CNG TRITON XXVII SALE

A spectacular run of six Syracusan silver dekadrachms , the beautiful Queen of Greek Coins struck circa 405-390 BC, and a magnificent silver stater depicting the Weary Hercules, are but a taste of the ancient Greek masterpieces showcased in Classical Numismatic Group LLC's Triton XXVII Auction, scheduled live an online January 9-10, 2024.

CNG's annual marquis auction boasts one of its strongest-ever offerings of Greek, Roman, Medieval, World and British coins, comprising 1,341 lots with a total estimated value of $5.5 million. Many of the Greek, Roman and British coins offered boast pedigrees that extend back to the early 1900s or before.

The auction will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, January 9-10, at the InerContintental New York Barclay Hotel, 111 East 48th Street, New York, NY, in conjunction with the 52 nd New York International Numismatic Convention. The auction will also be webcast live on CNG's website, www.cngcoins.com.

 
Lot 24

Triton XXVII opens with an extensive offering of coins of Magna Graecia, the Greek cities of Italy and Sicily, comprising lots 2 to 108. The Syracuse silver dekadrachms, regarded by many experts as the pinnacle of Greek numismatic art, are lots 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72. They include coins engraved by the Sicilian masters Kimon and Euainetos. Among them are the following highlights:

• Lot 3, a remarkable early silver nomos of Tarentum, pedigreed to 1920.
• Lot 24, a beautifully preserved incuse nomos of Kaulonia, pedigreed to 1906.
• Lot 65, a Syracuse tetradrachm, ex British Museum, first published in 1874.
• Lot 73, another beautiful Syracuse tetradrachm, pedigreed to 1889.

 
Lot 119

 
Lot 152

 
Lot 172

Several other masterpieces of the classical and Hellenistic periods from mainland Greece and the eastern provinces include:

• Lot 119, a magnificent silver stater of Abdera, Thrace, depicting a seated weary Hercules in sculptural style.
• Lot 152, a stunning gold stater of Phillip III Arrhidaios of Macedon, depicting the head of Alexander III the Great.
• Lot 172, an exceptional silver stater of Alexander of Pherei, struck in Thessaly circa 369 BC, depicting a superb facing head of the goddess Ennodia.
• Lot 373, a large gold mnaieion or oktadrachm of King Ptolemy II of Egypt, depicting the heads of four kings and queens.
• Lot 382, a huge silver pentakaidekadrachm (15-drachm piece) struck by Ptolemaic Queen Berenike II, the largest Greek silver coin struck for circulation.

Coins of Central Asia are highlighted by lots 413 to 416, a remarkable run of four gold double-dinars of Vima Kadphises, king of the Kushan (India) Kingdom circa AD 113-117.

 
Lot 553

Roman Provincial coins are particularly well represented in Triton XXVII, including lot 476, a wonderful silver cistophorus of Augustus. Lots 525 to 563 comprise an offering from the Thomas Beniak Collection of Roman Egyptian Coins and includes lot 543, an extremely rare billon tetradrachm of the short-lived emperor Pertinax; lot 553, a tetradrachm of Aemilian of which only two are known, and 554, a well-preserved tetradrachm of the rebel Queen Zenobia of Palmyra.

Roman Republican coinage is highlighted by lot 588, an extremely rare gold aureus of the Dictator Sulla; lot 595, an seldom-offered silver denarius struck in 56 BC showing Erato, rarest of the nine Muses; and lot 623, a rare fourrée (plated) silver denarius of Marcus Junius Brutus, assassin of Julius Caesar, with the famous Eid Mar reverse.

 
Lot 650

 
Lot 712

 
Lot 717

 
Lot 719

 
Lot 818

The Roman Imperial section, totaling 291 coins, is chock-filled with impressive highlight coins, including:

• Lot 650, a rare gold aureus of Augustus depicting a triumphal chariot on the reverse, pedigreed to 1920.
• Lot 666, an attractive gold aureus of Nero Claudius Drusus celebrating that general's conquest of western Germany, with a pedigree back to 1938.
• Lot 689, an impressive sestertius of Nero depicting an overhead view of the Port of Ostia on the reverse.
• Lot 704, a superb gold aureus of the short-reigning emperor Galba, Pedigreed to 1896.
• Lot 712, another exceptional aureus from another brief reign, that of Vitellius, pedigreed to 1889.
• Lot 717, a marvelous and extremely rare Judaea Capta bronze sestertius of Vitellius.
• Lot 719, a beautiful gold aureus of Vespasian depicting a vanquished Judaea on the reverse, pedigreed to the famous Biaggi Collection and the Boscoreale Hoard of 1895.
• Lot 780, an impressive large bronze medallion of Marcus Aurelius, (prematurely) celebrating the victorious end of the vicious Marcommanic War against Germanic Tribes, and one of a series of medallic Roman issues in Triton XXVII.
• Lot 818, an extremely rare dynastic aureus depicting the young emperor Caracalla and his parents, Septimius Severus and Julia Domna.
• Lot 874, a very rare silver denarius of the usurper Carausius, part of an extensive offering of rare Romano-British issues from the Dr. Malcom Lyne Collection.

The Byzantine offering includes one of the great rarities of the series, Lot 964, a gold histamenon nomisma of Michael VI Stratioticus, who reigned less than a year in 1056-1057.

 
Lot 1003

World coinage includes a dazzling selection of Renaissance Italian coinage from the Eric J. Engstrom Collection, including:

• Lot 986, a gold ducato of Ferrara, struck by Ercole 1 d'Este, struck in 1474, graded NGC MS 63.
• Lot 988, a silver Idra – Doppion grossone, struck by the same ruler.
• Lot 1003, a silver medal of Cosimo I de Medici of Firenze, bearing a superb portrait of this Renaissance potentate.
• Lot 1010, a silver testone of Mantova, with a wonderful portrait Francesco II Gonzaga, struck 1497-1519.
• Lot 1043, a Papal States silver Gulio of Pope Julius II, the famous patron of Michelangelo and Raphael.

 
Lot 1294

British coinage includes an exceptional offering of Anglo-Saxon hammered coins from the Causeway Collection, including many rare issues in superb condition. Also included within this section are:

• Lot 1285, a magnificent gold noble of Edward III in NGC MS 66, the finest example graded by NGC.
• Lot 1293, a splendid facing-headed Testoon of Henry VIII, with an excellent portrait of the rotund ruler.
• Lot 1294, a handsome gold sovereign of Edward VI, NGC AU 53.

Lot viewing for Triton XXVII can be arranged by appointment between now and January 4, 2024 at CNG's offices in Lancaster, PA, by writing to cng@cngcoins.com or calling (717) 390-9194. Lot viewing at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel in the Morgan Suite will begin Sunday, January 4 at 1 pm and continue daily through noon on Tuesday, January 10.

Classical Numismatic Group LLC is the foremost U.S. numismatic firm dealing in Ancient, World and British coinage. For more information about Triton XXVII, or to receive a printed catalog of the sale, or to inquire about consigning to this sale and future Classical Numismatic Group auctions, write to CNG@cngcoins.com, or call (717) 390-9194.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web