The Morris Collection

[Al Kowsky]

Does anyone remember a large collection of Roman imperial & provincial coins that sold at a number of auction houses several years ago, called The Morris Collection, & sometimes The Phil Peck Collection 🤔? For the longest time it remained a mystery who Morris or Phil Peck was 🤨. Then it was brought to light that Phil Peck was a life-long coin collector who worked as a curator of The Money Museum at The Chase Manhattan Bank in NYC. He also worked as a librarian in NYC. After being admitted to a senior care facility his coin collection was auctioned off. It was also suggested that Morris was his brother, but I have never seen confirmation of this. Never the less, I ended up winning four coins at auction from the Morris or Phil Peck collection, two of which I ended up selling at auction about a 18 months ago. Pictured below are the two coins I kept 😊.

This coin was put into an "economy" slab, most likely by Heritage, fortunately it come with a paper 2 X 2 envelope that had the weight & diameter written on it by Morris or Peck 🙂.

Egypt-Alexandria, Philip II, AD 247-249 (dated year 6, AD 248/9). Billon Tetradrachm: 24.37 mm, 12.50 gm, 11 h.  Reverse: Homonoia with cornucopia. Emmett 3593. 

This coin was also put into an "economy" slab, NGC 4884217-005, AU*, again most likely by Heritage. The coin looked terrible in the slab so I cracked it out 😏.

Pictured below are the two coins I sold at CNG 453.

This coin sold for $325.00

This coin sold for the bargain price of $106.00

Do any other NVMIS FORVMS members have coins from the Morris or Peck collections 🤔?

[Curtisimo]

Nice coins as always Al.  Here is my ex Phil Peck.

Roman Empire
Severus Alexander 
AR Denarius, Antioch mint, struck AD 223
Dia.: 18.38 mm
Wt.: 3.20 g
Obv.: IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: LIBERALITAS AVG, Liberalitas standing left, holding counting board and cornucopia
Ref.: RIC IV 281 Antioch
Ex Phil Peck (aka Morris Collection) with collectors envelope, private purchase from Herb Kreindler (Jan. 2005)

Edited July 3, 2022 by Curtisimo

[Sulla80]

Great coins, Al - I especially like the  Philip II Tetradrachm.   Here's one of mine from the Phil Peck/Morris collection - from one of the usurpers in Gallienus' regnal year 8.

[DonnaML]

I don't seem to have any coins from the Phil Peck Collection, but the name is very familiar. Perhaps I've seen it in some of the JAZ auctions that John Anthony used to conduct?

[Al Kowsky]

9 hours ago, Curtisimo said:

Nice coins as always Al.  Here are my ex Phil Peck.

Roman Empire
Severus Alexander 
AR Denarius, Antioch mint, struck AD 223
Dia.: 18.38 mm
Wt.: 3.20 g
Obv.: IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: LIBERALITAS AVG, Liberalitas standing left, holding counting board and cornucopia
Ref.: RIC IV 281 Antioch
Ex Phil Peck (aka Morris Collection) with collectors envelope, private purchase from Herb Kreindler (Jan. 2005)

The portrait on this denarius is finely engraved, which is no surprise coming from the Antioch mint 😊. The coin is also graced with attractive "rainbow" toning 😉.

[Al Kowsky]

9 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

Great coins, Al - I especially like the  Philip II Tetradrachm.   Here's one of mine from the Phil Peck/Morris collection - from one of the usurpers in Gallienus' regnal year 8.

Sulla, Nice score on this very scarce Alexandrian Tet 😊! I too was very impressed with the Philip II Tet 😉. It's rare to find such a clean coin struck from fresh dies on a late Alexandrian Tet.

[Al Kowsky]

8 hours ago, DonnaML said:

I don't seem to have any coins from the Phil Peck Collection, but the name is very familiar. Perhaps I've seen it in some of the JAZ auctions that John Anthony used to conduct?

Donna, As diverse as your collection is, I'm surprised you haven't added a Morris or Peck coin to your collection yet 🤔.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

None for me yet but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

[Julius Germanicus]

My only coin from the "Morris Collection" is this Sestertius of Gordian II:

IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian II right, seen from behind
VICTORIA AVGG S C - Victory advancing left, wreath upward in right hand, palm in left; S-C across fields.
AE Sestertius, Rome, April 238 aD
30mm / 17.21 gr / 1h
Banti (I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali, Vol. IV-2) Nr. 6 (4 specimens listed, this coin illustrated on p. 238); RIC 7 (plate XII, Nr.4, same obverse die); BMCRE 29 (plate 42, Nr. 29, illustrating specimen from Naples, same obverse die); Cohen 13 (citing specimen in Paris); Sear 8472.
From the collection Richard van de Vyvere-Colens (1837-1912); Charles Dupriez Sale Nr. 112 Bis (M. van de Vyvere), 07.04.1913; lot 1527; Heritage Sale 3071, 07.01.2019 (Morris Collection) lot 32194 (graded NGC VF 4/5 - 4/5)

[Al Kowsky]

30 minutes ago, Julius Germanicus said:

My only coin from the "Morris Collection" is this Sestertius of Gordian II:

IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian II right, seen from behind
VICTORIA AVGG S C - Victory advancing left, wreath upward in right hand, palm in left; S-C across fields.
AE Sestertius, Rome, April 238 aD
30mm / 17.21 gr / 1h
Banti (I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali, Vol. IV-2) Nr. 6 (4 specimens listed, this coin illustrated on p. 238); RIC 7 (plate XII, Nr.4, same obverse die); BMCRE 29 (plate 42, Nr. 29, illustrating specimen from Naples, same obverse die); Cohen 13 (citing specimen in Paris); Sear 8472.
From the collection Richard van de Vyvere-Colens (1837-1912); Charles Dupriez Sale Nr. 112 Bis (M. van de Vyvere), 07.04.1913; lot 1527; Heritage Sale 3071, 07.01.2019 (Morris Collection) lot 32194 (graded NGC VF 4/5 - 4/5)

J.G., That's a good example of this rare sestertius 😊.

[Julius Germanicus]

18 hours ago, Al Kowsky said:

J.G., That's a good example of this rare sestertius 😊.

Thanks, Al !

As I demonstrated on the other forum a couple of years ago, this type is indeed very rare even for Gordian II with only eight published specimens that were all struck from the same obverse die.

[MrMonkeySwag96]

On 7/2/2022 at 8:14 PM, Curtisimo said:

Nice coins as always Al.  Here is my ex Phil Peck.

Roman Empire
Severus Alexander 
AR Denarius, Antioch mint, struck AD 223
Dia.: 18.38 mm
Wt.: 3.20 g
Obv.: IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: LIBERALITAS AVG, Liberalitas standing left, holding counting board and cornucopia
Ref.: RIC IV 281 Antioch
Ex Phil Peck (aka Morris Collection) with collectors envelope, private purchase from Herb Kreindler (Jan. 2005)

That Philip II tet has immaculate surfaces for a Alexandrine Provincial coin

[MrMonkeySwag96]

On 7/2/2022 at 6:24 PM, Al Kowsky said:

Does anyone remember a large collection of Roman imperial & provincial coins that sold at a number of auction houses several years ago, called The Morris Collection, & sometimes The Phil Peck Collection 🤔? For the longest time it remained a mystery who Morris or Phil Peck was 🤨. Then it was brought to light that Phil Peck was a life-long coin collector who worked as a curator of The Money Museum at The Chase Manhattan Bank in NYC. He also worked as a librarian in NYC. After being admitted to a senior care facility his coin collection was auctioned off. It was also suggested that Morris was his brother, but I have never seen confirmation of this. Never the less, I ended up winning four coins at auction from the Morris or Phil Peck collection, two of which I ended up selling at auction about a 18 months ago. Pictured below are the two coins I kept 😊.

This coin was put into an "economy" slab, most likely by Heritage, fortunately it come with a paper 2 X 2 envelope that had the weight & diameter written on it by Morris or Peck 🙂.

Egypt-Alexandria, Philip II, AD 247-249 (dated year 6, AD 248/9). Billon Tetradrachm: 24.37 mm, 12.50 gm, 11 h.  Reverse: Homonoia with cornucopia. Emmett 3593. 

This coin was also put into an "economy" slab, NGC 4884217-005, AU*, again most likely by Heritage. The coin looked terrible in the slab so I cracked it out 😏.

Pictured below are the two coins I sold at CNG 453.

This coin sold for $325.00

This coin sold for the bargain price of $106.00

Do any other NVMIS FORVMS members have coins from the Morris or Peck collections 🤔?

That Philip II tet has immaculate surfaces for a Alexandrine Provincial coin

[Roman Collector]

This is my only ex-Morris collection coin:


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.49 g, 29.0 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD ca. 174-175.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: MATRI MAGNAE S C, Cybele seated right, holding drum in left hand on left knee; to left and right of throne, lions, seated right.
Refs: RIC 1663, BMCRE 932-935; Cohen 169; Sear 5281; MIR 25; ERIC II 205.
Notes: One of the last lifetime issues of Faustina II. Ex-Morris collection.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Roman Collector
I have OCD

[Al Kowsky]

8 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

This is my only ex-Morris collection coin:


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.49 g, 29.0 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD ca. 174-175.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: MATRI MAGNAE S C, Cybele seated right, holding drum in left hand on left knee; to left and right of throne, lions, seated right.
Refs: RIC 1663, BMCRE 932-935; Cohen 169; Sear 5281; MIR 25; ERIC II 205.
Notes: One of the last lifetime issues of Faustina II. Ex-Morris collection.

R.C., That's a beautiful sestertius with a very unusual reverse composition 😊