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Dallas Signature Sale 3091 6-7 May 2021
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Ancients
Octavian, as Consul (43 BC), with Julius Caesar. AV aureus (19mm, 8.11 gm, 4h). NGC Choice XF 3/5 - 2/5, smoothing. Military mint in Transalpine and Cisalpine Gaul, July-August 43 BC. C•CAESAR•COS•PONT•AVG• (partially ligate), bare head of Octavian right / C•CAESAR•DICT•PERP•PONT•MAX (partially ligate), laureate head of Julius Caesar right. Crawford 490/2 (R3). Sydenham 1321. Calicó 52. Newman "A Dialogue of Power in the Coinage of Antony and Octavian," ANS AJN 2 (1990), 43.9. Very rare, one of exceedingly few near-contemporary portraits of Julius Caesar in gold. With two clear portraits, the reverse a tad off center, the portrait of Caesar appealingly veristic.
Ex The New York Sale XLII (9 January 2018), lot 427; Gasvoda Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 94, 6 October 2016), lot 15; Numismatica Genevensis SA 4 (11 December 2006), lot 142; Vinchon (23 April 1976), lot 209
A goal of many collectors of the Roman series is to obtain a portrait set of the first Twelve Caesars in gold aurei - a set, of which we are offering as individual lots, is possible in this sale. The main impediment to assembling such a set is the difficulty in obtaining the very first portrait, Julius Caesar. While relatively plentiful in silver and bronze, actual portraits of Caesar in gold are surprisingly scant, with likely fewer than 50 of all known types extant. The type struck closest to Caesar's lifetime is the present example, issued by his grand-nephew and adoptive heir Octavian; the coin was likely struck at a military mint in southern Gaul upon his assumption of the Consulship in July 43 BC (since the obverse titles omit any reference to the yet-to-be-formed Second Triumvirate with Marc Antony and Lepidus, the type cannot have been struck in 40 BC as asserted in Calicó). The portrait of Caesar on the reverse makes no reference to his pending deification, but repeats his names and titles as they stood upon his assassination on 15 March 44 BC. The portrait is accurately realistic and shows the great dictator as a prematurely aged man of 54, with sunken jowls and a long turkey-like neck. All other portrait gold coins depicting Caesar, all excessively rare, were struck much longer after his death and sport more idealized portraits.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-octavian-as-consul-43-bc-with-julius-caesar-av-aureus-19mm-811-gm-4h-ngc-choice-xf-3-5-2-5-smo/a/3091-31033.s?type=CoinArchives3091
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 40000-50000 USD
Octavian, as Consul (43 BC), with Julius Caesar. AV aureus (19mm, 8.11 gm, 4h). NGC Choice XF 3/5 - 2/5, smoothing. Military mint in Transalpine and Cisalpine Gaul, July-August 43 BC. C•CAESAR•COS•PONT•AVG• (partially ligate), bare head of Octavian right / C•CAESAR•DICT•PERP•PONT•MAX (partially ligate), laureate head of Julius Caesar right. Crawford 490/2 (R3). Sydenham 1321. Calicó 52. Newman "A Dialogue of Power in the Coinage of Antony and Octavian," ANS AJN 2 (1990), 43.9. Very rare, one of exceedingly few near-contemporary portraits of Julius Caesar in gold. With two clear portraits, the reverse a tad off center, the portrait of Caesar appealingly veristic.
Ex The New York Sale XLII (9 January 2018), lot 427; Gasvoda Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 94, 6 October 2016), lot 15; Numismatica Genevensis SA 4 (11 December 2006), lot 142; Vinchon (23 April 1976), lot 209
A goal of many collectors of the Roman series is to obtain a portrait set of the first Twelve Caesars in gold aurei - a set, of which we are offering as individual lots, is possible in this sale. The main impediment to assembling such a set is the difficulty in obtaining the very first portrait, Julius Caesar. While relatively plentiful in silver and bronze, actual portraits of Caesar in gold are surprisingly scant, with likely fewer than 50 of all known types extant. The type struck closest to Caesar's lifetime is the present example, issued by his grand-nephew and adoptive heir Octavian; the coin was likely struck at a military mint in southern Gaul upon his assumption of the Consulship in July 43 BC (since the obverse titles omit any reference to the yet-to-be-formed Second Triumvirate with Marc Antony and Lepidus, the type cannot have been struck in 40 BC as asserted in Calicó). The portrait of Caesar on the reverse makes no reference to his pending deification, but repeats his names and titles as they stood upon his assassination on 15 March 44 BC. The portrait is accurately realistic and shows the great dictator as a prematurely aged man of 54, with sunken jowls and a long turkey-like neck. All other portrait gold coins depicting Caesar, all excessively rare, were struck much longer after his death and sport more idealized portraits.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-octavian-as-consul-43-bc-with-julius-caesar-av-aureus-19mm-811-gm-4h-ngc-choice-xf-3-5-2-5-smo/a/3091-31033.s?type=CoinArchives3091
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 40000-50000 USD