Otacilia Sestertius, Ex Salton & George H. Earle, Jr. CollectionsRoman Imperial. Otacilia AE Sestertius (30mm, 21.92g, 6h), Rome, c. 245-7 CE.
Obv: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG. Bust of Otacilia Severa, diademed, draped, on crescent, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG S C. Concordia, draped, seated left, holding patera in right hand and double cornucopiae in left hand.
Ref: RIC 203a.
Prov: Mark M. Salton-Schlessinger (1914-2005) & Lottie Salton (née Aronson, 1924-2020) Collection Part IV, with their ticket & tag [Künker Auction 377 (20 Oct 2022), Lot 5990], reportedly George H. Earle, Jr. (1856-1928) Collection [Henry Chapman 25 June 1912 Auction, Lot 703].
Notes: David Fanning (2020) described Henry Chapman's 1912 Earle Sale as the most important catalog in his Ancient Coins in Early American Auctions, 1869-1939. George H. Earle, Jr. was an important Philadelphia lawyer and politician, with an even more notable family. His father, G. H. Earle Sr., was an important abolitionist, friend of Abraham Lincoln, and founder of the Republican party in the United States. His son, G.H. Earle III, was a diplomat and Governor of Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, the present coin was not illustrated in the sale's 9 plates of ancient coins [LINK to the hand-named Harry Bass-Dan Hamelberg copy]. Nor is the weight given. It appears that Henry Chapman may have bought the coin, but no indication for whom. The Salton collector tag & envelope both note "Ex Earle Collection," but not how they know, the envelope penciled later with a question mark (by catalogers at Künker/Stack's or by the Saltons?).
Mark Salton's collection is known for its richness in coins from old collections & notable publication histories (but many unmentioned in the Künker & Stack's sales; see my disc. post for a few examples [LINK]). He reportedly spent decades after WWII tracking down coins & numismatic literature looted by the Nazis from the business of his father, Felix Schlessinger. Are any of these coins with reported pre-war provenances among those he recovered?Curtis JJ
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Thracia, Pautalia, Caracalla, Ruzicka 634Caracalla AD 197-217
AE 28, 16.76g
obv. AYT KM AYRH - ANTWNINOC
bust, laureate, r.
rev. OYLPIAC - PAYTALIA - C
The nymph of the Strymon region, as personification of its richness, laureate, nude to hips, sitting l. under grapevine, r.arm leaning on ridge, the l. on urn, from whitch water is flowing. Around her four nude boys who (clockwise) - with the inscriptions BOTRY (= vine), XRY/COC (= gold), CTAXY (= grain) and ARGY/ROC (= silver) - standing on the ridge picking grapes, washing gold out of the water flowing from the urn, cutting corn in the exergue and carrying silver from inside the mountain on the l. side.
Ruzicka 634
very rare, good F/about VF
The figure on the reverse is discussed controversial. Eckhel thought it to be the rivergod Strymon. Some numismatists assume it to be feminine and call her nymph or Tellus. I think it is the Roman coin with the most details I have ever seen.Jochen
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UberitasClaudius II Gothicus 268 - 270
AR - Antoninian, 2.78g, 19mm
Siscia 1. officina
obv. IMP CLAVDIVS AVG
cuirassed bust, radiate head r.
rev. VBER[IT]AS AVG
Uberitas standing l., holding cornucopiae and purse
RIC V, 193; C.286
good F, portrait!
UBERITAS, personification of richness and abundance,
go on from the idea of fertility goddesses. Introduced AD 249
by Decius. The object in her r. hand is interpreted as
1 purse,
2 bundle of grapes, or
3 udder of a cowJochen
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