32 17th December 2011 international events New York prepares for Greek bonanza


NEW York becomes the undisputed numismatic capital of the world in January. Now in its 40th staging, the New York International Numismatic Convention takes place on the 18th floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel from December 31 to January 9.


The convention’s formula combines


a coin fair, where over 100 specialist participants set out tables in the bourse area, with a series of high-profile auctions that this year includes an exceptional group of classical Greek coins. It is rare for so much similar material to appear at the same time but clearly vendors are responding to some excellent recent results. On January 3 the Classical


Numismatic Group (London and the US) are offering what must be the definitive collection of the Classical coins of Thessaly (a small area in Greek terms) in a weighty hard-bound catalogue. This highly detailed work is destined to become a well-thumbed volume on the shelves of a small number of specialists. January 4 sees the dispersal of the


pseudonymous Prospero collection of 638 lots of the finest classical Greek coins to come to the market for a very long time indeed (see the extensive preview on page 3 of ATG No 2004). Credit for this sale goes to London because it is the exclusive effort of A.H. Baldwin & Son’s who showed highlights of the collection at the Winter Olympia fair. For a comparison collectors must


go back to 1974 when the also pseudonymous Kunstfreund (Charles Gillet) collection (253 lots) was offered in Switzerland. Indeed, 11 lots are common


Above: the 237 Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins offered at Freeman & Sear’s third Manhattan sale (January 3) carry estimates ranging from $125 to $60,000. At the top end of the scale is this Roman silver denarius struck in Carthage during the civil war of May-October AD68. The portrait of the legatus Clodius Macer shows him without a laurel crown or diadem and is accompanied by the abbreviation S C (senatus consulto) – evidence of his desire to portray his revolt as being against Nero, not the Senate. It is one of only 20 or so Clodius Macer portrait denarii known to exist.


CALENDAR OF NYINC SALES Events take place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel unless otherwise stated


Heritage Galleries January 2-3


Freeman and Sear January 3*


Classical Numismatic Group with Nomos January 3-4*


Baldwin’s-M&M Numismatics-Dmitry Markov January 4-5, inc. Prospero collection*


Bonhams New York January 6, Meyer and Ebe collection (at Bonhams’ premises on Madison Ave)


Stack’s-Bowers-Ponterio January 6-7


Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Books January 7*


Gemini Numismatic Auctions January 8*


Stack’s-Bowers-Ponterio January 9 (at Stacks premises on 57th St)


Above: Gemini Numismatic Auctions will offer this Syracuse decadrachm on January 8.


to both sales. To give a more material impression of the size of this collection, the excellent Prospero catalogue is one inch thick and weighs close to two kilograms. The evening of January 4 will also


see a 24-lot sale held by the Swiss firm Nomos, in association with Classical Numinsamtic Group, of some of the finest Greek coins in existence. One lot, the decadrachm of Agrigentum (Sicily), struck at the very close of the


fifth century BC, has a ‘starting price’ of $250,000. Although a coin, it is probably the earliest sporting prize medal as well. January 6 sees what promises to


be another significant sale, that of the Meyer & Ebe collection of Greek coins by Bonhams, while more exceptional classical material at Gemini Numismatic Auctions (January 8) includes a Syracuse decadrachm of c. 400-370BC. It depicts the head of Arethusa (the


nymph of the local well on the island of Ortygia) surrounded by four dolphins while to the obverse is Nike flying to crown a charioteer. Owned by a Chicago collector since 1945, this is one of the freshest and most sharply struck Syracusan decadrachms the auctioneers have ever handled. The estimate is $50,000. The final section of the sale is Phil Davis’


landmark collection of 164 contemporary forgeries of


Roman Republican denarii. This collection is the standard by which all future collectors of this area will


judge their collections. Small but mighty is how David Fanning


Above:Wolf Dietrich Von Raitenau, Prince-Bishop of Salzburg from 1587 to 1612, was an active participant in the Counter-Reformation – expelling the Protestants from the city in 1588. The obverse of this eight ducat coin of 1594 depicts an allegorical three-tiered tower standing firm in the midst of a great storm with the Latin inscription Trusting in the Lord I shall not be weakened. Displaying Raitenau’s well-known affinity for fine art and love of Baroque architecture, the coin is estimated at $30,000-40,000 at Stack’s-Bowers-Ponterio on January 6-7.


describes the January 7, 2012 Kolbe & Fanning auction of numismatic books. While there are only 350 lots in the sale, total estimates come to nearly $500,000. Morton Stack’s deluxe set of photographs depicting Colonel E.H.R.


*These sales will offer live internet bidding through the-saleroom.com.


Green’s fabled collection of United States gold quarter eagles, half eagles and eagles promises to be the highlight. The three-volume set has a pre-sale estimate of $50,000.


www.nyinc.info


Above and below: one of the many splendid Greek coins in the Prospero sale scheduled for


January 4 is this tetradrachm, with excited Satyr, struck at Naxos (Sicily) c.461-430BC.


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