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Do you have coins with interesting provenance? Bonus points for accompanying plates!


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@NewStyleKing So if we are going Salton,  here's  one where the relative poorest parts of their collection was sold. I think it was the last  of many parts and that plus  the 1/5 rating from the encapsuler on this coin made prices seem worth a bid. I do  find  that while there are  many   justified complaints about  encapsuler ratings,  if there's an interesting coin with a "bad" rating you can do  well as a purchaser,  given how focused  so many  buyers of  tomb coins are  on  ratings.

Long story short , this  fairly obscure and very early coin of Tarentum came up and there was something about it, so I took a chance. I was able to trace it after  purchase to a 1925 Ars  Classica sale (lot 36) and thence to the Lockett collection. It might  have a face only a  mother could  love,  but a decent trail....  

It was strange  to me there was  no Salton record of either the Ars Classica or Lockett link. Though it was slightly amusing that a fairly important coin  (if you like that sort of thing!) that was good enough for Lockett, Ars Classica etc, was just a mechanistic 1/5 to the tomb merchants.

 

 

 

 

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5ce3a612-f520-4829-98a4-b42d5bb676d4.jpg

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10 hours ago, NewStyleKing said:

I always mocked provenance ...it seems i was right!  Best accidental prov.....Marc & Lottie Salton. But they never revealed where they got it from  !!!  Maybe an unknown Roma auction way back in the 1950's   hahaha

You are entirely justified in mocking vague, worthless "property of an English lady" provenances and fake provenances. But as I've pointed out before, it's just plain foolish to mock genuine, well-documented (photographically or otherwise) provenances, especially ones more than 20 or 30 years old like many of the examples in this very thread. Apart from the inherent historical interest, they have undeniable value in assuring both authenticity and legality. Thereby adding substantial dollar value should one ever desire to sell a coin or artifact accompanied by such a genuine provenance.

 

Edited by DonnaML
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No shortage of nice coins in this thread - I will add a couple...

This coin ex Frederick H Rindge (1857-1905)

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/rome-africa

JubaIdenarius.jpg.a29bc51adb1a538b7a12705f2adf7872.jpg

Kings of Numidia, Juba I, circa 60-46 BC, AR Denarius (17mm, 3.85 g, 10h), Utica mint

Obv: REX IVBA, Diademed and draped bust right, scepter over shoulder

Rev: Octastyle temple with a neo-Punic legend, "Yubai Hammamleket" around

Ref: MAA 29; Mazard 379; SNG Copenhagen 523

Ref: From the S & S Collection ex Frederick H. Rindge (1857-1905) Collection (Part I, Malter Auction XXIX, 22 March 1985, lot 156).

 

Here is what this coin looked like in the 1985 Malter sale (with reverse upside down):

NumidiaRindgeCollection.jpg.a82cc5adb68c54a0506377c702c5ecef.jpg

 

This a plate coin ex Dattari collection

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/provenance-rediscovered

DattariGallienus.jpg.851db4f5e4f67f9d823d5b2830280059.jpg

Egypt, Alexandria, Gallienus, AD 253-268, Potin Tetradrachm, dated RY 15 (AD 267/268)

Obv: AVT K Π ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC CЄB, laureate and cuirassed bust right

Rev: Poseidon standing left, right foot on dolphin, holding palm frond and trident; ЄI/L (date) to lower left, palm frond to right

Ref: Köln 2953; Dattari (Savio) 10561 (this coin); Emmett 3827.15 (R3)

Edited by Sulla80
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I bought this in 2013 in Roma's first e-Sale with the provenance "Tannenbaum Collection".   The sale included many other coins from the same collection.   I don't know who Tannenbaum is or was, though a search at the time led me to think he may have been a Steve Tanenbaum, a US coin dealer who specialised in US tokens and was tragically killed when knocked down by a car driven by a murder suspect on the run from police.   Interestingly, or not, I have a couple of books by the guy's brother, Andrew Tanenbaum, who invented Minix, a forerunner to Linux, and is a well-known computer scientist.

Anyway, I don't actually know if it's the same person (with a spelling error in the sale information), or some other Tannenbaum collection - anyone know?

Ruler: Lysimachos
State, City: Thrace, Lysimacheia
Coin: Silver Tetradrachm
- Diademed head of the deified Alexander with horn of Ammon right
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ - Athena enthroned left, holding Nike, resting left elbow on shield, spear behind; lion's head before, two monograms in exergue
Mint: (After 280 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 16.95g / 30mm / 10h
References:
  • cf ANSMN 13, 21
  • HGC Vol. 3, part 2, 1493 (this coin)
Provenances:
  • Tannenbaum Collection
Acquisition: Roma Numismatics Online auction E-Sale 1 #153 31-Aug-2013

 

LysimachosTetradrachmObv.JPG.d10b347705b8f8c1b43c563d38461787.JPGLysimachosTetradrachmRev.JPG.2e301ccee729f814dc93d9022ed0c006.JPG

About 2 years ago I noticed that this coin is the plate coin for Hoover's Handbook of Greek Coinage vol. 3 part 2, no. 1493:
OyGQoePm0xuSGAphQf3uoasMxi-uSxqiBXuQleZVr0oENhfBrL76QONwE4XaU_GxnqECqC64VHJ31COgrbqXtlUU7KjZAqX2vI19-ejINz2svtgEy-39J8mLcD_KieO9822QiqV6GOTQnqOTMfK0X9VSiKUM5wi3tuyML9Uo3b7bCfT0TxLxyOePfNFxZUUkNhMOqHChg68tafqkQIf98z9rZ-aqaufk2O15PpPrQpjw1XApyTpGurMhUfaxKQUz33fDSXv9Nyo43VoVM3yM8i5OtL7tkeFcNFP4ILepLetfc_RGXO6NuToWYiGc7h4A8Y8c8M0PcfvSlWnIgLksAx4-ZUhTjU5MEauv1uSt57SsoNnpBpCqGJdcYmAqnNcMX2O47eEv8v2PJcGB5uq36gLHQ-Tqe26IMyHcZ2K20nxi6Sp7Gq9cyG0Z-hUMX5To23fCFW9c6i9n9PQdJfIcT8-Ungz3YgAj7W96eQK52lp4zHfz2im-F3Q21T1KzE4z2Qd_EPXuibQdF0Rdggc58jIJp3vFyT4rpUzROoL6vZoMT1bLDmvWFSfmgDUQwtpotSZfDCwNxDGjgs0iRX-R7V10WXXehOPN94PCBZH7y2ktJF13mD_r-k10PDzgfWcwVoWFBAyXYxK-Vf1ZMldVi4h3gMiTjLWrHc1cygTMGXLQzLpJ38-E2uEUokhiLILKHWoeoMSmSvRJXso1igf7jM5Ztcfkwqzuw5dhGCaGpfS2OSG5toQM9SyZCWuXelwL3vlZaRBtmvYxcitd7ltbJQFvcMknM6PgZVHJp40SO0VPVk8VM1nO6u4v3Oz0ucilRxWIC49jfAsynnMUzrit60HR68XxfxHck_lMg4F05J5aIKIHahSVYgBc1bA85Ne-HYO7K0NxvlUjpUVgtg4Xt7Ju5uyuPiR2m-vlB-bbhoZ0AQ=w2844-h1284-no?authuser=0

ATB,
Aidan.

Edited by akeady
Typo'
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This one has a army-university fraternity provenance (if there is such a thing).  I bought it on eBay not knowing about this, but the seller included the paperwork with the coin, a pleasant surprise:

Taranteum-WarriorDolphindidrachm45BINJuly2018myphoto(13).jpg.3eaeed93e266aeee07c2e39d932dd691.jpg

Calabria, Tarentum AR Nomos
ΛYKΩN Magistrate
(c. 280-272 B.C.)

Helmeted, nude warrior on horse right, spearing, crowned by Nike flying left, ΣI behind, ΛYKΩN under horse / Taras astride dolphin left, holding kantharos and trident, GU in right field.
Vlasto 730; SNG ANS 1096.
(6.18 grams / 19 mm)
eBay July 2018          $45.00 BIN
Provenance: Presented as gift to (Army) Chaplain Luther W. Evans for naming Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity magazine The Tidewater-Blue Ridge Teke in 1958 (see letter from Harry Donnelly and Sept. 1958 article in The Tidewater-Blue Ridge Teke, page 3)

Taranteum-WarriorDolphindidrachm45BINJuly2018myphoto(1).JPG.4f80ed4e97af3c7e314947a29c2bbb8b.JPG

 

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27 minutes ago, akeady said:

Anyway, I don't actually know if it's the same person (with a spelling error in the sale information), or some other Tannenbaum collection - anyone know?

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

It is impossible to know for certain. In the area where Steve Tanenbaum collected (tokens & medals) I have always seen his stuff retain his full name "Ex Steve Tanenbaum" or "From the Steve Tanenbaum collection". Using his full name isn't surprising as he is very well known in those circles. But I wouldn't put it past an ancient dealer to drop his first name and misspell it not knowing who he is. In any case, that is a fine Lysimachos tet, congrats.

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I'm not a big provenance guy. If a coin happens to come with an interesting one, then fine, but I really don't greatly care who had my coin before I did.  The important part to me is that I own the coin.

I bought an Antiochus III Tetradrachm from a 1990's Alex Malloy auction remainder lot.  I get my robber barons mixed up.  Which one gave coins to the museum in Boston? J.P. Morgan seems to ring a bell.  I haven't looked at it in years, but the coin's pretty nice.

A recent buy also comes with a fairly interesting history.  It also serves as a box-checker for Lucius Verus. Ok, it's one of the rare cases where the provenance was more intriguing than the coin.  I probably wouldn't have otherwise looked at this coin twice.  Lucius Verus isn't an emperor whom I care about, yet I found the 19th century provenance to be intriguing.

LuciusVerus-161-169-ARDenariusRICIII482-exE.BoudeauParis-pre-1912.jpg.741bc44710a8dad27afc74d19ce6546c.jpg

Attribution: RIC III 482 Rome
Date: AD 161-162
Obverse: IMP L AVREL VERVS AVG, bare head right
Reverse: PROV-DEOR TR P II COS II, Providentia standing left, holding globe and cornucopia
Size: 16.90mm
Weight: 2.96 grams
Rarity: 5
Description: toned good Fine. Includes old yellowed paper envelope from the coin dealer E. Boudeau, Paris - dating prior to 1912 - with dealer name, coin description and price (1.80 francs, about 36 cents) hand-written in French with an ink pen. Élie Boudeau (1853-1912) was a politician and numismatist in late 19th century-early 20th century Paris. He served in the 5th legislature of the Third French Republic from 12 November 1889 to 14 October 1893. He owned a shop in the numismatic district of Paris at 11 Rue Rameau, only a stones throw from the Bibliotheque Nationale and one block from the Rue Vivienne where several coin shops, including CGB, still exist today.

(copy of the Marc B. original listing).

 

 

Lucius Verus (AD 161-169) AR Denarius _ Marc B pre-1912 French provenance w envelope.html

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LuciusVerus-161-169-ARDenariusRICIII482-ORIGINALTAGE.BoudeauParis-pre-1912-WEB.jpg.ac335ca7b25c86793d423976f28a57cb.jpg

There's the original tag for the Verus.

I guess an older collection can be a mixed bag for AE's.  Some retain their patinas, others have this kind of look (stripped and retoned).  Or worse, the ones with the paper tag glued to the reverse, or worse yet, an inked number. 

Maximianus(306-308)-AEFollis-RIC294b26mm.6_7g.Ticinum.jpg.5225b4f61fd195176aa53a211e04fc52.jpg

While I certainly can appreciate an interesting provenance, I don't go out of my way to find it.  Something like Mike's makes the coin more interesting, and what a deal for $45!

The coin p-word which I appreciate the most is patina!

 

GordianIIISestertiusglossyGreenpatinaRIC298a.JPG.75133dfdc4ad3d9bada2485a1047c683.JPG

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be7JGag9cD2zs7Q5T8Ld6YxZcBq3CP.jpg.37ec451174b9867d0fc16a2384462cdd.jpg

I had bought this one because I had wanted a really good example of S882.  Other than picturing the tag, the seller made no mention of the provenance.  Some folks here identified it.  I believe Severus Alexander was one.  I copied what they said, but unfortunately, I didn't note whom it was from.

I'm not familiar with Mr. Spahr, but evidently he had good taste in coins.  How come Byzantine coins almost never have good patinas?  The ones from Sicily are one of the rare exceptions.  The Byzantines controlled the Balkans, and there were oodles of local Roman issues with great patinas.

Their quote (begin)

Rodolfo Spahr (1894-1981), author of important book on Byzantine coins of Sicily (among others): Le Monete Siciliane, dai Bizantini a Carlo I d' Angio (582 - 1282). (Graz, 1976).

Primarily dispersed at Naville Auction 37 (27 Jan 2019), and a few group lots (possibly unsold) in Auction 41 (23 June 2018).

https://coinsweekly.com/naville-numismatics-ltd-27/ https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=spahr
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=inauthor:"Rodolfo+Spahr"&tbm=bks

(That's always the most desirable kind of provenance, when the coin is from a scholar's area of specialty; if it were me, @nerosmyfavorite68 , I'd check his books and any articles he may have written to see if he described or illustrated your example.)

END QUOTE

 

Here's a grotty Constantine Argenteus:

18654.jpg.a145daf5870f3c24504ae75caa920ffc.jpg

@@FAILMEZGER COLLECTION@@ **PLATE COIN** gF/F Constantine I the Great Billon Argenteus / Two Victories

Attribution: RIC VII 208a Trier R3
Date: 318-319 AD
Obverse: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, Laureate cuirassed bust left
Reverse: VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP, Two Victories placing shield inscribed VOT PR on altar
Size: 18.02 mm
Weight: 2.4 grams
Description: A rare billon argenteus

ex: Ancient Imports, 2009.

I have some others with mentioned provenances, like Peter Lee (Ravenna coin), but I have no idea who they were.

Ninety percent of my buys are based upon how the coin looks, stands out to me, or the cost.  The Lucius Verus is the only coin in my collection,to my knowledge, that I bought purposely because of the provenance.

 

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Hi All,

(This was also loaded to the "Ptolemy I as Satrap Tetradrachms" thread).

image.png.c69871eec7d7c53d3e8396bab137d6e5.png

PTOLEMY I SOTER (306/305-283 BCE)
UNCERTAIN MINT 03, EGYPTIAN, PROBABLY MEMPHIS ca 306 - ca 303 BCE

Ar STATER (TETRADRACHM)
Size: 30x31 mm
Weight: 15.64 g
Die Axis:01:00
Broucheion Collection P-2019-06-26.001

OBV: Alexander the Great, wearing horn of Zeus-Ammon, diademmed head facing right, clad in elephant scalp and scaly aegis tied by snakes. Dotted border.
REV: Athena Promachos striding right on tiptoe, brandishing spear and shield. She wears a helmet, a girdled chiton and a scarf falling in swallow-tail folds. Legend reading upwards: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ. In left field: HΔΙ monogram; In right field: eagle on thunderbolt. Dotted border.
Refs: LORBER: CPE-0083; Sv-0153, pl v, 22-23 [14 listed]; COP-UNLISTED; S-7750var: different monogram; BMC 06.xxx, #045

Provenance: Ex Malter "The Coinage of Ancient Egypt," Auction II, 23-24 Feb 1978, Lot 16.

image.png.2bc906404a587cad6219555ecec48337.png

- Broucheion

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Appropriate for today - 

4E50322C-636F-4714-B0C1-ACC0F221A843.jpeg.38ee987e3f7611be91cd2b19035e5618.jpeg15A990F5-1DA0-48CC-966E-7B71C244D0AD.jpeg.a5aebfd0a77a04aa538b63ac7319e5ae.jpeg
 

I bought this coin in 1984, not knowing the provenance. But thanks to Dave Vagi, I learned that it had an auction history back to 1919. It had passed through several significant collections - Johann Horsky, Spencer-Churchill, John Balderston and was published by Cahn in his treatise on the EID MAR as example 9b. I decided to try to acquire the actual publications that it had appeared in and thanks to the generous assistance of Vicken at Stacks, I was able to complete the set this year.

313F0EA9-0138-469A-A86B-B82A8F2B88CD.jpeg.74f9bc00cabccaeaf10296b63877971b.jpeg

I know you said extra credit for the plates, but hopefully I get extra, extra credit for the books themselves!

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Julius Caesar and C. Clovius. Bronze, end 46-early 45 BC. Obv. CAESAR DIC TER. Draped bust of Victory right. Rev. C CLOVI-PRAEF. Minerva, standing left, holding trophy, spear and shield decorated with gorgoneion; at her feet, snake. Cr. 476/1a; B. (Clovia) 11. AE. 12.83 g. 26.50 mm. R. Rare. Obverse legend partly off flan. Nice chocolate brown patina. VF.

It came with a label of a 19th century German collection. Not that robust and concrete but it's written in Latin in a style that would match that story :P. 

Edit: I didn't know it was the greek section haha.

caesar1.png

caesar2.png

caesar3.png

Edited by Victrix
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  • 9 months later...
On 3/7/2023 at 8:13 PM, DonnaML said:

My coin with the oldest provenance ...

@DonnaML -- Well, this one is not going to be as good as the Dattari or Harptree or Vicomte de Sartiges, but here's a little extra sale provenance for a coin of yours that I recognized. (I messaged you separately on something else, but saved this coin for here...)

I remembered this Constans (FEL TEMP REPARATIO, captives) of yours from previous posts since it's a lovely example of a type I collect.

image.jpeg.848bf773158f379271c544b76559f993.jpeg

 

I was looking through a newly-acquired old Fixed Price List this evening -- Alex G. Malloy FPL XXVI (March 1972), which concluded with a section titled, "The Centenionalis," and a plate showing 20 specimens. 

Well, I recognized this coin of course. So now the earliest know provenance can be bumped back (I assume) about 48 years in time, from 2020 to 1972.

A common theme: The "flaws" become the greatest assets in provenance hunting. Even on an awkwardly hand-trimmed photo from the 1970s, the void in the flan around 7h on the rev. is unmistakable.

image.jpeg.af245d418c3cdb089a5b56ecebfe38cc.jpeg

 

I haven't posted/commented much lately, so I have a bit of a backlog of my own such provenance finds to share. For now, though, here's just one related to this same catalog:

I just received several dozen small booklet-sized Fixed Price Lists (Alex G. Malloy & others) from the ANS Library Duplicates. Just like coins, I prefer literature with some interesting provenance. Ex ANS Library is always great. But sometimes there's more...

Dealers often affixed address labels (and postage) right on the back cover of booklet FPLs, so even 50 years later (or longer), one can still see to whom they were originally mailed. (Why I love them!)

These ones all turned out to be from the library of professional numismatist & antiquities cataloger, Michael John Shubin (1950-2008). 

He spent many years working with Joel and Michael Malter at Malter Galleries & elsewhere. Antiquities, other objects, and papers from his estate were dispersed among several institutions, including ANS, Getty, Emory University, and a few others. (Some of his collections have remained in the private market, but not much.) http://numismatics.org/authority/shubin_michael

image.jpeg.29adf5f934188d13fda499f0710bf2ce.jpeg

(He's no longer living and his address is public, so I probably don't need to redact them, but didn't want anyone to worry!)

Edited by Curtis JJ
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7 hours ago, Curtis JJ said:

@DonnaML -- Well, this one is not going to be as good as the Dattari or Harptree or Vicomte de Sartiges, but here's a little extra sale provenance for a coin of yours that I recognized. (I messaged you separately on something else, but saved this coin for here...)

I remembered this coin of yours from previous posts since it's a lovely example of a type I collect.

image.jpeg.848bf773158f379271c544b76559f993.jpeg

 

I was looking through a newly-acquired old Fixed Price List this evening -- Alex G. Malloy FPL XXVI (March 1972), which concluded with a section titled, "The Centenionalis," and a plate showing 20 specimens. 

Well, I recognized this coin of course. So now the earliest know provenance can be bumped back (I assume) about 48 years in time, from 2020 to 1972.

A common theme: The "flaws" become the greatest assets in provenance hunting. Even on an awkwardly hand-trimmed photo from the 1970s, the void in the flan around 7h on the rev. is unmistakable.

image.jpeg.af245d418c3cdb089a5b56ecebfe38cc.jpeg

 

I haven't posted/commented much lately, so I have a bit of a backlog of my own such provenance finds to share. For now, though, here's just one related to this same catalog:

I just received several dozen small booklet-sized Fixed Price Lists (Alex G. Malloy & others) from the ANS Library Duplicates. Just like coins, I prefer literature with some interesting provenance. Ex ANS Library is always great. But sometimes there's more...

Dealers often affixed address labels (and postage) right on the back cover of booklet FPLs, so even 50 years later (or longer), one can still see to whom they were originally mailed. (Why I love them!)

These ones all turned out to be from the library of professional numismatist & antiquities cataloger, Michael John Shubin (1950-2008). 

He spent many years working with Joel and Michael Malter at Malter Galleries & elsewhere. Antiquities, other objects, and papers from his estate were dispersed among several institutions, including ANS, Getty, Emory University, and a few others. (Some of his collections have remained in the private market, but not much.) http://numismatics.org/authority/shubin_michael

image.jpeg.29adf5f934188d13fda499f0710bf2ce.jpeg

(He's no longer living and his address is public, so I probably don't need to redact them, but didn't want anyone to worry!)

Thank you so very much, @Curtis JJ! This is pretty amazing. I have saved your image compilation and added the 1972 provenance to my description of the coin (which, for everyone's  information, I bought from a Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale back in June 2020; there was no pedigree mentioned). I certainly agree with you that a flaw like the one on my specimen makes a match much easier to recognize from an old photo, even more than an irregular flan shape -- which I do always look for, but which is sometimes disguised by the trimming of coin photos that was apparently fairly common back in the day. Even in actual coin photos, never mind in old plaster cast photos.  Still, you must have a fantastic visual memory to be able to recognize not only your own coins, but coins you've seen that belong to others! I have neither the eye nor the patience necessary for that kind of success. Again, thank you!

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I guess I will be the interesting provenance when my coins hit the market. 

Hailed as from the famed " NewStyleKing collection of dubiously sourced smuggled coins". Modern ancient coins says, "NewStyleKing", a self styled expert who seemingly plundered other people's work as his own sprinkled with dubious "scholarship" of his own making and to a great arena of silence.  He did however collect a few rarities and bored collectors to death about them. A legend in his own lunchtime, he won't be missed.

Encapsulators will charge a premium to remove traces of his name from their products labels.

A spokesperson of the  BM states " we totally abhor his buccaneering attitude to collecting and we appeal to people not to purchase his coins...instead we would like to see them destroyed as a warning to others."

Sometime known as Cicerokid. NewStyleKing should be the very last name in provenance. 

A coin forum site said, paradoxically his dubious persona and notoriety might  become a certain cachet to an accidental collector in a couple of centuries time when all his ideas are proved to be 100% correct.

 

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21 minutes ago, NewStyleKing said:

I guess I will be the interesting provenance when my coins hit the market. 

Hailed as from the famed " NewStyleKing collection of dubiously sourced smuggled coins". Modern ancient coins says, "NewStyleKing", a self styled expert who seemingly plundered other people's work as his own sprinkled with dubious "scholarship" of his own making and to a great arena of silence.  He did however collect a few rarities and bored collectors to death about them. A legend in his own lunchtime, he won't be missed.

Encapsulators will charge a premium to remove traces of his name from their products labels.

A spokesperson of the  BM states " we totally abhor his buccaneering attitude to collecting and we appeal to people not to purchase his coins...instead we would like to see them destroyed as a warning to others."

Sometime known as Cicerokid. NewStyleKing should be the very last name in provenance. 

A coin forum site said, paradoxically his dubious persona and notoriety might  become a certain cachet to an accidental collector in a couple of centuries time when all his ideas are proved to be 100% correct.

 

I get the feeling quite a lot (all?) of your dislike of provenance comes from the fact that the coins you collect rarely have any. They don't have any because the governments of the places they come from have policies that push finders to sell them on the black market. Indeed, you've said many times how the authorities just take everything and anything and hide it away. That would be highly frustrating if you did care about provenance. So you don't.

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Au contraire!  I would love to know who had a Thompson #5 in their collection...and why? It is a subject of my write up of all the known specimens. That's to me, is numismatics!

"It does have three previous provenances and not one seems to have noticed that this is a new obverse and a new reverse." (From my  little paper on the early NewStyles) about a skoolkid egregious error by collectors & dealers....what is the point, who are these provenances?)

T#2 !

image.png.418d7df993392cd1ab696adc708afe7c.png

Edited by NewStyleKing
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Here's my most recent coin-addition (as opposed to literature with provenance, which I've also added a bunch of recently). I was outbid on it at Triton XXIV but saw it again at Leu last month and was successful this time around.

Nero & Agrippina Jr. Drachm Caesarea. I really like this coin for historical, artistic, and numismatic reasons (especially the Agrippina Jr. portrait, as I find her & Nero to be some of the most interesting Julio-Claudian figures), but the provenance also made it attractive.

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CAPPADOCIA. Caesaraea-Eusebia. Nero, with Agrippina Junior, prob. struck 55 CE. Drachm (Silver, 18 mm, 3.68 g, 12 h).
Obv: NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERMANI Laureate head of Nero to right.
Rev: 
AGRIPPINA AVGVSTA MATER AVGVSTI Draped bust of Agrippina to right; in field to right, c/m: K/K within rectangular incuse.
Ref: RPC I 3637.5 (
this coin) = Howgego 850i (cited) = CNR XVI 73 (this coin).
Prov: 
Gilhofer & Ranschburg/Hess (22 May 1935), lot 359, Trau collection; Bank Leu/Münzen und Medaillen (21 Oct 1966), lot 659, Niggeler Collection, Part II; CNG 51 (15 Sep 1999), lot 965; CNG MBS 58 (19 Sep 2001,) lot 955; CNG Triton XXIV (19 Jan 2021), lot 139, Merani Collection, Part I; Leu WA 29 (10 Dec 2023), Lot 2426, Dutch Coll.

For coins with extensive collection & publication histories, etc., I like to keep track of them with provenance diagrams:

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It was from the collections of Franz Trau Jr. (1881-1931), Walter Niggeler (1878-1964), and Peter J. Merani (1936-2020). (Before that, I suspect it came from 1906 Caesarea Hoard [Noe 179] via the same source as the ANS/Newell & BMC coins, but have only circumstantial evidence.)

Some of the book/catalog/website images a bit larger:

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It's from a Provincial mint but with Latin legends, so it's published as both RIC and RPC. And, being a portrait coin of Agrippina Jr., the reverse is  also illustrated in at least one book (cited in others) on Great Women of Imperial Rome (J. Burns, 2007, NY: Routledge).

The Trau photo was reproduced in Banti & Simonetta's (1978) Corpus Numorum Romanorum XVI, no. 73. (The Trau sale was also reprinted by Attic Books (NY) in 1976 as Sammlung Franz Trau: Münzen der Römischen Kaiser.) It's also in RPC Supplement II (citing a new CNG sale, not ill.) and in RPC Online (3637, spec. 5) and Wildwinds (Nero ; Caesarea). Also, cited in Howgego's (1985) standard reference on Greek Imperial Countermarks. (My second cited in Howgego; most illustrations are from BMC though.)
 

Edited by Curtis JJ
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Some fantastic provenances in this thread for sure.  My eBay purchases generally don't come with a lot of background to them, but this one was kind of interesting.  No plates, but a fraternity gift letter from the 1950s:

[IMG]
[IMG]
Calabria, Tarentum AR Nomos
ΛYKΩN Magistrate
(c. 280-272 B.C.)

Helmeted, nude warrior on horse right, spearing, crowned by Nike flying left, ΣI behind, ΛYKΩN under horse / Taras astride dolphin left, holding kantharos and trident, GU in right field.
Vlasto 730; SNG ANS 1096.
(6.18 grams / 19 mm)

Provenance: Presented as gift to (Army) Chaplain Luther W. Evans for naming Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity magazine The Tidewater-Blue Ridge Teke in 1958 (see letter from Harry Donnelly and Sept. 1958 article in The Tidewater-Blue Ridge Teke, page 3)

Taranteum-didrachmTEKEpaperworkJuly2018(3).JPG.bae4f2f30ab5ccd4f5d6dd0cbbf099f4.JPG

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I made a separate post about it, but I just noticed the Youtube videos embed. This one is set to start at 50:45 in, and features my coin (reverse only) for about the next 50 seconds (to ~51:35). My first coin to have been shown on TV, as far as I know! It was on History Channel in December 2001:

Older photo of both sides from The Celator:

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