Nomos AG
Auction 18 5 May 2019
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PHRYGIA. Acmoneia. Gaius (Caligula), 37-41. (Bronze, 17 mm, 4.18 g, 12 h), Krates (perhaps the same as the Krates Menokritou who was a magistrate under Augustus, but more likely a grandson). Laureate head of Caligula to right. Rev. KPATHΣ AKMONEΩN Artemis advancing right, holding bow in her left hand and drawing an arrow from her quiver with her right; before her to right, unicorn (!). RPC S3-1-3168A (Gaius Caesar) = CNG e-auction 195 (2008), 154 (Caligula). A great rarity in the series, the second example known. With a fine, high-relief portrait and an attractive dark patina. Good very fine.
From the collection of D. Akritas, acquired in a miscellaneous lot in Munich in the 1990s.
Finally this coin is securely identified! The only other known example, which first appeared on the market as Malloy 6, 1976, 383, from which it passed into the collection of J. S. Wagner (sold in CNG eSale 195, 2008, 154). The CNG cataloguer identified it as having a bare head, rather than a suitably laureate one, but, nevertheless preferred to identify the coin as Caligula rather than Gaius Caesar because he thought the person was too old to be anyone other than Caligula. In the RPC supplement, the identification was, quite sensibly, changed to that of Gaius Caesar because of the lack of a laurel wreath. Now, with this coin, we can clearly see the laurel wreath (which was, in fact, visible on the Wagner piece, but unrecognized).
From the collection of D. Akritas, acquired in a miscellaneous lot in Munich in the 1990s.
Finally this coin is securely identified! The only other known example, which first appeared on the market as Malloy 6, 1976, 383, from which it passed into the collection of J. S. Wagner (sold in CNG eSale 195, 2008, 154). The CNG cataloguer identified it as having a bare head, rather than a suitably laureate one, but, nevertheless preferred to identify the coin as Caligula rather than Gaius Caesar because he thought the person was too old to be anyone other than Caligula. In the RPC supplement, the identification was, quite sensibly, changed to that of Gaius Caesar because of the lack of a laurel wreath. Now, with this coin, we can clearly see the laurel wreath (which was, in fact, visible on the Wagner piece, but unrecognized).