$7 Million of World & Ancient Coins Sold at NYINC

By Heritage Auctions on Saturday, January 10, 2009
Filed Under: Ancients, Auction News, Heritage Auction Galleries, World Coins

Heritage Auction Galleries has just posted prices realized approaching $7 million on its Signature Auction of Ancient and World Coins, held as an official auction of the New York International Numismatic Convention in New York City. Hadrian Augustus and Aelius Caesar, At the conclusion of sales of Post Auction Buys and non-floor session material (ending Jan. 13), total prices Realized are expected to well exceed $7 million. This was the lead event in a week of Heritage auctions that will see more than 18,000 lots of rare coins and currency valued above $50 million sold in New York City and Orlando, Florida. Prices realized information on all auctions can be found at www.HA.com.

“This auction, Heritage’s seventh Official NYINC event at the Waldorf-Astoria, featured nearly 3000 lots of ancient and world coins from 225+ consignors,” said Warren Tucker, Heritage’s Director of World Coin Auctions. “This could well be our most valuable auction ever of ancient and world coins. Our prior record of $7,157,933 was set only last year at our June Long Beach Signature Auction, so this will be very close. It speaks well of the strength of the world coin market and our global marketing outreach wherever the final numbers fall.”

“Rarities were included from around the world,” continued Tucker, “but the auction was strengthened by several impressive specialty collections. Among the outstanding consignments were the Grundy Collection (one of the top collections of silver world crowns ever assembled, with 600 crowns renowned for both diversity and quality collected over 35 years), selections from the Deb-Ann Collection (from a serious collector for more than a quarter century), and the Don Kagin Collection of Multiple Thalers (formed over half a century with guidance from his father, Art Kagin, and focusing on specimens of historic importance, rarity, and quality). We were especially gratified to see continued growth in our HERITAGE Live! online bidding system, which was kept constantly busy winning lots for clients around the globe.”

The top lot in the auction at $109,250 was a unique ancient silver coin/medallion of Hadrian Augustus (minted A.D. 135-137). Considered a masterpiece of ancient portraiture (by the ‘Alphaeus Master’, most likely a member of Hadrian’s inner circle, and perhaps the sculptor Antonianus (Antoninianus) of Aphrodisias) at 33.5 mm in width, the obverse has been judged one of the finest among the entire Roman coinage. The reverse features a delightful mythological scene that speaks of Hadrian’s patronage of the Greeks, with Poseidon standing, his left foot on a rock, holding a trident upright; at right, Athena stands with her left hand on her hip, and her right hand on an olive branch with a snake coiling from the base of the tree.

Second place honors at the auction were won by another Roman coin, a gold Aureus of Aelius Caesar, minted in 137 A.D., formerly from the John Whitney Walter Collection. In “Fleur de Coin” condition, Lot 20077 Realized $103,500 against a pre-auction estimate of $40,000 – $50,000. Minted in Rome, the obverse feature a bare-headed and draped bust of Aelius facing right, while the reverse features Pietas holding a box of perfumes and sacrificing over an altar.

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