Maison Palombo Geneve

Auction 17  –  20 October 2018

Maison Palombo Geneve, Auction 17

Ancient and World Coins and Medals

Sa, 20.10.2018, from 10:30 AM CEST
The auction is closed.

Description

Néron (54-68) et Agrippine Aureus - Rome (54) Rarissime et d’une qualité remarquable. Exemplaire provenant du trésor de Boscoreale (1894-1895) et de la collection du Perfectionniste (C. Vaudecrane) vente Leu 93 du 10 mai 2005, N°8 et de la collection « Millenia » vente Goldberg 46 du 26 mai 2008, N°88 Exemplaire illustrant Money of the World : coins that made history (2007) N°38 7.67g - Cal. 400 Superbe à FDC - CHOICE AU This issue with the confronted busts of the emperor and his mother Agrippina is the first one struck during his Principate that depict Nero’s portrait, as the legend TR P dates it from AD 54, whilst the coins with the jugate busts of Nero and Agrippina bears the legend TR P COS which dates them from AD 55. This specific obverse die depicts a leaf (or a grain kernel?) behind Nero’s bust. Only six examples of this coin are known, and the significance of its obverse isn’t certain; it is also found on aurei of Nero with the jugate busts, and on aurei with Divus Claudius. A laurel leaf could evoke the funerary games that were held in honour of Claudius (who had been poisoned by Agrippina!), but Suetonius refers to an accession donative of 150 aurei per praetorian guard (Claudius 10.2), as well as “…a free monthly issue of grain” (Nero 10), and it has been hypothesized that this donative might have been given in gold – with these coins. Considering its toning, it can safely be assumed that this attractive coin be- longed to the Boscoreale hoard. Amongst the 1082 coins that were listed by Canessa in 1909 (and again by Campana in 2015), there were 643 aurei of Nero – but only two of this type (both in FDC). This confirms its great rarity, not the consequence of melting the coins predating the AD 64 monetary reform (reducing weight standards), but by the small size of the emission (only 1 observe-die known).

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Bidding

Price realized 140'000 CHF
Starting price 80'000 CHF
Estimate 90'000 CHF
The auction is closed.
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