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Upcoming Auctions
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Shoshana II - September 5, 2012
Shoshana
II, the second half of the incredible Shoshana Collection of
Ancient Judaean Coins, will start at 4:00 PM PT (6:00 PM CT) on
Wednesday, September 5, during the Long Beach Coin & Collectibles
show in Long Beach, CA. The Shoshana Collection, assembled over a
30-year period by a Southern California collector, comprises coins
related to the founding of Ancient Israel and the story of the
Jewish people in the Holy Land. Part 1
of the Shoshana Collection, March 8-9, produced several world
records, including $1.1 million for a "prototype" shekel of the
Jewish War struck in the first year of conflict, 66 CE, one of two
known examples. Two other coins also sold for just under $1 million
each and altogether the 712 coins realized $7.6 million.
Highlights from the Shoshana II include:
As with all Heritage Signature auctions, you have many options
for bidding. If you have any questions about the auctions or would
like a copy of the catalog, please contact Dave Michaels by email,
DMichaels@HA.com, or phone at
(310) 492-8615.
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Long Beach World and Ancients Auction, September
6-7
Besides Shoshana
II, we have a terrific auction
of Ancient and World Coins that same week in Long Beach, with
Sessions 1-4 scheduled Thursday, September 6 and Friday, September
7. Including our Internet-Only Non-Floor Session on September
10-11, the auction contains an astounding 5,000 lots, of which more
than 1,100 are Ancients! Here are some highlights from the Ancients
Signature auction, which occurs in Session 4 the evening of Friday,
September 6:
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Weekly Auctions of World & Ancients
Heritage's ongoing Weekly
Auction of World & Ancient Coins start and end each Thursday at
10:00 PM. Each auction features 10-50 Ancient coins. The auction
set for September 13 will feature an impressive collection of
coins; mostly bronze, from the Bosporan Kingdom — a Roman
client kingdom along the northern coast of the Black Sea that
flourished from the last century BC through circa AD 300. Many
coins feature interesting ruler portraits backed with fascinating
reverse types, including and military architecture and exotic gods
and goddesses
About 50 Ancient and more than 100 World coins will go on the
block every week, with sales starting and ending each
Thursday at 10 PM CT. Coins will start at $1 with no
reserves! Be sure to look each auction over carefully — you'll
find plenty of excellent values on attractive and highly
collectible pieces!
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September Events
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September Shows
Long Beach Coin, Stamp and Collectibles Expo, Sept. 6-9
2012: We'll be attending this important West Coast show along
with the rest of the Heritage crew. We'll bring a selection of
Ancients inventory and will be available to take consignments for
our upcoming New York International signature auction, January 6-7.
Public hours are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Thursday and Friday and 10:00
AM to 5:00 PM Saturday.
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Museum Exhibitions
Gifts of the Gods: We recently attended a wonderful
exhibition at San Francisco's Legion Of Honor museum
entitled "Gifts From the Gods: Art and the Olympic Idea. Timed to
coincide with the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the
exhibit features 48 magnificent coins loaned to the museum by
members of the San Francisco Ancient Numismatic Society, all
of them illustrating various aspects of ancient Greco-Roman gaming
festivals, primarily the Olympics. The display of coins is state-of
the-art, with perfect lighting and enlargements of both obverse and
reverse to reveal those hard-to-see details. Ancient artifacts
(some of them also loaned by SNANS members) of modern artworks
complement the coins. We congratulate both the curator of the
exhibit, Renee Dreyfus, and the SFANS' coordinator Mary Lannin for
putting together such a wonderful display! Gifts of the Gods will
be on display through January, 2013 at the Legion of Honor.
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Pompeia's Pick
By Lorie Ann Hambly
The
very first coin in this Friday's auction
of Ancient Coins presents and interesting puzzle.
This great rarity, a gold stater of the Redones circa 200-150 BC,
is the first Celtic coin I've picked. The Redones inhabited
northwest Gaul, just below the coastal region. The obverse of the
coin is, like many Celtic gold staters, a fairly faithful copy of
the most common Greek gold coin of the time, the gold stater of
Philip II of Macedon (indeed mercenary soldiers were so often paid
with these that "Phillip" became a generic term for "gold coin").
These reverse, however is quite different and distinctly Celtic — a
nude woman astride a hoarse, seemingly drawing a bow. But who is
this militant Gallic version of Lady Godiva?
The copy block below the coin posits two possibilities, both
Celtic goddesses: Epona and Andarta. I believe it is more likely to
be Epona, goddess of horses. There is a larger number of extant
'Eponic' iconographic examples than 'Andartic' ones; studies in
Romano-Celtic folklore and mythology reveal a very clear
evolutionary horsetrail made by Epona which originated in
Celtic Gaul (although there is both trans-Danubian iconographic and
etymological evidence-Dacian statuettes) and winded up through the
Continent into the British Isles where the deity was later [Roman]
empirically-represented as the patron goddess of the cavalry. Epona
is most usually depicted on horseback; however, not sitting
astride, but rather side-saddle. The reverse depicts a deity riding
astride a horse in a much more bellicose stance than that in which
she is generally depicted-appearing to be pulling an arrow [out of
a quiver?] to nock into the bow her left hand appears to hold
before her. This depiction of a more martial deity would, in the
most general of a perspective, rule out a representation of Epona
and point to the delineation of Andarta — a rather obscure
fertility goddess of the Volcontii of Gallia Narbonensis-cum
Andraste, a British goddess of war adopted by Boudicca of the Iceni
in her campaign against the Roman occupation in the first half of
the first-century A.D.
The obvious contradiction is that this coin is one belonging to
the Redones, a no-mark tribe that did not make the annals of
history until approximately 57 B.C. when they, as part of a Gallic
coalition against Julius Caesar, sent a contingent to attack his
stronghold at Alesia. But there is no reason to believe that this
anti-Roman sentiment was a whim; rather I believe the animosity to
have been at least half a century older and such a socio-political
climate might just have given the disgruntled Redones impetus to
delineate a very different side of Epona.
The case for the reverse bearing the image of Andarta cum
Andraste is not as strong; it is not know for certain that Andarta
became Andraste in the British Isles but it is known that Andarta
is a little known fertility deity almost exclusive to Volcontii ,
just one of the tribes that made up Gallia Narbonensis and that
were subjugated with little, if any, further hostility shortly
after the alleged date of the coin. I see the reverse as another
'face' of the horse goddess Epona who would, in less than two
centuries, become the symbolic embodiment of the auxiliary cavalry,
alae, military units of equestrian soldiers recruited from
Gaul, Germania and Trans-Danubia.
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What Happened In Ancient September?
September 2nd, 44 BC: Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt
declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion.
September 2nd 31 BC: Octavian and Agrippa defeat Antony and
Cleopatra at the naval battle of Actium.
September 3rd, 175 BC: Death of Seleucus IV Philopator.
September 3rd, 36 BC: Octavian and Agrippa defeat Sextus
Pompey in Naval battle of Naulochus.
September 4th, AD 476: Romulus Augustulus, last Roman
emperor in west, is deposed.
September 7-27st AD 70: Roman Legions of Titus storm
Jerusalem, ending a five-month siege.
September 13th, AD 122: Building begins on Hadrian's
Wall.
September 13th AD 81: Emperor Titus dies in Rome at age
40.
September 29th, 480 BC: Battle of Salamis: The Greek fleet
under Themistocles defeats the Persian fleet under Xerxes I
(480)
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Consignments Wanted
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As you can see from our recent track record, Heritage Ancients
is really starting to achieve some amazing results! If you have any
thought of selling your collection, there is no better time than
the present and no better venue than Heritage! Our rates are highly
competitive and we offer top-notch cataloguing, exceptional
photography and production values, an incomparable database of more
than 800,000 potential buyers, and a matchless promotions / PR
department that will make sure everyone knows about your
collection. Please contact Dave Michaels, Director of Ancient
Coins, via email at DMichaels@HA.com or phone at (310)
492-8615.
Until next month!
Veritas et vita,
 |
David S. Michaels
Director of Ancient Coins
DMichaels@HA.com
1-800-872-6467 ext. 1606 |
Interested in
Selling?
What's
My Coin Worth?
Get the Most Money for Your Collection
Consign
to a Heritage Auction
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Announcements
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Reduced Auction Commissions When You Resell Your
Winnings!
When you win any lot worth with a hammer price of $1,000 or more
(or $2,500 for Art and Natural History lots), you will receive a
coupon that entitles you (or your heirs) to re-consign that lot to
Heritage at a reduced seller's commission. Selling through Heritage
is a convenient and hassle free way to maximize your return
(find out
why). Maybe you'll need to make room in your collection for
something better, perhaps your collecting tastes will change, or
maybe it will be your heirs that benefit; but be sure to save the
coupon, which could be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- Coins: 0% Seller's Commission for all items $1K or
more.
- Comics: 50% of the usual Seller's Commission for all
items between $1K & $10K, and 0% for items $10K and over.
- All Other Categories: 50% of the usual Seller's
Commission for everything else over $1K ($2,500 for Art & Natural
History).
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Employment Opportunities
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As the fastest growing American-based auction house, financially
rock-solid Heritage Auctions continues to grow and seek the best
talent in the industry. If you are a specialist or have strong
general collectibles knowledge, we want to hear from you. These
specialists will, in some cases, head new departments and in others
will enhance existing department expertise. We have positions open
at our headquarters in Dallas as well as at our new
state-of-the-art galleries in prime locations in both Midtown
Manhattan and Beverly Hills.
Heritage is seeking to hire the world's best specialists in
the following categories:
- 20th Century Design Specialist: Beverly Hills, New
York
- American Art Specialist: New York
- Asian Art Specialist: Beverly Hills
- Comics & Comic Art Specialist: New York
- European Art Specialist: New York
- European Comic Art Specialist: Dallas, Paris
- Fine Jewelry Specialist: New York
- Firearms Specialist: Dallas
- Modern & Contemporary Art Specialist: Beverly Hills and
New York
- Rare & Collectibles Wine Specialist: New York
- Timepiece Specialist: Beverly Hills, New York
- Trust & Estates Specialist: New York
- World Coins Director: Hong Kong
- World Paper Money Expert: Dallas/Remote
If you are interested and feel you have the qualifications we
seek, please email your resume and salary history to Experts@HA.com.
We are also seeking to fill the following corporate
positions:
- Cataloger — Currency: Dallas/Remote
- Cataloger — U.S. Coins: Contract, Remote
- Client Services Representative: Dallas
- Consignment Director — Currency: Dallas
- Desktop Support: Dallas
- Desktop Support Supervisor: Dallas
- Digital Publishing Expert: Dallas
- Graphic Designer: Dallas, Part-Time
- Graphic Web Designer: Dallas
- Interns: Dallas
- Marketing Account Executive: Dallas, TX
- Operations Assistant - Coins: Dallas
- Operations Assistant - Comics: Dallas
- Operations Assistant - Vintage Guitars: Dallas
- Operations Assistant - World Coins: Dallas
- Public Relations Assistant: Dallas
- Returns Clerk: Dallas
- Shipping Associate: Dallas
- Web Developer: Dallas
- Wine Warehouse Assistant: Beverly Hills
If you are interested in applying for one of these Corporate
positions, please apply here.
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Around Heritage
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Tribal Artifacts From The "Father Of Modern
Taxidermy" Carl Akeley
An important
Kikuyu wood dance shield from Kenya is the top lot from the
Toledo Museum of Natural History: The Personal Collection of Carl
Akeley, a special offering within The
Estate Signature Auction, scheduled for Sept. 13 at Heritage
Auctions.
"Carl Akeley is best known for his innovative taxidermy in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries," said Ed Beardsley, Vice
President of Heritage. "The Akeley Hall of African Mammals
at the American Museum of Natural History — along with some of the
revolutionary pieces that Carl produced for the Field Museum — are
seen by millions of visitors in New York and Chicago each
year."
On his five expeditions to Africa, however, Akeley not only
collected animal specimens, but also obtained art and cultural
objects from the peoples living there. More than 50 such items from
Akeley's personal collection were donated to the Toledo Museum of
Natural History in 1938, a dozen years after his death during his
last African expedition in 1926. Collectors now have the chance to
become the first private owners of these objects since Akeley
himself.
In addition to being a part of the Toledo Museum of Natural
History's collection for over 70 years, a number of the items were
also loaned out to the Toledo Museum of Art in 2008 as part of an
exhibition called "In Brightest Africa." Items on display included
shields, personal adornments, and even a witch doctor's bag.
The top lot of the grouping is the
Kikuyu shield displaying bold geometric patterns, painted on
one side and carved on the other. It has two holes, one small in
the middle of the shield-face and a larger cylindrical hole
protruding from the carved side. It stretches an impressive 28 1/4"
(71.8 cm) at its longest and is estimated at $15,000+.
Shields overall are a great strength of the collection with several
further important pieces: A
painted elliptical leather shield from eastern Africa, painted
red and black on the front with a wood handle on the back, is
estimated at $2,500+, while an
elliptical leather shield from the Massai or Nandi
people painted red, white, black with a wood and leather handle
on the back, is estimated at $1,500+.
The collection includes several other important items of warfare
and related ritual: a
wood and iron axe from the Luba people of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, its head carved as a stylized human face
with the iron blade forming its nose, is estimated at $800+.
Multiple examples of the Massai errap — a horn-and-copper
arm band worn by warriors who have killed in battle — appear in the
auction;
the longest, at 22" (55.9 cm), is estimated at $400+.
The collection also contains many objects associated with daily
life and music. A
Zulu wood neckrest from South Africa, notable for its
finely carved and painted legs, is estimated at $1,500+. A
wood and hide drum from the Ganda people of Uganda, 20"
(50.8 cm) tall and 17 1/2" (44.5 cm) across, is estimated at $800+;
a
taller, narrower drum from the same region with a lizard-skin
drumhead also is estimated at $800+.
Among the ceremonial and spiritual highlights, a
Congolese diviner's oracle set of bones, pebbles, and shells in
a woven fiber bag is estimated at $500+. An
ilukere or ceremonial flywhisk, made of a wood handle
and a wildebeest's tail plume and carried by a personage of power
in eastern Africa, is estimated at $200+.
More information about fine and
decorative art auctions.
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