Greek Sicily tetradrachms lead Gemini Auction II in New York City
The sale, consisting of a single 628-lot session, is a joint venture of Harlan J. Berk Ltd. of Chicago and Freeman & Sear of Los Angeles. Most coins in the sale grade extremely fine to Mint State and pre-auction estimates total $1,622,600.
A series of beautiful signed-die tetradrachms of Greek Sicily, a significant offering of important Hellenistic coins and a run of Roman Imperatorial rarities are among the highlights of the Gemini Auction II, scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Ave., New York City.
The sale, consisting of a single 628-lot session, is a joint venture of Harlan J. Berk Ltd. of Chicago and Freeman & Sear of Los Angeles. Most coins in the sale grade extremely fine to Mint State and pre-auction estimates total $1,622,600.
The sale precedes the New York International Numismatic Convention, which is also being held at the Waldorf from Jan. 12-15.
The Byzantine portion contains the sixth recorded solidus of the usurper Mezezius, a rare silver hexagram of Theodosius III and a silver stavraton of Constantine XI struck during the final siege of Constantinople in 1453 that ended the Eastern Roman Empire.
In addition to Greek, Roman and Byzantine coinage, the auction also includes coins of the Dark Ages (Visigoths, Lombards, Merovingians, Anglo-Saxons, etc.), many of which are in gold.
There is also a selection of world coinage and a fine offering of Gupta gold.
All lots may be viewed on the Gemini Web site at www.geminiauction.com. To obtain copies of the catalog or place bids, contact either of the participating firms: Freeman & Sear, P.O. Box 641352, Los Angeles, CA 90064-6352; phone: (310) 450-9755; fax: (310) 450-8865; e-mail, info@freemanandsear .com; or Harlan J. Berk, 31 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60602; tel. (312) 609-0016; fax (312) 609-1305; e-mail info@harlanjberk.com.
