Fontanille Coins
Auction 91 24 January 2017
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Herod the Great, large denomination struck year 37 B.C.E. in Jerusalem (GBC 1169). 5.87 g.
Struck by the pair of dies O5-R22, this is the finest example I have seen for the series I of the large denomination of Herod. The series I is the rarest series for the large denomination (16% of the coins struck for the type), and the earliest. It also shows more details than on the series 2 and 3: The letters omega are open, the tripod is flanked by two appendages, the bowl is filled by the seven species (with the ear of wheat hanging at left), and the date is at the very bottom of the tripod. If these details are missing on the other series, it is because the illustrations were not yet standardized when the series I were struck. On the later series II and III (84% of the coins struck for the type), the illustration would be simplified (see coin #2 in this auction). Estimate: 850-1000
Struck by the pair of dies O5-R22, this is the finest example I have seen for the series I of the large denomination of Herod. The series I is the rarest series for the large denomination (16% of the coins struck for the type), and the earliest. It also shows more details than on the series 2 and 3: The letters omega are open, the tripod is flanked by two appendages, the bowl is filled by the seven species (with the ear of wheat hanging at left), and the date is at the very bottom of the tripod. If these details are missing on the other series, it is because the illustrations were not yet standardized when the series I were struck. On the later series II and III (84% of the coins struck for the type), the illustration would be simplified (see coin #2 in this auction). Estimate: 850-1000