CNG e-sale wins! Share ‘em!

[SimonW]

6 hours ago, DonnaML said:

@SimonW, the last thing I want is to get into some sort of prolonged argument with you or anyone else.  I actually hate arguing on the Internet, contrary to what some might assume from the fact that I practiced law for a long time!  Especially here, in a forum that was formed in large part to escape the contentiousness that recently typified the other place. So I apologize for the harshness of my response to your characterization of my comments.  Please try to understand that I find being inaccurately accused of something to be extremely upsetting. I think most people here would agree that I am not someone who constantly complains about sellers or anything else, and I hate the idea that anyone would think that's who I am.

In fact, the comment you quote wasn't a complaint, and certainly wasn't intended to be "sarcastic." I was trying to make the point, in the form of a hyperbolic joke about a little old lady in Winterthur -- a joke which some people, at least, thought was funny! -- that the reasonableness of a possible 10-day wait for shipping depends on how many employees Leu has devoting their time to the task of sending packages out. Please keep in mind that I made this comment on Wed. July 27,  before I learned on Friday July 29 that the package had been shipped out, and that their customer service employee had gone on vacation (which I learned from an automated response to my inquiry that day about the package having an incorrect address).  So the comment you quote had nothing whatsoever to do with the vacation issue. Please also keep in mind that my original comment was simply a question about whether Leu really does take 10 days to ship, since I had never made a purchase from Leu before. As it turned out, they shipped the package on July 29, only four days after notifying me on July 25 that it might take 10 days. So that inquiry became moot. 

Also, I never said anything remotely supporting the idea that I complained that "how does anybody dare going on vacation a week after their auction." I think it's terribly unfair for you to keep making that accusation. As I've explained three times now, my only complaint regarding the vacation, when I learned of it on July 29, concerned the customer service person's email account apparently (according to her response) being left unmonitored while she was away. I didn't say a single word complaining about the vacation itself. And I assure you that as an employee myself for more than 35 years before I retired, I fully support the concept of vacations!  But if I wasn't responding to emails myself during a vacation, I always made sure that someone else was available to cover for me if anything came up while I was away. It's the responsible thing to do for anyone who works in a firm with more than one employee, whether one's business is auctioning coins or practicing law.  In any event, as you know, her email was in fact being monitored, so that issue turned out to be moot as well.

In other words, both as to the time taken to ship, and as to monitoring emails to customer service during an employee vacation, what Leu actually did was far more customer-friendly than their cautionary words suggested.  In this case, the truism that "actions speak louder than words" certainly applies. But there was nothing untoward about my raising questions about those words, before the actions were actually taken.

I think I've said everything I have to say, and have no wish to continue any dispute with you.

 

Thank you for clarifying, @DonnaML.

What upsets me is when colleagues, who I know work very hard, are made fun of. Be that sarcasm or a hyperbolic joke. 

I still don't agree with everything you say, but I'll leave it at this.

[DonnaML]

The Fedex package from Leu finally arrived today, although I haven't opened it yet. Not that I was particularly concerned (that only happens when a package disappears from the tracking system!) but it's still good news. I bought six coins -- one Hadrian Provincial AR tridrachm, 4 new Gallienus animal coins (from the Zoo Series, the Legionary Series, and the Antioch Lion "series"), and one siliqua of Jovian (my first coin of that emperor) -- so it may take me a little while to write them all up and post them in the appropriate threads. I'm actually thinking of starting a new thread devoted entirely to the different kinds of Gallienus animal coins, Zoo Series and otherwise, and also posting all the others I have. (I will try to incorporate references to the new English-language pdf document posted here recently about the Gallienus collection of Frank Reinhardt, since it's very comprehensive and useful, especially because all the coins are photographed.) There were a couple of threads about Gallienus's animal coins over at the other place, but I don't believe we've had one here. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by DonnaML

[DonnaML]

PS: I opened the package; all six coins were there and intact. It's a good thing that Leu packed them well in a cardboard sleeve plus bubble wrap, because the Fedex box looked like someone stepped on it!

[robinjojo]

Wow!  That box took a beating!  Yes, it looks like someone stepped on it, or it might have been mashed up on a conveyor belt or through a sorting machine.  I'm glad that the coins inside arrived safely.

Here's one lot from CNG eAuction 521 that I won and arrived today.  I don't like posting coins until they arrive safely, totally irrational, I know, but such are my foibles, especially since the loss of coins from Roma while in transit earlier this year.  I have a few years left, so perhaps I'll grow out of this phase.

This is a tetradrachm of Attalus I, king of Pergamum.  This is a type coin for me and it is a good example which, while cleaned, should tone nicely over time.  There are some light marks on the obverse and traces of horn silver on the reverse, but overall the centering is nice and the strike good.  I'd grade this coin a good VF.

Pergamum, Attalus I (241-197 BC), tetradrachm,  struck circa 235-215/0 BC.  From CNG eAuction 521, lot 127.  Ex Harlan J Berk.

Westermark - V.LXXXIX

16.69 grams

Edited August 11, 2022 by robinjojo

[Romancollector]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:01 PM, DonnaML said:

PS: I opened the package; all six coins were there and intact. It's a good thing that Leu packed them well in a cardboard sleeve plus bubble wrap, because the Fedex box looked like someone stepped on it!

Wow that’s exactly how my box from Leu came too, I was also worried about the same thing but the coins were unharmed…

[Restitutor]

Y'all get yours in a box!? Never seen that before. Mine comes in an envelope... I wonder why the difference. 

[DonnaML]

19 minutes ago, Restitutor said:

Y'all get yours in a box!? Never seen that before. Mine comes in an envelope... I wonder why the difference. 

Perhaps because there were six coins?

[Restitutor]

35 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

Perhaps because there were six coins?

I got 9 😳 I guess the little old lady in Winterthur doesn’t like me very much 😭🙇‍♂️🤪

[Edessa]

The only problem I have had in thirty years of buying from European Auctions has been with Bertolini. I am still waiting on several coins and books from a March auction. First it took six weeks for them to get DHL to "clear" the shipment, whatever that meant. I was frustrated but had good email communication with two ladies in their shipping department, so was willing to be patient. The coins were finally picked up by DHL, held for two days, then "Returned to Sender".  Since that event in early July, Bertolini has ignored my email inquiries. In late July I called their office in Italy and a very nice employee told me that they would look into it and get back to me "within two days". In early August, I tried calling back, only to receive a voice mail that they would all be on vacation until early September. My patience is beginning to become frayed.

[Curtis JJ]

EDIT: Just realized, I've merged "post your new coins" in the CNG e-auction wins... these aren't CNG but I'll leave 'em here

Maybe I'll make a new thread about these (I say that a lot, but mostly I don't do it!), as I was considering, but it seems relevant now, so why not...

4 hours ago, Edessa said:

been with Bertolini.

Do you mean Bertolami? I assume so, since I got the same email about vacation until August 31, and am waiting on a package to be shipped. I'm sure I would be very displeased if there had been a shipping problem and the package returned to sender and I couldn't get in touch! Yikes. (I took a couple weeks to pay until they were already on vacation, so for my situation, I don't mind that I'm waiting for mine to ship.)

I've bought from them a few times. Previously, I did have one that took a little while to ship, but everything turned out okay. I think they'll get everything sorted out in the end, just may take a couple more weeks.

TWO ORDERS FROM THE BONO & ALBERTO SIMONETTA COLLECTION OF CAPPADOCIA (7 COINS TOTAL):

   More detail below on the first three of the seven.

 

I had already bought two coins from Simonetta Collection at one of the previous Bertolami sales (Auction 109, May), and now I'm waiting on five more from the more recent auction (Auction 119, July).

The book below is Bono Simonetta's (1977) The Coins of the Cappadocian Kings (Types II), which cited and/or illustrated his collection at the time. (It is easy to find; one seller has new copies for $12!) The coins sitting on the cover are the ones I got from Bertolami 109:

 

SIMONETTA v MORHKOLM, c. 1961-1978:

Simonetta's 1961 Numismatic Chronicle article & 1977 catalogs became standard references but also major sources of controversy. B. Simonetta & Otto Morkholm famously debated Cappadocian coins in numerous publications across several journals and books in the 1960s-1970s. I was interested in those specific coins that were illustrated or cited multiple times on both sides of their increasingly vitriolic disagreements.

Naturally, it's very fun for the collector to read two important scholars arguing about coins now in one's own collection.

 

Note: The attributions below are those given by Bertolami, usually following Alberto Simonetta. By choice, most of mine have contested identifications. For now, I'm agnostic on the accuracy of their descriptions; they could be different rulers/dates, as Morkholm suggests. The really interesting thing is to understand what the authors agree/disagree about, and why, and to try to understand whose argument is better and has been more widely accepted by later authors -- but  all that is too much to summarize, so I'm just mentioning the references where those arguments unfold below

 

From the 2nd (most recent) auction, here's the one I'm most excited about:

Ariarathes VII AR Drachm (3.93g, 16mm, 12h), dated RY = A/1.
Simonetta 1977, p. 35, n. 1, pl. IV,11 (this coin); Parthica 2007, Ar. VII 4/1 (this coin). 
Bertolami EA 119 (10 July 2022), Lot 10.

Illustrated in Bono's 1961 article [https://www.jstor.org/stable/42662304]:

Same coin in Simonetta 1977, plate 4, no. 11:

Also cited in E. Cohen's (2011) Dated Coins of Antiquity and Morholm 1978 (p. 145, ArVII No. 2); also, I believe (need to double-check) cited in Morkholm 1969.

It's at least cited in the 2007 Parthica 9 (2007) catalog of the Alberto Simonetta collection, but I don't know if it's illustrated. I've never seen the 2007 catalog. (It's very rare for such a widely cited publication and seems to be rather expensive, $200 with shipping is a good deal; even the e-book is like 300 Euros!)

Does anyone know if all the Simonetta coins are illustrated in Parthica 9 (2007), or just some of the coins, like in Typos II (1977)? I think they're all illustrated, but I'm not sure.

 

Another from the recent auction group of 5.
Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator Drachm (3.70g, 19mm, 12h)
Simonetta 1977, p. 27, n. 15b, pl. III,4 (this coin); Parthica 2007, Ar. VIII? 3a-b/1 (this coin on pl. XV.3a, description on p. 77, 3b).
Bertolami 119, Lot 7:

Also illustrated in Simonetta 1977 / Typos II, plate 3, no. 4:

That one is cited but not illustrated in the 1961 NC article. Also, I believe, the subject of debate over several rounds with Morkholm, 1969-1978.

Apparently also illustrated in Parthica 9 (2007).

 

From the 1st auction:

Ariarathes IX (c. 100-98/5 BC) Drachm (4.13g, 18mm, 12h) -- or is it Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator (Circa 163-130 BC).
Simonetta 1977, p. 27, n. 8, pl. II,14 (this coin); Parthica 2007, Ar. V 10/1 (this coin).
Bertolami 109, Lot 206.

Cited in the 2007 Parthica 9 vol., but I don't know if it's illustrtated.

 

Another interesting detail and area of research: This coin was reportedly a "gift of Hans von Aulock" to Bono Simonetta, but no date is given by Bertolami. This coin does not appear to have been in the Simonetta Collection when the 1961 article was published.

I'm still trying to determine if this coin was one of the coins cited in Morkholm, 1968 (in Essays Robinson, p. 250): Ariarathes IX, Series II, Type 1. Morkholm was aware of 13 specimens, but this obverse die, at least, seems to be unknown him. Morkholm apparently had access to the von Aulock and Simonetta collections. He described a coin of the type from the von Aulock collection weighing 4.14g (consistent with this coin), but the photo shows a coin of this type with different dies. Perhaps von Aulock had multiple and gave a duplicate to Simonetta? Maybe Morkholm or the NC editor got something mixed up and used the wrong photo?

I don't have a copy of SNG von Aulock and haven't checked yet whether this coin is published there (for the Cappadocian, that's vol 3, 1964), but I'm assuming it's a duplicate.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[Edessa]

Yes, can't spell. I wasn't successful in any of my bids on the Simonetta Collection, but I certainly enjoyed trying. I do have a couple of die matched imitations.

Kingdom of Cappadocia. Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator, 163-130 BC. AR Drachm. Galatian or Kommagenean imitation. Obv: Diademed head of Ariarathes V right. Rev: Athena standing left, holding Nike and grounded shield, spear behind, blundered inscription around, reversed Γ below. Ref: Simonetta 1977, page 27, nos. 14a-14b; Hoover, HGC 7, 812; Cf. Lanz 92, 46. 

 

Kingdom of Cappadocia. Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator, 163-130 BC. AR Drachm. Contemporary imitation, dated year 3 = 161/160 BC. Obv: Diademed head to right. Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣΣ IΛIAIAOI EYΣEBOYΣ; Athena Nikephoros standing to left, with spear and shield; o above M to inner left, Λ to inner right, Γ (date) in exergue. Ref: Simonetta 22 var. (date) = SNG von Aulock 6296; Nomos Obolos 15, 459 (same dies); Rauch 86, 38 (same dies).

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Edessa

[NewStyleKing]

Morkholm prevailed, but unfortunately died early and that left Simonetta still standing to correct as he felt fit!  Yep the ding dong battles in NC are great. A clear win for Morkholm!

Simonetta sold his coins very recently on Bertolomi  !  Including an O DEMOS NewStyle imitation.

 

NSK=John

[DonnaML]

I don't want to offend anyone by raising this topic again, and I promise not to bring up the little old lady in Winterthur this time, but has anyone received an email yet indicating that their coins from Leu Numismatik's Web Auction  22 on 20-21 Aug 2022 have been mailed out?  According to the last communication I received from Leu, the three coins I won could be mailed out as late as the middle of next week, specifically on Wednesday, September 14.

[Agrippa]

No not yet. Received last Wednesday probably the same e-mail you have got.

Saying that the invoice xxx is paid and the order will be processed in short order. Tracking number of shipment will be send within the next 10 working days.

[singig]

Not yet 😞  , and tomorrow the 10 working days delay(from the payment) will expire for me , I'm curious if they will keep their promise.

 

 

[DonnaML]

31 minutes ago, singig said:

Not yet 😞  , and tomorrow the 10 working days delay(from the payment) will expire for me , I'm curious if they will keep their promise.

 

 

In my case, the "10 working days" deadline for shipment was not calculated from their receipt of my payment, but from Leu's email to me three working days after my payment via bank transfer reached Leu's account. So it's really a promise to ship within 13 working days of payment!

[ACCLA-Mike]

My Leu win was mailed to me yesterday (6/9/22).

[Curtis JJ]

Thanks for reminding me @DonnaML et al.! I hadn't yet paid my Leu invoice. Despite buying only one coin this time -- and one of the cheapest in the entire auction, at that -- I was happy to find the shipping & processing fees (i.e., not counting the 18.5% buyer's fee) only accounted for 24% (19 E) of the total, which made for a very acceptable "all in" price.

I liked a couple things about it. One: The many faces of Caracalla... I think this will be the "smiliest" in my collection. My apple-cheeked baby face Caracallas (denarii with trophy/captives, below) aren't exactly smiley, but definitely not growly scowly either.

(I would, however, have preferred if the "panther" didn't look so much like a chubby little Corgi dog!)

And, of course, I appreciate that it was in the H.C. Lindgren Collection (vol. I, 1264).
He looks downright maniacal with wicked joy in Frank Kovacs' photo for the 1985 book:

 

 

Some of my previous RIC Caracallas...

"smiley-ish" Caracallas (at least non-scowly, though I think you can still tell he's happy because he's thinking about harming someone):

 

Then again, even my scowly-growly Sarapis-Sol pair look like they caught Caracalla on a particularly good day, so maybe I need to work on that end of the spectrum too [edited: only the den. = Sar., the Ant. = Sol]:

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[velarfricative]

At this point, I assume it will take a month to ship and am pleasantly surprised when it's any faster. It is what it is, at least they get good coins. Won this HGC plate coin at their last sale

[Brennos]

it would be more secure for you, American collectors, to stop buying in European auctions, the shipments are too risky  😇 

[Curtis JJ]

2 hours ago, velarfricative said:

Won this HGC plate coin at their last sale

Oh, you got that one! Congrats, that's a fantastic coin, I was really thinking about bidding higher and I immediately regretted letting that one get away!! (I don't remember if I was the "underbidder" or an "underbidder," but somewhere in there.)

By the way, among the rest of that coin's distinguished provenance, Leu failed to mention one important bit: ex-Slg. P.R. Franke.

They did mention Grun 64 (2014 ). Part 1 (which included this coin) was the collection of the late great Peter Robert Franke (1926-2018), or just "PRF," well known for many things numismatic -- his excellent volumes with Max Hirmer (the numismatic photographer), index of SNG von Aulock, his volumes on Epirus, and many articles. His "second wiki" page: https://second.wiki/wiki/peter_robert_franke
His online publications from Digital Library Numis;
And an essay on PRF by Bernard Woytek (2020) -- it's in German (I just downloaded & auto-translated it) -- the link is DIRECT TO PDF on the Solidus Numismatik website (you can also just Google woytek solidus franke).

His collection wasn't high-end, but a large "scholarly collection" (euphemism for not valuable, but large & interesting & built from intellectual curiosity). Many of his Roman Provincial bronzes are still being sold by Solidus (unless they've just run out). Although it's also possible they donated the best coins to museums (here are more than 4,000 donated by Peter & Leonore Franke to Yale!)

 

My most recent ex-PRF coin (in the mail):
Kings of Persis, AR Hemidrachm (14-15mm, 1.53g) of Manchihr III (also a plate coin in van't Haaff [free on Issuu from CNG], and previously Gonnella [1935-2009] Coll., later Gert Gleff). I like this particular issue because the obverse is anepigraphic & just has a Triskeles instead (that's probably his father Manchihr II on the back):

From van't Haaff ("after Alram," which I haven't seen directly), described as "short legend," which I've edited as follows (his original Drachm legend below, thumbnail):

 

(from vH, p. 195, edited; CJJ: "Son of Manchihr" -- I think)

 

Recently purchased PRF book (small one!) that arrived yesterday from Brooklyn Gallery:
I wouldn't have bought a copy with cracked binding except that it's internally fine & also adds to my numismatic bookplate collection -- that of another notable scholar, Henry S. Robinson (1914-2003), director of Am. School of Classical Studies in Athens & the Corinth Excavations:

• Peter Robert Franke [text] & Max Hirmer [photography]. 1961. Romische Kaiserportrats im Munzbild. Munich: Hirmer Verlag. 8vo (cover: 175mm x 190mm), 55 pages + 52 photographic plates (16 color).
• Bibliographic: Clain-Stefanelli 4832; Grierson (1966) p. 54; Kroh --.
• "A Note from BCD" [Library Duplicates Sales, 2015 & 2017]: Jacquier 43 (2017), 1066: "Hirmer's superb coin photography remains unsurpassed, even in this day of electronic precision. Together with professor Franke they are an unbeatable pair and this is the reason for the popularity of this book." Auctiones 39 (2015), 86: "The Professor is here joined by Max Hirmer whose stunning coin photography remains unsurpassed to this day. The enlarged coin portraits in this book are real works of art and Franke’s text a worthy tribute to them."

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[DonnaML]

17 hours ago, ACCLA-Mike said:

My Leu win was mailed to me yesterday (6/9/22).

I just received an email saying my lots were sent out to me a day later than yours, on 7 September. So a week earlier than Leu's own self-imposed deadline.

[singig]

I also received the Leu tracking ID , it was sent some hours before the deadline expiration.

[Valentinian]

It is Friday afternoon Sept. 9 in Oregon and I still have not been notified by Leu when they will ship my wins, or that they have. The email they sent saying "You will receive the tracking number of the shipment within the next 10 working days." was received 9 days ago. Maybe I will hear soon.

[Valentinian]

On 9/9/2022 at 1:05 PM, Valentinian said:

It is Friday afternoon Sept. 9 in Oregon and I still have not been notified by Leu when they will ship my wins, or that they have.

Now it is Monday, Sept. 12, and today Leu sent me the tracking number and it was mailed the 7th and is already in the US. I should have the coins in a few days.