Triton XXVIII Jan. 2025 Auction Catalog has arrived

[DonnaML]

The 400+ - page printed catalog for the January Triton auction at the NYINC arrived in the mail yesterday, and I spent a long time leafing through it, looking in amazement at all the gorgeous coins. I know that one can see much better and larger images online, but there's something about holding a printed catalog in one's hands and looking at each page in turn that's still very special.  The coins in catalogs like this one sometimes make me wonder why I even bother!

Here are some of the lots with the highest estimates, with the photos taken from Numisbids:

Lot 236, estimate $300,000.

ARKADIA, Pheneos. Circa 360-350/40 BC. AR Stater (25mm, 11.95 g, 2h).

Lot 622, Estimate $250,000. I don't have to tell you what this coin is! I was surprised that the pedigree goes back only to an NAC auction in the early 1990s; I thought all the Eid Mar specimens had been traced farther back than that.

Lot 93, Estimate $100,000

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. AR Dekadrachm (34.5mm, 42.91 g, 12h). Reverse die signed by Euainetos.

Lot 387, Estimate $100,000. 

EGYPT, Pharaonic Kingdom. Nektanebo II. 361-343 BC. AV Stater (17mm, 8.31 g, 10h).

Now we drop down a bit to a couple of relatively cheap ones:

Lot 94, Estimate $50,000

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. 405-367 BC. AR Dekadrachm (34.5mm, 43.24 g, 5h). Unsigned dies in the style of Euainetos. 

Lot 244, Estimate $50,000.

CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS, Pantikapaion. Circa 340-325 BC. AV Stater (19mm, 9.09 g, 12h). 

And many more!

But my favorite coin in the auction might be this one, with its very unusual reverse (or maybe it's the collection of gold British coronation medals from Charles II through George V, see Lots 1127,  1129-1134, & 1136-1140!):

Lot 485, Estimate $2,000.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian. AD 117-138. Æ Drachm (32.5mm, 26.87 g, 12h). Dated RY 18 (AD 133/4). AYT KAIC TPAIAN • AΔPIANOC CЄB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Hadrian right, seen from behind / Beardless sphinx standing left on serpent, wearing crown of solar disk, horns and feathers, crocodile emerging from its chest, with Uraeus tail; on its back, griffin seated left, right paw on wheel; L IH (date) above. Köln 1132; Dattari (Savio) 2004; K&G 32.597; RPC III 5912; Emmett 1056. Brown patina, minor deposits, scrapes and minor metal flaws on reverse. Good VF. Very rare beardless sphinx variety. RPC notes the variety but does not separate them from the others of this entry, only one beardless variety recorded.

If I had a bit more money to spend right now, I'd certainly be tempted to try for this one!

Probably the only coin in the whole auction that doesn't make me envious is Lot 526, with a $500 estimate and a current bid of $300:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian. AD 117-138. Æ Obol (18mm, 5.24 g, 12h). Arsinoite nome. Dated RY 11 (AD 126/7). AVT KAI TPAI AΔPIA CЄB, laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder / APCI, head of the pharaoh Premarres (Amenemhet III) right, wearing nemes with uraeus; L IA (date) to right. Köln 3381-2; Dattari (Savio) 6210, 10876-80; K&G N6.6; RPC III 6296; W&G III.2; Emmett 1221.11. Green patina, slight roughness, minor deposits. VF.

From the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 61 (25 September 2002), lot 1080.

I actually kind of like the reverse on mine just as much! 

Hadrian, AE Nome Obol, Year 11 (126/127 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint (for Arsinoite Nome). Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder, AΥΤ ΚΑΙ - ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹΕΒ / Rev. Head of Egyptian Pharaoh right, no beard [identified with Amenemhat III, under Greco-Roman name of Pramarres], wearing nemes [royal striped headdress] with uraeus [sacred cobra, worn by deities and pharaohs] at forehead; APCI (= Arsi[noites]) to left, date L IA (Year 11) to right. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 6296 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6296 ; Emmett 1211.11 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; BMC 16 Alexandria, Nomes 72-73 at p. 357 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892)]; Sear RCV II 3831 (ill.); Köln 3381/82 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band II (Hadrian-Antoninus Pius) (Cologne, 1978, corrected reprint 1987)]; K&G N6.6; Milne 1229 at p. 30 (var. with beard; see p. 139 col. 2 bottom) [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]. 19.4 mm., 5.32 g. (Purchased from Zuzim Inc., Brooklyn, NY Jan 2021; ex. Fontanille Coins, Auction 96, July 2017, Lot 7, sold as “the finest example [that dealer] ha[d] seen.”) [Footnote omitted; see https://www.numisforums.com/topic/4950-egyptian-hieroglyphs-on-coins/page/2/#comment-63311 .]

But that may be the only exception! And for anyone interested in Roman Alexandrian coinage, I do highly recommend going through Lots 482-557, specifically the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection beginning with Lot 491, and even more specifically the Beniak Collection of Nome coinage beginning with Lot 524. I have never seen so many Nome coins before, and didn't even realize that there are types that were minted as bronze drachms rather than simply obols and dichalkons.

Here are some more highlights, from the catalog's first page:

 

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Mine will arrive tomorrow, but I have already placed my pre-bids, including a record one (5850 EUR (which is 6160 USD) is the most a coin I won hammered for) for one of the Roman Gold coins.

[Al Kowsky]

Mine arrived Saturday, fabulous material as usual 😃. I've already been "eyeballing" the Roman provincial material 🧐...

[kirispupis]

I always have the auction houses remove me from the catalog list to conserve resources, but I admired the above coins online. There are two I’m interested in, but I haven’t decided if it’s worth bidding on them since my odds aren’t good.

[mcwyler]

Gorgeous coins. I'll have a look online, sort of like coin porn.

I do have one that's quite similar, this Pan one. Not as yellow though, and only €65.

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

1 - That Euainetos is just gorgeous  

2 - That Nektanebo is the best specimen I have ever seen! If I had the money I know what I would buy myself for Christmas!!!

𓄤 𓋞

Edited December 10, 2024 by AncientCoinnoisseur

[JAZ Numismatics]

I always reach as deeply into my pockets as I can for the lots I want at Triton, and I always get blown out of the water, lol

 

[panzerman]

Mine MIGHT arrive by next Summer!

We are in the throes of a "postal strike" 4 weeks and counting. Union and Govt. are not even talking. And I have 10+ coins somewhere in mail stream. Boy, we need an  federal election....yesterday.

[robinjojo]

The CNG Triton XVIII catalog (tome) arrived the other day, with the help of a forklift, and as usual it was full of coins that are wonderfully photographed and documented.  I haven't participated in any of their floor auctions since I find bidding a futile pursuit.  The catalog is a wonderful resource and I like to share it with my local coin dealer.  

Donna is right when it comes to a printed catalog.  There is a very intimate quality leafing through the pages at one's own pace that cannot be replicated when viewing digital images on a computer screen which convey a colder, disjointed presentation in my view.  Not only is there a visual difference with a printed catalog, but also a tactile one as well, and oh, that new catalog scent!  As our society speeds ever so rapidly away from print, something is being lost in the process.

I feel fortunate in having been able to collect some really nice ancient and world coins back in the 80's and 90's before the onslaught of slabbed coins, marketing and the promotion of coins as an "investment".  Many of those coins are unreachable for me now price-wise, so I'm sticking primarily to mid-grade coins on CNG's e-auctions, as well as from online sellers mostly on MA Shops and VCoins.  

Edited December 10, 2024 by robinjojo

[Romancollector]

6 hours ago, panzerman said:

Mine MIGHT arrive by next Summer!

We are in the throes of a "postal strike" 4 weeks and counting. Union and Govt. are not even talking. And I have 10+ coins somewhere in mail stream. Boy, we need an  federal election....yesterday.

I received mine a few days ago via FedEx.....In fact, every complimentary catalogue I have received from CNG was shipped via FedEx. Are you sure that they didn't ship yours with FedEx? I'm assuming they'd use the same method since we are in the same province....but I could be wrong!

I also have a coin whose whereabouts is unknown, although in my case it went missing two weeks before the strike....

Edited December 11, 2024 by Romancollector

[panzerman]

9 hours ago, Romancollector said:

I received mine a few days ago via FedEx.....In fact, every complimentary catalogue I have received from CNG was shipped via FedEx. Are you sure that they didn't ship yours with FedEx? I'm assuming they'd use the same method since we are in the same province....but I could be wrong!

I also have a coin whose whereabouts is unknown, although in my case it went missing two weeks before the strike....

Maybe mine then will arrive! I forgot that they ship FEDEX. I STILL have 7 coin shipments in Limbo. Luckily I had 4 sent to my butterfly buyer in Spain. He then (once strike ends) ship them discreet/ no description/ value.

[Mucius Scaevola]

I bid quite high for my standards on one coin that I really want and I'm optimistic like @JAZ Numismatics - I already know that I will get absolutely destroyed😂

Edited January 2 by Mucius Scaevola

[panzerman]

I got mine last week!

Problem is that in January there are so many imp. auctions. My wallet is running on fumes🤐 right now....

There is one electrum coin that I may get/ depending on other bidders.

John

[Croatian Coin Collector]

2 hours ago, panzerman said:

I got mine last week!

Problem is that in January there are so many imp. auctions. My wallet is running on fumes🤐 right now....

There is one electrum coin that I may get/ depending on other bidders.

John

Yes, while I had been looking forward to Triton XXVIII for a long time, the coins on offer at certain other auctions this month interest me more.

[panzerman]

Yes/ there are so many tantalizing coins/ so many great auctions in January.😎 So little $$$$$🤐

[Croatian Coin Collector]

On 1/3/2025 at 1:28 AM, panzerman said:

Yes/ there are so many tantalizing coins/ so many great auctions in January.😎 So little $$$$$🤐

Yes, I think I have something like 20 active pre-bids!

[Gallienus]

I didn't get any CNG printed catalog, also I like to conserve paper.  I did bid (pre-bid) on a few items. One I was quite worried that I bid too much.  It was a semi-uncommon sestersius but in tooled condition.  Fortunately I was outbid.

It's been several years since I won anything from CNG, as often their prices are quite strong.  I'm going to the NYINC next week but if I get anything at auction, it won't leave me any $ for the show in person.  

 

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Triton XXVIII will start in a little over 2 hours!

[rasiel]

Here's everything I'm (half-heartedly) after. Only one I'd really like to add would be that Rommie but my last name ain't Vanderbilt :'-(

I'm only blurring out my bid amounts to avoid offending some of you. Any of these will be in the "wow, I actually won it at this price?" category if I actually win any of them. Red highlighted = already outbid.

Good luck to those of you who are in it for reals!

Rasiel

Edited January 14 by rasiel

[rasiel]

On 12/10/2024 at 11:01 AM, DonnaML said:

...The coins in catalogs like this one sometimes make me wonder why I even bother!

 

Oh Donna, c'mon, go for it. You know you want that Eid Mar or the curly haired Greek lady. You only live once. Nothing a second mortgage can't handle :- )

Rasiel

[Croatian Coin Collector]

I made 8 pre-bids, only 1 of them is still active!

[El Cazador]

Just now, Croatian Coin Collector said:

I made 8 pre-bids, only 1 of them is still active!

🤣🤣🤣you can’t be serious?

 

i made 34 pre-bids and only 1 is standing - great ratio 😉

[Croatian Coin Collector]

I was outbid at the last second on the last coin I was bidding on (Lot 434).

[El Cazador]

12 minutes ago, Croatian Coin Collector said:

I was outbid at the last second on the last coin I was bidding on (Lot 434).

Me to, #450o

[Bailathacl]

I’m getting scorched, mostly by Bidder number 9 live in the auction room — whoever they are they are tenacious and I respect that.  1 out of 6 today, we will see what tomorrow brings.

I have two pre bids tomorrow still standing, and I might bid more on a couple of other items if those don’t pan out.  (Have to save something for when I get to the actual show!)