Saving the best for last... anyone need a nice and special Sestertius of Gordian I and/or Gordian II ?

[Julius Germanicus]

Well... then you need to look no further than the handsome hardback coffee table catalogue of Künker´s Auction 416 on 29-30. October 2024 (mine came in the mail this week).

It includes the highlights of my humble and now mostly dispersed collection of Roman Sestertii. As I always liked my own in-hand coin photos better than most auction house seller´s pictures, l present them here again - not totally unselfishly, as I am glad that some of my roman bronzes of each of my sales ended up in the hands of fellow forum members so they did not disappear into oblivion).

So, if someone here shall win one of my two Gordiani Africani, let me know and I will again send a digital copy of it's David Sear detailed certificate of authenticity.

So here they are:

IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANUS AFR AVG - Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right of Gordian I Africanus right
ROMAE AETERNAE S C - Roma seated left on throne, holding Victoriola and leaning on sceptre; shield at side
Sestertius, Rome, April 238
30,04 mm / 21,42 gr / 12h
Banti (I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali, Vol. IV-2) Nr. 6 (3 specimens listed), RIC 10, Cohen 9, BMCRE 10, Sear 8451
From the collection of Dr. Kurt Wiemers (1920-2006), Münzen and Medaillen AG 552, 1992, lot 42; Auction Kricheldorf 49, 2017, lot 406

IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian II Africanus right
VICTORIA AVGG S C, Victory advancing left, holding wreath in extended right hand and palm at her side in left.
Sestertius, Rome, April 238 aD
30,52 mm / 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 and pl. XII, 4 (same obverse die); BMCRE 29* and pl. 42 (citing specimen in 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 and Phillip C. Peck, Heritage Sale 3071, lot 32194, 07.01.2019 (Morris Collection)

Even for coins of the two elder Gordiani, which are certainly rare as such, these two types for the respective emperors especially are of extraordinary rarity and missing in nearly all museums and collections, with less than ten specimens (from a single obverse die in the case if Gordian II) recorded of each type (these being, apart from their pedigrees, among the finest of those).

I dare say that any collector would be challenged to find a better combination of grade, rarity and pedigree for a bronze coin of either ruler. So if you know that "238 AD / Year of the six Emperors" completist, let them know! This might be the chance to acquire something that they will never be able to replace.

 

Edited October 4, 2024 by Julius Germanicus

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Beautiful examples of the die cutter's art. I'd love to get my hands on a Kunker catalog so I'll start at their website presumably. Yesterday I did an inventory of my coins and found that I'd likely need 17 coins to "complete" my collection of emperors, caesars, and special personages up through the time of Honorius and post Arcadius. Gordian I and II are on my list and the last of the six emperors of 238 C.E. that I have left to acquire. 

Edit: I found both pieces on the Kunker site. I imagine they will go for more (considerably) than the starting price!

Edited October 4, 2024 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[MrZun]

I would love to have one too 🙂

[Julius Germanicus]

On 10/4/2024 at 5:51 PM, Ancient Coin Hunter said:

Beautiful examples of the die cutter's art. I'd love to get my hands on a Kunker catalog so I'll start at their website presumably. Yesterday I did an inventory of my coins and found that I'd likely need 17 coins to "complete" my collection of emperors, caesars, and special personages up through the time of Honorius and post Arcadius. Gordian I and II are on my list and the last of the six emperors of 238 C.E. that I have left to acquire. 

Edit: I found both pieces on the Kunker site. I imagine they will go for more (considerably) than the starting price!

I think that Künker only sends out free hard cover catalogues if they include coins that you submitted.

Note that the "Coins of the Antique World from various Properties" include specifically those of the collection of "A North German Friend of Antiquities" ☺️

I certainly hope that the results will come out better than in their last online auction (in which I did not break even) despite them being absent from a place like Biddr and the fact that I find their photography of bronze coins worth improving...

At least they are in good company - there is a mint state Stater of Augustus with the only portrait of Marcus Agrippa on a gold coin from the collection of the Arch Duke Alexander Romanov, for example:

 

 

[Qcumbor]

Beautiful examples JG, I'm envious !

Q

[Julius Germanicus]

Oh, I almost forgot: There is also this very rare Sestertius of Agrippina the Younger of mine in the Künker auction:

AGRIPPINA AVG GERMANICI F CAESARIS AVG - Draped bust of Agrippina Junior right 

(no legend) – Carpentum left, drawn by two mules, the cover supported by standing figures.

Brass Sestertius, Perinthus (?) mint, AD 51-54 (struck under Claudius)

32mm / 26.99 g / 6h

Cohen -, BMCRE Claudius p. 195 note and plate 37.3, RIC I (Claudius) 103 (R3), H.-M. von Kaenel, “Britannicus, Agrippina Minor und Nero in Thrakien”, SNR 63 (1984), p. 130 ff, Type A (7 specimens) and plate 24, 30 (same obverse die), Cayon “Los Sestercios del Imperio Romano” Vol. 1 (1984), 1 (80.000 SFR) and plate p.74 (same reverse die), Sear RCV I, 1910

Ex CNG E-auction 525, 19.10.2022 (lot 1045), “From the S & S Collection”

 

Künker did not post this floor auction on Biddr and not even on Sixbid it seems, and the listing on their homepage does not even mention that this is indeed Agrippina Minor and not her much more comon mother Agrippina I 😳.

 

 

Edited October 9, 2024 by Julius Germanicus

[Mucius Scaevola]

I think Kuenker is never on biddr, as they use Auex.

For the rest, you can always write them and ask them to change the description. They are super helpful most of the time.

[Gallienus]

On 10/4/2024 at 10:47 AM, Julius Germanicus said:

Well... then you need to look no further than the handsome hardback coffee table catalogue of Künker´s Auction 416 on 29-30. October 2024 (mine came in the mail this week).

So, if someone here shall win one of my two Gordiani Africani, let me know and I will again send a digital copy of it's David Sear detailed certificate of authenticity.

I dare say that any collector would be challenged to find a better combination of grade, rarity and pedigree for a bronze coin of either ruler. So if you know that "238 AD / Year of the six Emperors" completist, let them know! This might be the chance to acquire something that they will never be able to replace.

 

On 10/4/2024 at 10:47 AM, Julius Germanicus said:

  

 

I particularly like the Gordian I but am not at all certain what these sestersii will sell for.  I'm also a fan of the 3rd century but am despondent ever since a dealer respresentative (who shall remain unnamed so as to protect the guilty) failed to execute my bid for a simply stunning sestersius of Valerian.

Of course I have a really nice Gordian III but also it's a question of price for the Gordian I.

[Julius Germanicus]

On 10/9/2024 at 3:05 PM, Mucius Scaevola said:

I think Kuenker is never on biddr, as they use Auex.

For the rest, you can always write them and ask them to change the description. They are super helpful most of the time.

Thank you! They fixed it and the Auction is on Sixbid now. I had never heard about Auex. That service does not seem to show pre-bids however.

Edited October 15, 2024 by Julius Germanicus

[Mucius Scaevola]

29 minutes ago, Julius Germanicus said:

Thank you! They fixed it and the Auction is on Sixbid now. I had never heard about Auex. That service does not seem to show pre-bids however.

To me it shows usually? You sure that you were looking on auex? Just google auex and Künker. I don‘t have the link now by hand

[Gallienus]

So what did the Gordian sestersii bring?  Actually I could use a nice Gordian I but missed the Kunker sale.

[Julius Germanicus]

They made 1.100 Euros each, (much) less than what I paid for them six years ago. I think Künker´s photos did not do them justice (compare to mine in the OP):

 

A similar Gordian I Sestertius (of a not so rare type fot that emperor) fetched 2.400 USD in the last Heritage auction:

 

 

 

[Limes]

34 minutes ago, Julius Germanicus said:

They made 1.100 Euros each, (much) less than what I paid for them six years ago. I think Künker´s photos did not do them justice (compare to mine in the OP):

 

A similar Gordian I Sestertius (of a not so rare type fot that emperor) fetched 2.400 USD in the last Heritage auction:

 

 

 

Sorry to hear that! Even though auctions are a gamble, good photos help to get a better price I believe. Kunker always has horrible photos of the coins, overlighted, very pixelated. Then again, as a buyer this helps as people may skip issues that look really good in hand. Of some of their coins for sale, they post video's online. Did they offer that for your coins? 

Some of the prices realized in the Kunker sales (and esale) are something else, though. And I'm not referring to the aureii or the stater of Augustus/Agrippa. Some denarii of Hadrian (travel sersies) were sold for serious money. Hadrian Italia, 2.600 EUR: https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=8532&lot=3180 It's a beauty, though... 

Hadrian Asia https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=8532&lot=3184 hammered for 3.900 EUR (!!!) 

[Gallienus]

2 hours ago, Julius Germanicus said:

They made 1.100 Euros each, (much) less than what I paid for them six years ago. I think Künker´s photos did not do them justice (compare to mine in the OP):

 

A similar Gordian I Sestertius (of a not so rare type fot that emperor) fetched 2.400 USD in the last Heritage auction:

 

 

 

Interesting.  Now the Gordian I out of Heritage does appear to have a trifle less wear.  I am surprised they went so cheaply tho.  It happens to everyone:  as auctions are luck of the draw.

I'm currently reading Maximinus Thrax by Peterson. It goes into a lot of detail on the rise of the Gordians.  That's how I became recently interested in the coins of Gordian I Africanus.

[Anaximander]

An interesting discussion, as nearly all collectors have to sell something, sometime. I've bought, but never sold, with an auction firm, and I've never used a third party bidding service. So your experience, @Julius Germanicus, is informative, so thank you for sharing.  

That said, I've been trying -and failing- to see this specific auction. I see nothing anywhere on this specific sale. It's like it never existed! The only links shown here take me down the wrong hole, as it were. I'm just too unfamiliar with this auctioneer. I'm like a blind horse that needs to be led to the water: I need auction number and, preferably, a direct link.

[Julius Germanicus]

On 11/15/2024 at 3:51 PM, Anaximander said:

That said, I've been trying -and failing- to see this specific auction. I see nothing anywhere on this specific sale. It's like it never existed! The only links shown here take me down the wrong hole, as it were. I'm just too unfamiliar with this auctioneer. I'm like a blind horse that needs to be led to the water: I need auction number and, preferably, a direct link.

Here it is:

https://www.kuenker.de/de/auktionen/stuecke/415-416

(you need to scroll down) or:

https://www.sixbid.com/de/fritz-rudolf-kuenker-gmbh-und-co-kg/12380/page/1/perPage/100?term&orderCol=lot_number&orderDirection=asc&priceFrom&displayMode=large&auctionSessions=&sidebarIsSticky=false

It did bother me that they do not use Biddr, I must say.

[Anaximander]

Thank you kindly for the link. I found your two sestertii and a whole lot more. I'm taken back by the sheer size of this auction and its variety and the many hundreds of lots of militaria that begin the sale.  Your rarities, lots 2048 and 2050, are in the company of several other great rarities, such as the high grade silver denarii of the same two Gordians. That's some tough competition. A different sale, sans the denarii and another sestertius of Gordian I, could have meant a very different result.  

Parting with my own two Gordian denarii will be difficult, partly for fear that I will not recoup my outlay, made 20+ years ago. 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

As a heads up the new Leu web auction has some denarii of the Gordians... pretty sure the start price of 200 Chf will be vastly exceeded.