Treasures from the Carol F. Ross Collection
A Latin teacher’s coins earned high (bidding) points.
Among the many auctions featuring outstanding numismatic finds in June, Doyle’s event on the 12th was quite a standout. The auction showcased a fascinating collection of rare coinage from the Roman Republic and the Early Imperial period, attracting a worldwide audience of collectors eager to bid and win. The collection proved impressive to this audience, as the house achieved over $1,040,116 in a white-glove sale. But aside from the ancient coins and high bids, the story of the former owner of this collection, collector Carol F. Ross, was also a reason to take note.
Carol F. Ross (1942–2025) assembled what would be known as the Carol F. Ross Collection of Ancient Roman Coins over a decade. She first began her ancient Roman coin collection in the mid-1980s, while she was a Latin teacher and later department head at the Foote School in New Haven, Connecticut.
An alumnus of Wheaton College's undergraduate Classics program and later the graduate department at Bryn Mawr University, Carol’s lifelong appreciation for ancient history and Latin, the official language of the Romans, was the basis for her coin collecting. When she retired from full-time teaching in 1996, Carol gradually completed her collection until she felt it was complete.
According to Doyle, in a press release about Carol and the sale, Republican-era coins were a particular favorite of hers, as they reflected the turmoil of the time. Many of the pieces in her collection were purchased from dealers in nearby New York and as far as Italy, and they were never publicly displayed until the June 12th auction.
The pieces in her collection were primarily well rendered denarii and aurei that according to Doyle, included “popular, rare types depicting scenes, symbols, and rulers recognizable to specialists and nonspecialists alike” including battles, flora, deities, and of course, emperors Caesar, Brutus, Augustus, Marcus Aurelius, and more.
Among what bidders wanted from this collection was a 43–42 B.C.E. rare Aureus of Brutus struck at a mobile mint in Greece during his campaign against the Second Triumvirate, which was sold for $314,600. Another hot item was a rare 27–20 B.C.E. Aureus of Augustus for $181,500, featuring iconography referencing his return of powers to the Roman Senate.
On the success of the event, Appraiser and Sale Specialist of Coins, Stamps, Currency and Collectibles at Doyle, and co-host of Numismatic News’ The Coin Collecting podcast, Christopher Bulfinch says, “The white glove outcome is a testament not only to the strength of the market, but to Carol Ross’ discerning eye and deep knowledge of the ancient world. We hope the results did justice to the remarkable collection she so thoughtfully assembled.”
For more about the Carol F. Ross Collection of Ancient Roman Coins, and view results, visit doyle.com
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