In choosing the coins, we have to try to not only find coins that you will like, but that we like too: they have to be in excellent condition, to be attractive, to ideally be at least scarce, they should be interesting, and if they have a pedigree it would be a very nice bonus. In any case, we have put together a sale containing 228 lots of Celtic and Greek coins, 82 of Roman and Provincial, 7 Byzantine, 2 Islamic, and 4 medals.
This year we will begin selling the Vineyard Collection, a specialized group put together by a collector who is passionate about wine: all his coins are wine-related in some way. We see wine vessels, for storing, serving and drinking; we have the gods, goddesses, silens, satyrs and nymphs who are connected to wine; grapevines and grapes; and coins from cities known for their wine. Very considerable numbers of coins from the Vineyard Collection will also appear in forthcoming Obolos sales.
But, of course, that’s not all! We have quite a few other wonderful Greek coins, also often with extensive pedigrees (like the Syracusan tetradrachm in lot 49 – est. CHF 12 500 – that goes back to an English provincial sale in 1884; or the Punic tetradrachm published by Jenkins – 66, est. 37 500 – that was previously in the Gillet, Lockett, Locker-Lampson, Weber, Woodward, Rothschild, Carfrae, Bompois and Wigan Collections!). There is also one of the finest and rarest of all Greek portrait coins (149, est. 24 000, a tetradrachm with an astoundingly realistic head of Mithradates VI of Pontus).
A highlight of the Roman section is the DeBakey Collection of aurei, which includes coins with good portraits and interesting reverses (like 253, the aureus of Hadrian with the Disciplina reverse that goes back to Adda and VQR in 1913: est. 25 000). Otherwise, there are coins from a variety of owners, in a variety of price ranges: like the extremely rare assarion of Geta from island of Naxos (283, est. 450) or, moving into the Byzantine period, the very rare billon 30 nummia piece of Justinian II from the mint of Rome (314, est. 1 000 – We have actually never seen one of these before!).
But you will see these and everything else when you look at the catalogue!
Download catalogue here