to be descended from Herakles.
Lot 57
Starting price: 10000€
Macedon. Philip II. Pella. 348-342 BC. AR Tetradrachm (14.31g, 12h). Le Rider 165; MAST 96 (this coin). Old cabinet tone. Artistic dies. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Tradart 1999 (9) lot 33; Frank Sternberg 1988 (21) lot 73
"Philip took care to have his victories at Olympia engraved upon his coins " (Plutarch 4.9). Coins were frequently used to advertise victories at Olympia and other games. Philip II thus displayed his synoris (two-horse chariot race) victories on gold staters, and his keles (horseback race) victories on silver tetradrachms. Added to the Olympic program in 648 BC, the keles seems to have covered a distance of six stadia (approximately 1.2km). It was a double triumph for Philip... he not only won the race but, more importantly, he had been admitted to the games as a true Greek; indeed a barbarian as many enemies called him, was note eligible.
Lot 58
Starting price: 2000€
Paeonia. Patraos. 335-315 BC. AR Tetradrachm (12.75g, 3h). AMNG 17; SNG ANS -. Old cabinet tone. Exceptional style for issue. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; former J.L. collection; Frank Sternberg 1989 (22) lot 97; Münzen & Medaillen 1959 (19) lot 362; Adolph Hess 1936 (28 April) lot 593; former Mrs. Christitch collection, Brüder Egger 1912 (41) lot 309; former Fenerly Bey collection
At the time this coin was struck Paeonia was allied and subject to Alexander the Great - Patraos brother Ariston, father of the later king Audoleon, even commanded a troop of Paeonian cavalry in Alexander's army. This coin is believed to show the moment when Ariston speared the Persian commander Satropates through the throat prior to the battle of Gaugamela.
Lot 59
Starting price: 1000€
Paeonia. Audoleon. 315-286 BC. AR Tetradrachm (12.59g, 8h). Luynes 1718; Prospero 324. Attractively toned. Perfectly centered and struck on a broad flan. One of the finest known. Choice extremely fine. From a European private collection; Fritz Rudolf Künker 2011 (193) lot 171
