Pedigrees and Provenances

[Salt]

Please share your coins with a pedigree down below! They don't have to be ancients! 😉

I'll start this thread, with one of my favorite coins from my collection:
A celtic tetradrachm with a pedigree dating back to the 18th century.

MIDDLE DANUBE. Uncertain tribe.
'Kapostal' type, 2nd-1st centuries BC. Tetradrachm (25 mm 12.89 g)
Obv. Celticized laureate head of Zeus to right.
Rev. Celticized horseman to left, wearing crested helmet; to left, torc; below, figure-of-eight ornament.
Dembski 1413. Flesche 570. Lanz 774-5. OTA 484/6 (this coin).

This coin was in the collection of Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750), a Venetian nobleman, poet, librettist and
journalist.
He worked as poet laureate for the imperial court in Vienna from 1715-1729, where he also curated the imperial coin
collection of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI (1685-1740).
In 1729 he returned to Venice and dedicated the rest of his life to studying and collecting coins.
After he died, his coin collection was sold to the Abbey of St. Florian (Austria), where the collection
remained for over 200 years before they were sold at auction in 1955.

Auction catalog from 1955 and a picture of Mr. Zeno:

[red_spork]

My most recent coin with a really great provenance. This was unlisted by the auction house but found by me with a bit of research:

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(2.90g). Anonymous, second Falcata series, 206-195 B.C., Rome mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right; border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy; falcata between. In exergue, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 120/1
Ex Aureo & Calico 375, 20 October 2021, lot 111, ex Joseph Martini Collection, Rodolfo Ratto Lugano 24 February 1930, lot 151

This coin comes from the 24 February 1930 Rodolfo Ratto Lugano sale of the Joseph(also known as Giuseppe) Martini collection. Martini was a bookdealer from Lucca, Italy who moved to New York in 1901, perhaps to explore new markets, but also because he had been caught attempting to sell stolen books, some of which he'd covered the shelfmarks on with his own person ex-libris in an attempt to hide that they'd been stolen from public libraries. In New York it seems that Martini developed an excellent reputation(or perhaps got so good at stealing that he never got caught, we may never know) and by 1912 had published his first American catalog and was selling books and manuscripts to a number of high profile clients. In 1924, Martini closed up shop in New York and moved to Florence for a few years and then later to Lugano where he lived until his death in 1944. It's thought that he may have left Italy this second time because he was in trouble once again, not for stealing, but instead for his anti-fascist leanings.

Martini's Roman Republic collection spanned the entire extent of the coinage, from early aes grave issues to wonderful struck prow bronzes to Imperatorial rarities like the denarii of Cornuficius. In addition to the Ratto sale from which this coin came, some of Martini's coins were sold in Michele Baranowsky's 25 February 1931 sale, along with the collection of Valerio Traverso of Genoa. Below I've attached a picture of Martini along with my provenance scans. Interestingly, if you check out the text you'll notice that whoever previously owned the copy of the Martini sale that I have access to was apparently interested in this coin, as it's been marked to the left in the text.

[AncientJoe]

2 hours ago, Salt said:

Please share your coins with a pedigree down below! They don't have to be ancients! 😉

I'll start this thread, with one of my favorite coins from my collection:
A celtic tetradrachm with a pedigree dating back to the 18th century.

MIDDLE DANUBE. Uncertain tribe.
'Kapostal' type, 2nd-1st centuries BC. Tetradrachm (25 mm 12.89 g)
Obv. Celticized laureate head of Zeus to right.
Rev. Celticized horseman to left, wearing crested helmet; to left, torc; below, figure-of-eight ornament.
Dembski 1413. Flesche 570. Lanz 774-5. OTA 484/6 (this coin).

This coin was in the collection of Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750), a Venetian nobleman, poet, librettist and
journalist.
He worked as poet laureate for the imperial court in Vienna from 1715-1729, where he also curated the imperial coin
collection of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI (1685-1740).
In 1729 he returned to Venice and dedicated the rest of his life to studying and collecting coins.
After he died, his coin collection was sold to the Abbey of St. Florian (Austria), where the collection
remained for over 200 years before they were sold at auction in 1955.

Auction catalog from 1955 and a picture of Mr. Zeno:

 

Apostolo Zeno is one of the pedigrees I deliberately sought to acquire and was pleased to find a coin of a type I wanted in addition to the pedigree. This was Zeno's lot 378:

 

Moving earlier in history, this coin was minted by Maximinus Thrax for his son Maximus, and is in nice condition but more notable for being from the Gonzaga collection, a 16th century collection known by the inlays placed on the pieces. It'd be heresy to modify coins like this today but I can forgive collectors from centuries ago:

Maximinus I. Thrax, 235-238. - for Maximus. Æ Sesterce, 236/238, Rome; 18.96 g. Draped bust r .; in field l. Gonzaga family collector's mark: eagle vv, silver-plated // Maximus as Prince stands l. with staff and spear, behind it two standards. BMC 213; Coh. 14; RIC 13

(also Ex. HC Levis Collection, Ars Classica Auction 11 lot 831, June 18, 1925)

 

[Kazuma78]

3 hours ago, Salt said:

 

Fantastic! That is an awesome provenance and a cool coin. Very cool. I hope to one day have a coin from that collection if I am lucky. 

[Kazuma78]

54 minutes ago, AncientJoe said:

 

Apostolo Zeno is one of the pedigrees I deliberately sought to acquire and was pleased to find a coin of a type I wanted in addition to the pedigree. This was Zeno's lot 378:

 

Moving earlier in history, this coin was minted by Maximinus Thrax for his son Maximus, and is in nice condition but more notable for being from the Gonzaga collection, a 16th century collection known by the inlays placed on the pieces. It'd be heresy to modify coins like this today but I can forgive collectors from centuries ago:

Maximinus I. Thrax, 235-238. - for Maximus. Æ Sesterce, 236/238, Rome; 18.96 g. Draped bust r .; in field l. Gonzaga family collector's mark: eagle vv, silver-plated // Maximus as Prince stands l. with staff and spear, behind it two standards. BMC 213; Coh. 14; RIC 13

(also Ex. HC Levis Collection, Ars Classica Auction 11 lot 831, June 18, 1925)

 

As always, awesome coins with great provenance. I dream of one day adding something from Gonzaga but they seem few and far between. 

[Salt]

12 hours ago, red_spork said:

My most recent coin with a really great provenance. This was unlisted by the auction house but found by me with a bit of research:

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(2.90g). Anonymous, second Falcata series, 206-195 B.C., Rome mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right; border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy; falcata between. In exergue, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 120/1
Ex Aureo & Calico 375, 20 October 2021, lot 111, ex Joseph Martini Collection, Rodolfo Ratto Lugano 24 February 1930, lot 151

This coin comes from the 24 February 1930 Rodolfo Ratto Lugano sale of the Joseph(also known as Giuseppe) Martini collection. Martini was a bookdealer from Lucca, Italy who moved to New York in 1901, perhaps to explore new markets, but also because he had been caught attempting to sell stolen books, some of which he'd covered the shelfmarks on with his own person ex-libris in an attempt to hide that they'd been stolen from public libraries. In New York it seems that Martini developed an excellent reputation(or perhaps got so good at stealing that he never got caught, we may never know) and by 1912 had published his first American catalog and was selling books and manuscripts to a number of high profile clients. In 1924, Martini closed up shop in New York and moved to Florence for a few years and then later to Lugano where he lived until his death in 1944. It's thought that he may have left Italy this second time because he was in trouble once again, not for stealing, but instead for his anti-fascist leanings.

Martini's Roman Republic collection spanned the entire extent of the coinage, from early aes grave issues to wonderful struck prow bronzes to Imperatorial rarities like the denarii of Cornuficius. In addition to the Ratto sale from which this coin came, some of Martini's coins were sold in Michele Baranowsky's 25 February 1931 sale, along with the collection of Valerio Traverso of Genoa. Below I've attached a picture of Martini along with my provenance scans. Interestingly, if you check out the text you'll notice that whoever previously owned the copy of the Martini sale that I have access to was apparently interested in this coin, as it's been marked to the left in the text.

What a great story, thanks for sharing 👍

 

10 hours ago, AncientJoe said:

Maximinus I. Thrax, 235-238. - for Maximus. Æ Sesterce, 236/238, Rome; 18.96 g. Draped bust r .; in field l. Gonzaga family collector's mark: eagle vv, silver-plated // Maximus as Prince stands l. with staff and spear, behind it two standards. BMC 213; Coh. 14; RIC 13

(also Ex. HC Levis Collection, Ars Classica Auction 11 lot 831, June 18, 1925)

Never seen an inlay on an ancient coin before, very cool!

[DonnaML]

Rather than repeating myself, I'll link to three threads on CT about coins I own with respectable provenances. All three are gold -- probably not a coincidence, because ancient gold coins were far more likely to be illustrated in old catalogs than, say, your average Late Roman bronze AE3!

A Vespasian aureus purchased with a documented 1938 auction provenance, which I was able to bring back to the 1910 published collection of the Vicomte de Sartiges:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/donnas-first-aureus-with-published-provenance-to-1938-and-also-to-1910.391624/#post-8153812 . See https://www.cointalk.com/threads/donnas-first-aureus-with-published-provenance-to-1938-and-also-to-1910.391624/page-4#post-8155780 and https://www.cointalk.com/threads/donnas-first-aureus-with-published-provenance-to-1938-and-also-to-1910.391624/page-4#post-8160879 for the 1910 publication.

A Valentinian I solidus from Antioch, purchased with a provenance to "an old Parisian collection," which I was eventually able to find illustrated in a 1966 Maison Vinchon auction catalog:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-new-solidus-valentinian-i.394127/#post-8251327 . See https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-new-solidus-valentinian-i.394127/page-2#post-8275807 and https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-new-solidus-valentinian-i.394127/page-4#post-8307505 for the 1966 provenance.

An Arcadius solidus from the Constantinople Mint with a documented 1960 provenance:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-first-ancient-gold-coin-a-solidus-of-arcadius.378975/

I also have a coin from the Dattari Collection, as originally published in 1901 and reissued with illustrations in 1999 and 2007:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/two-new-roman-egyptian-coins-one-ex-dattari-and-one-possibly-unpublished.394808/#post-8276201

And one coin from the 1887 East Harptree Hoard that's actually illustrated in the catalog for the 2016 Spink auction of that hoard (unlike many coins attributed to it):

Valens, AR reduced Siliqua, 364-367 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. DN VALEN-S PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right / Rev. VOT- V- MV•LT - X in four lines within wreath. In exergue: Mintmark RB. RIC IX Rome 10c (p. 118), RSC V 91(h) (ill.), Sear RCV V 19687. 17 mm., 2.00 g.  From 1887 East Harptree hoard (one of 19 coins of this type in hoard; see https://archive.org/details/thirdnumismatic08royauoft/page/46/mode/1up). Ex Spink Auction 16006, 26-27 Sep 2016, Part of Lot 3028 and illustrated in the photo of that lot. (See https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1689&lot=3028.)*

* The East Harptree hoard was discovered in 1887 on the land of Mr. W. Kettlewell of Harptree Court, while a search for a new spring was being conducted. Mr. Kettlewell kindly made them available for study at the British Museum, and they were written up by John Evans for the Numismatic Chronicle of 1888, pages 22-46. The British Museum was given a few of the most interesting coins, and the rest were returned to the owner. Many years later they were given to the father of the consignor by Mr. Kettlewell's son, and they have remained in their packing ever since. Evans noted \The coins when found were to some extent coated in dirt, and with what was probably a little chloride of silver. When carefully washed and brushed their remarkably good preservation became apparent, and there were none but what could be attributed to the emperor under whom they were struck\\. The coins offered here are as they were when returned from the BM in 1887/1888. Many exhibit light deposit, which could be easily removed by a competent conservator, but at the expense of the mint bloom that is apparent on many. The overall quality is remarkable, and few, if any, are clipped. Large numbers look ordinary to the naked eye, but when tilted towards the light, or examined under magnification, reveal extraordinary quality. (See https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1689&lot=2858.)

 

 

Edited June 3 by DonnaML

[Edessa]

British Anglo-Saxon. Kings of All England. Eadgar, AD 959-975. AR Penny (21mm, 1.21 g, 3h). Two-line (HT 1 NE V) type. Northeastern mint; Isembert, moneyer. Struck circa AD 959-972/973. Obv: Small cross pattée. Rev: IZEN/ +++/ BERTO (retrograde); trefoils of pellets above and below. Ref: CTCE 57; SCBI 34 (BM), 943 var. (legend not inverted); SCBI 20 (Mack), 802 (this coin); BMC 113 var. (same); North 741; SCBC 1129; Walker, “A Hoard of Anglo-Saxon Coins form Tetney, Lincolnshire,” NC 1945, 360 (this coin). Good Very Fine, toned. Property of Princeton Economics acquired by Martin Armstrong. Ex John Jordan Collection (Triton II, 1 December 1998), Lot 1270; R. P. Mack Collection (not in Glendining sale), 802; Tetney Hoard, 1945. Ex CNG eAuction 275, Lot: 428. 

[John Conduitt]

A lot of my coins come from hoards or single finds registered with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which you could either take to be a pedigree of 2 years or 2000 years. Here are a handful of coins with collector pedigrees.

This is from the collection of Samuel Birchall (1761-1814), which was only sold 207 years after his death.

Commonwealth Sixpence, 1660

Tower. Silver, 2.98g. Arms of England surrounded by a wreath, anchor mintmark above; · THE · COMMONWEALTH · OF · ENGLAND. Arms of England and Ireland, topped with mark of value in Roman numerals; · GOD · WITH · VS · 1660 · VI · (S 3220). Ex Samuel Birchall of Leeds, token manufacturer and author of A Descriptive List of the Provincial Copper Coins or Tokens issued between the Years 1786 and 1796, arranged Alphabetically., an index of Conder Tokens that pre-dated Conder.

This coin has a much more recent provenance, but fairly esteemed. It belonged to Tony Abramson, who wrote many of the key the references on Saxon coins, and LR Stack, son of the founder of Stack's Bowers.

Series QIID Secondary Series Sceatta, 710-760

East Anglia. Silver, 1.00g. Quadruped left, looking forward, angular foreleg and trefoil tail raised, pellet filled field. Sea bird or eagle left, feet splayed, trampling linear serpent, wedge-shaped tail, forked wing raised, cross pommée before, pellets in field (SCBI 69, 636 this coin; S 809). Ex Tony Abramson; LR Stack.

Following DonnaML's comment that gold tends to retain it's provenance, one of my few gold coins does have a collector provenance, having belonged to the very wealthy Swiss industrialist, Leo Biaggi de Blasys (1906-1979). He had a collection of 2000 gold Roman coins that were bought together by a bank for US $13.5m in 1978.

Magnus Maximus Solidus, 383-388Augusta/London. Gold, 21mm, 4.59g, 6h. Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Magnus Maximus right, seen from front; D N MAG MA-XIMVS P F AVG. Magnus Maximus and Theodosius I seated facing on double throne, jointly holding globe between them; half-length figure of Victory above facing between, vertical palm branch under throne; VICTOR-IA AVGG; AVGOB in exergue (RIC IX, 2b; Biaggi 2312 (this coin)). Ex Leo Biaggi de Blasys. NGC #6057866-002.

[NewStyleKing]

I guess the Commonwealth 6d  was in the pocket of Samuel Pepys who  sailed out to bring Charles ll back from Breda as a newly minted coin as the last batch of of Commonwealth issues!  Needs to be balanced with a Charles ll hammered 6d also of 1660!  Anyone?

 

NSK=John

[Deinomenid]

This one is from the Frédéric Robert Jameson (1861-1942), collection bought en bloc by Jacob Hirsch. This coin was published in Monnaies Grecques Antiques, Paris, 1913.

 

 

Sicily, Syracuse, c. 410-405 BC, reverse die signed by Eumenes.

 

AR Drachm, c. 410-405 BC, reverse die signed by Eumenes, Leukaspis as a warrior walking right, holding shield and sword, rev. head of Arethusa right, dolphins around swimming clockwise, EYMENOY below bust, 4.05g, 4h (SNG ANS 304 same dies; Jameson 798 this coin), striking splits and surface scratches, otherwise toned, good fine, extremely rare.


Brüder Egger Auction (Vienna), 26-28 November 1909, lot 235

The reverse of the drachm represents a hero, whose name we learn from some of the specimens to be Leukaspis the warrior of the "white shield". Legend said that he was a Sicanian hero slain by Heracles. He is represented nude, a crested helmet on his head, fighting with spear and large shield; behind him is his altar, before him a ram (evidently  the animal sacrificed to him) lying on its back ready for immolation. *note this is from  Hill, and no ram visible on this of course.

Leukaspis was a Sicilian hero who died in defense of the island during the fabulous invasion of Sicily by Heracles. The memory of this legend, reported by Diodorus (IV, 23, 5), survives in a series of Syracusan issue with the figure of an attacking warrior and ΛEYKAΣΠIΣ legend, dated c. 410-405 BC. The singularity of such a glorification of an essentially anti-Greek hero is explained by G. E. Rizzo as a curious survival in a multicultural context. Others scholars, such as E. J. P. Raven, have related this fact to Syracuse's need to prepare resistance against the wretched Athenian expedition to the point of soliciting the support of the Sicels. 

[Curtis JJ]

1 hour ago, Deinomenid said:

This one is from the Frédéric Robert Jameson (1861-1942), collection bought en bloc by Jacob Hirsch.

Congratulations, that's a very nice one, @Deinomenid! Here's more pedigree on that one for you (I had this one on my watchlist ~6 or 8 months ago, so I may have had more, I'll let you know if so):

This coin is also ex-Lestranges Collection (the consignor for the Egger sale). The "Lestranges Collection" is often confused with that of Comte H. de Lestrange (1853-1926), even by very distinguished auction houses, but I don't believe they're the same. Unfortunately Egger doesn't give any biographical detail about who Lestranges is, and I haven't found anything concrete myself. (I have theories.) But I'm sure there are some collectors/dealers out there who know, or records in old French publications about who Lestranges was.

Brüder Egger 26 November 1909 = Lestranges Collection, Greek Coins, 441 Lots, mo. ill. [15 Pl.] [Spring 153];

 

 

I don't have any from the Lestranges Catalog, but I do have...

One from the Jameson Collection ... and one from another Bruder Egger sale (Theodor Prowe III) bought by Jacob Hirsch:

 

1. Thessaly, Heraclea Trachininia AR Obol (10mm, 0.81g, 7h), ex Lambros, Jameson, BCD, Gilman:

  

From Lambros Sale (Hirsch XXIX [9 Nov 1910], Lot 316):

 

Collection History:
Jean P. Lambros (1843-1909) [Hirsch XXIX (Munich, 9 Nov 1910), 316; see Note 2-a];
F. Robert Jameson (1861-1942);
BCD Collection [NAC Auction D (Zurich, 2 Mar 1994), 1397; CNG EA 290 (7 Nov 2012), 20];
Jim Gilman [sold Kirk Davis 78 (2021), 25 & CNG 120 (11 May 2022), 91];
w/ BCD tag & photos, NAC labels, Gilman’s envelope.
Published:
Jameson 1081A, in Collection R. Jameson: Monnaies Grecques Antiques (1913, Paris: Feuardent), desc., Vol 1, p. 245 & ill., Vol 2, Pl. XCIV) [Note 2-b].

 

 

2. Troas, Abydos AE Chalkous (10.5mm, 1.38g, 6h), ex Prowe, Hirsch Estate, GMRH (acq. from Alan S. Walker at Bank Leu):

Unusual since tiny bronze coins like this were hardly ever illustrated in early 20th cent. auction catalogs.

 

This one was difficult because there are some defects in the plaster cast shown below (from Prowe-Egger III), and photographed/cropped at a slight angle:

Collection History:
Fedor Ivanovich (Theodor) Prowe (Moscow, 1872-1932) [Brüder Egger Auktion XLVI (Wien, 11 May 1914), 596 (ill. on pl. XI)];
Jacob Hirsch (1874-1955) Estate [acq. by Bank Leu, Zurich, c. 1955];
G.M.R.H. Collection, London [acq. from Alan S. Walker, Bank Leu, Feb 1980, per collector ticket, by then the provenance to Prowe-Egger lost (temporarily!)].
Publication: Prowe-Egger III 596. 
Note: Avail. online: Heidelberg (linked above), Archive, BNF-INHA, Hathitrust (Iowa), & no doubt elsewhere.

 

 

EDIT: I just realized there are footnotes up there that were linked to a page that I haven't made public yet. Here's the excerpt:

Note 2: (a) The Hirsch XXIX – Lambros sale (Munich, 9 Nov 1910) is available online in multiple sites, but none are ideal. Uni Heidelberg (my usual preference) only has a copy without plates as far as I know; the Archive copy has plates and is nice enough, but is missing Pl. VII; for Pl. VII (and the rest), but poor image quality, see the HathiTrust copy [via Harvard] and Google Books’ copy.
(b) BCD Thessaly (Nomos 4 1060) also included a second Heraclea obol with a similar provenance pathway, from the Lambros Collection (but of earlier style) to the Sir Hermann Weber Collection, 2812 (rather than Jameson Collection, 1081A). That coin was purchased at Nomos 4 by Sheik Saoud Al Thani (no surprise, he bought most of them!). Apparently it was Edward J. Waddell (et al.) who soundly outbid me on this and the others from the “Man in Love with Art” sale at NAC 124 (23 Jun 2021).
Luckily there are lots of the BCD Thessaly-to-“Man in Love with Art” specimens on the market, since I want one for my “BCD Tributaries Collection” (of which my Obol above is a member).

Edited August 23 by Curtis JJ

[Kazuma78]

56 minutes ago, Deinomenid said:

This one is from the Frédéric Robert Jameson (1861-1942), collection bought en bloc by Jacob Hirsch. This coin was published in Monnaies Grecques Antiques, Paris, 1913.

 

 

Sicily, Syracuse, c. 410-405 BC, reverse die signed by Eumenes.

 

AR Drachm, c. 410-405 BC, reverse die signed by Eumenes, Leukaspis as a warrior walking right, holding shield and sword, rev. head of Arethusa right, dolphins around swimming clockwise, EYMENOY below bust, 4.05g, 4h (SNG ANS 304 same dies; Jameson 798 this coin), striking splits and surface scratches, otherwise toned, good fine, extremely rare.


Brüder Egger Auction (Vienna), 26-28 November 1909, lot 235

The reverse of the drachm represents a hero, whose name we learn from some of the specimens to be Leukaspis the warrior of the "white shield". Legend said that he was a Sicanian hero slain by Heracles. He is represented nude, a crested helmet on his head, fighting with spear and large shield; behind him is his altar, before him a ram (evidently  the animal sacrificed to him) lying on its back ready for immolation. *note this is from  Hill, and no ram visible on this of course.

Leukaspis was a Sicilian hero who died in defense of the island during the fabulous invasion of Sicily by Heracles. The memory of this legend, reported by Diodorus (IV, 23, 5), survives in a series of Syracusan issue with the figure of an attacking warrior and ΛEYKAΣΠIΣ legend, dated c. 410-405 BC. The singularity of such a glorification of an essentially anti-Greek hero is explained by G. E. Rizzo as a curious survival in a multicultural context. Others scholars, such as E. J. P. Raven, have related this fact to Syracuse's need to prepare resistance against the wretched Athenian expedition to the point of soliciting the support of the Sicels. 

You're the one who bought that! I either underbid or nearly underbid that coin (I don't remember). That's a great piece. Congrats!

[Phil Davis]

15 minutes ago, Curtis JJ said:

Congratulations, that's a very nice one, @Deinomenid! Here's more pedigree on that one for you (I had this one on my watchlist ~6 or 8 months ago, so I may have had more, I'll let you know if so):

This coin is also ex-Lestranges Collection (the consignor for the Egger sale). The "Lestranges Collection" is often confused with that of Comte H. de Lestrange (1853-1926), even by very distinguished auction houses, but I don't believe they're the same. Unfortunately Egger doesn't give any biographical detail about who Lestranges is, and I haven't found anything concrete myself. (I have theories.) But I'm sure there are some collectors/dealers out there who know, or records in old French publications about who Lestranges was.

Brüder Egger 26 November 1909 = Lestranges Collection, Greek Coins, 441 Lots, mo. ill. [15 Pl.] [Spring 153];

 

 

I don't have any from the Lestranges Catalog, but I do have...

One from the Jameson Collection ... and one from another Bruder Egger sale (Theodor Prowe III) bought by Jacob Hirsch:

 

1. Thessaly, Heraclea Trachininia AR Obol (10mm, 0.81g, 7h), ex Lambros, Jameson, BCD, Gilman:

  

From Lambros Sale (Hirsch XXIX [9 Nov 1910], Lot 316):

 

Collection History:
Jean P. Lambros (1843-1909) [Hirsch XXIX (Munich, 9 Nov 1910), 316; see Note 2-a];
F. Robert Jameson (1861-1942);
BCD Collection [NAC Auction D (Zurich, 2 Mar 1994), 1397; CNG EA 290 (7 Nov 2012), 20];
Jim Gilman [sold Kirk Davis 78 (2021), 25 & CNG 120 (11 May 2022), 91];
w/ BCD tag & photos, NAC labels, Gilman’s envelope.
Published:
Jameson 1081A, in Collection R. Jameson: Monnaies Grecques Antiques (1913, Paris: Feuardent), desc., Vol 1, p. 245 & ill., Vol 2, Pl. XCIV) [Note 2-b].

 

 

2. Troas, Abydos AE Chalkous (10.5mm, 1.38g, 6h), ex Prowe, Hirsch Estate, GMRH (acq. from Alan S. Walker at Bank Leu):

Unusual since tiny bronze coins like this were hardly ever illustrated in early 20th cent. auction catalogs.

 

This one was difficult because there are some defects in the plaster cast shown below (from Prowe-Egger III), and photographed/cropped at a slight angle:

Collection History:
Fedor Ivanovich (Theodor) Prowe (Moscow, 1872-1932) [Brüder Egger Auktion XLVI (Wien, 11 May 1914), 596 (ill. on pl. XI)];
Jacob Hirsch (1874-1955) Estate [acq. by Bank Leu, Zurich, c. 1955];
G.M.R.H. Collection, London [acq. from Alan S. Walker, Bank Leu, Feb 1980, per collector ticket, by then the provenance to Prowe-Egger lost (temporarily!)].
Publication: Prowe-Egger III 596. 
Note: Avail. online: Heidelberg (linked above), Archive, BNF-INHA, Hathitrust (Iowa), & no doubt elsewhere.

I know from experience how tricky provenance research can be; I just want to say that you're remarkably proficient at it! Very very well done!

[Deinomenid]

12 hours ago, Curtis JJ said:

Congratulations, that's a very nice one, @Deinomenid! Here's more pedigree on that one for you (I had this one on my watchlist ~6 or 8 months ago, so I may have had more, I'll let you know if so):

This coin is also ex-Lestranges Collection (the consignor for the Egger sale). The "Lestranges Collection" is often confused with that of Comte H. de Lestrange (1853-1926), even by very distinguished auction houses, but I don't believe they're the same. Unfortunately Egger doesn't give any biographical detail about who Lestranges is, and I haven't found anything concrete myself. (I have theories.) But I'm sure there are some collectors/dealers out there who know, or records in old French publications about who Lestranges was.

Brüder Egger 26 November 1909 = Lestranges Collection, Greek Coins, 441 Lots, mo. ill. [15 Pl.] [Spring 153];

 

 

I don't have any from the Lestranges Catalog, but I do have...

One from the Jameson Collection ... and one from another Bruder Egger sale (Theodor Prowe III) bought by Jacob Hirsch:

 

1. Thessaly, Heraclea Trachininia AR Obol (10mm, 0.81g, 7h), ex Lambros, Jameson, BCD, Gilman:

  

From Lambros Sale (Hirsch XXIX [9 Nov 1910], Lot 316):

 

Collection History:
Jean P. Lambros (1843-1909) [Hirsch XXIX (Munich, 9 Nov 1910), 316; see Note 2-a];
F. Robert Jameson (1861-1942);
BCD Collection [NAC Auction D (Zurich, 2 Mar 1994), 1397; CNG EA 290 (7 Nov 2012), 20];
Jim Gilman [sold Kirk Davis 78 (2021), 25 & CNG 120 (11 May 2022), 91];
w/ BCD tag & photos, NAC labels, Gilman’s envelope.
Published:
Jameson 1081A, in Collection R. Jameson: Monnaies Grecques Antiques (1913, Paris: Feuardent), desc., Vol 1, p. 245 & ill., Vol 2, Pl. XCIV) [Note 2-b].

 

 

2. Troas, Abydos AE Chalkous (10.5mm, 1.38g, 6h), ex Prowe, Hirsch Estate, GMRH (acq. from Alan S. Walker at Bank Leu):

Unusual since tiny bronze coins like this were hardly ever illustrated in early 20th cent. auction catalogs.

 

This one was difficult because there are some defects in the plaster cast shown below (from Prowe-Egger III), and photographed/cropped at a slight angle:

Collection History:
Fedor Ivanovich (Theodor) Prowe (Moscow, 1872-1932) [Brüder Egger Auktion XLVI (Wien, 11 May 1914), 596 (ill. on pl. XI)];
Jacob Hirsch (1874-1955) Estate [acq. by Bank Leu, Zurich, c. 1955];
G.M.R.H. Collection, London [acq. from Alan S. Walker, Bank Leu, Feb 1980, per collector ticket, by then the provenance to Prowe-Egger lost (temporarily!)].
Publication: Prowe-Egger III 596. 
Note: Avail. online: Heidelberg (linked above), Archive, BNF-INHA, Hathitrust (Iowa), & no doubt elsewhere.

 

 

EDIT: I just realized there are footnotes up there that were linked to a page that I haven't made public yet. Here's the excerpt:

Note 2: (a) The Hirsch XXIX – Lambros sale (Munich, 9 Nov 1910) is available online in multiple sites, but none are ideal. Uni Heidelberg (my usual preference) only has a copy without plates as far as I know; the Archive copy has plates and is nice enough, but is missing Pl. VII; for Pl. VII (and the rest), but poor image quality, see the HathiTrust copy [via Harvard] and Google Books’ copy.
(b) BCD Thessaly (Nomos 4 1060) also included a second Heraclea obol with a similar provenance pathway, from the Lambros Collection (but of earlier style) to the Sir Hermann Weber Collection, 2812 (rather than Jameson Collection, 1081A). That coin was purchased at Nomos 4 by Sheik Saoud Al Thani (no surprise, he bought most of them!). Apparently it was Edward J. Waddell (et al.) who soundly outbid me on this and the others from the “Man in Love with Art” sale at NAC 124 (23 Jun 2021).
Luckily there are lots of the BCD Thessaly-to-“Man in Love with Art” specimens on the market, since I want one for my “BCD Tributaries Collection” (of which my Obol above is a member).

I hugely appreciate this extra provenance and have some work ahead of me to figure out who that gentleman was!