Rare Titus With a Provenance Puzzle

[David Atherton]

My latest addition is a type struck for Titus that one rarely sees in trade. I'm willing to forgive the so-so condition.

Additionally, the ticket that came with the piece presents a little provenance mystery.

 

Titus
Æ As, 10.52g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
Obv: IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P COS VIII; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: FIDES PVBLICA; S C below; Hands clasped over caduceus and corn ears
RIC 224 (R2). BMC -. BNC 214.
Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 109. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex Dionysos, eBay, 17 April 2016. Ex 'Dr. Kimpel, 9/12/61'.

This as from 80-81 advertises the emperor's careful stewardship of Rome's corn-supply and finances. An exceedingly rare type for Titus as Augustus. Missing from the BM collection.

In hand.

 

The old 1960s ticket that came with the piece presents a minor puzzle. Presumably from an old German collection, but I cannot quite make out the name of the collector. I see 'Dr. Kimpel', but Curtis wrote 'Dr. Kimrel' on his own ticket. Is anyone familiar with this provenance?

Thanks for looking!

Edited November 20, 2023 by David Atherton

[ACCLA-Mike]

I love getting and seeing these old tickets! Ted Buttrey's old Fitzpatrick Museum's list of Numismatic Auction Catalogues and Fixed Price Lists includes this listing for a dealer in Düsseldorf named Kimpel operating in the 60s and early 70s. Your coin might well be from one of these lists. Perhaps the penciled in date is 9.22.67?

KIMPEL, W., Düsseldorf, Germany
Lists: {Small} have 1-43
1961: no 1, May; no 2, Dec;
1962: no 3, Apr; no 4, Nov;
1963: no 5, Mar; no 6, Jul; no 7, Oct;
1964: no 8, Jan; no 9, May; no 10, Sep;
1965: no 11, Mar; no 12, Aug/Sep; no 13;
1966: no 14, Mar/Apr; no 15, Summer; no 16, Oct/Nov;
1967: no 17, Feb/Mar; no 18, Jul; no 19, Sep; no 20, Dec;
1968: no 21, Mar; no 22, May/Jun; no 23, Aug; no 24, Dec;
1969: no 25, Mar; no 26, Jun; no 27, Sep; no 28, Dec;
1970: no 29, Mar/Apr; no 30, Jun/Jul; no 31, Oct; no 32, Dec;
1971: no 33, Mar; no 34, Jun/Jul; no 35, Sep; no 36, Dec;
1972: no 37, Mar; no 38, Jun; no 39, Sep; no 40, Dec;
1973: no 41, Apr; no 42, Sep
1974: no 43, Mar

 

[ACCLA-Mike]

FYI, Here is the link to the Fitzpatrick Museum's lists of Numismatic Auction Catalogues and Fixed Price Lists:

https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/coins/library/salescatalogue/index.html

[maridvnvm]

After a brief search - Dr. Walter Kimpel was a coin dealer in Dusseldorf (Hohe strasse) in the 1960s...

[DonnaML]

1 hour ago, ACCLA-Mike said:

I love getting and seeing these old tickets! Ted Buttrey's old Fitzpatrick Museum's list of Numismatic Auction Catalogues and Fixed Price Lists includes this listing for a dealer in Düsseldorf named Kimpel operating in the 60s and early 70s. Your coin might well be from one of these lists. Perhaps the penciled in date is 9.22.67?

KIMPEL, W., Düsseldorf, Germany
Lists: {Small} have 1-43
1961: no 1, May; no 2, Dec;
1962: no 3, Apr; no 4, Nov;
1963: no 5, Mar; no 6, Jul; no 7, Oct;
1964: no 8, Jan; no 9, May; no 10, Sep;
1965: no 11, Mar; no 12, Aug/Sep; no 13;
1966: no 14, Mar/Apr; no 15, Summer; no 16, Oct/Nov;
1967: no 17, Feb/Mar; no 18, Jul; no 19, Sep; no 20, Dec;
1968: no 21, Mar; no 22, May/Jun; no 23, Aug; no 24, Dec;
1969: no 25, Mar; no 26, Jun; no 27, Sep; no 28, Dec;
1970: no 29, Mar/Apr; no 30, Jun/Jul; no 31, Oct; no 32, Dec;
1971: no 33, Mar; no 34, Jun/Jul; no 35, Sep; no 36, Dec;
1972: no 37, Mar; no 38, Jun; no 39, Sep; no 40, Dec;
1973: no 41, Apr; no 42, Sep
1974: no 43, Mar

 

I think the year on the ticket looks more like 61 than 67. No line through the number, as would usually be the case in Europe for a 7.

[ACCLA-Mike]

Possibly. But the date is written month/day/year not/day/month year so perhaps more likely added in the USA?

[David Atherton]

@maridvnvm @ACCLA-Mike 'Kimpel' it is! 

@DonnaML I believe you are correct, the numeral in question looks like a '1' comparing it to the date '81' written on the frontside of the ticket (and as you pointed out 7 would most likely have a line through it). Also, the date format must be an abbreviated European one for 9 December 1961, which corresponds with Kimpel sale number 2 on the helpful list provided above.

Thank you all for helping to solve the riddle!