Greek Silver & Bronze Coins
Lot 4443 Session 16 (9.30am Friday 25 November) Terry Naughton Collec Greek Silver & Bronze Coins
Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $640
EGYPT, Alexandria, Claudius and Messalina, (A.D. 41-54), silver tetradrachm, (12.29 g), issued year 3 = 42-43, obv. TI K**L*AY**DI KAIS SEBA GE*PMANIAYTOK, head of Claudius to right, laureate, in front L **G*, rev. Messalina as Demeter standing to left arm resting on column, veiled and clad in chiton and peplos, hold two small figures (her children, Britannicus and Octavia) and ears of corn, around ME**SSALI NA KAIS SEBAS*, (S.1869 [Sear Roman Coins], RPC 5131, Koln 75 (p.36), Datt. 123, BMC 71-72 (p.10), Curtis 13 variety, Milne 84-85). Extremely fine, grey tone and very rare in this condition.
Ex Noble Numismatics Auction Sale 85 (lot 3183).
Messalina (Valeria Messalina), d. A.D. 48, was a Roman empress and the wife of Claudius I. She was the mother of his children, Britannicus and Octavia. Her reputation for greed and lust was supposedly unknown to her husband until, in Claudius' absence, she publicly married her lover Caius Silius. Claudius' secretary Narcissus informed the emperor and Claudius then had Messalina executed.
The coin described above features in Robert Graves novel "Claudius the God" and speaks of revolts in Alexandria and its issue was intended to humiliate Claudius.
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Adjacent lots
Lot 4441
EGYPT, Kingdom of, Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX, Soter II, (116-107 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, Alexandria ...
Estimate $200
Lot 4442
EGYPT, Kingdom of, Ptolemy XII, Neos Dionysos, (80-51 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, Alexandria mint, struck year ...
Estimate $200
Lot 4443 This lot
EGYPT, Alexandria, Claudius and Messalina, (A.D. 41-54), silver tetradrachm, (12.29 g), issued year 3 ...
Estimate $500
Lot 4444
EGYPT, Alexandria, Hadrian, (A.D. 117-138), billon tetradrachm, 26mm, (12.02 g), year 10 = A.D. 125-6, ...
Estimate $150
Lot 4445
EGYPT, Alexandria, Hadrian, (A.D. 117-138), billon tetradrachm (25mm), (12.49 g), dated year 15 = 130-1 ...
Estimate $200