Impressive Rarities Certified by NGC Ancients Expected to Realize Six Figures in August Sale

A gold coin that attests to the power of an ancient Greek colony is among over 300 ancient coins certified by ​​Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) are offered in a Heritage Auctions sale. The World and Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature Auction  is being held August 17-19, 2023.

Among the most interesting coins in this auction is a Bosporus, Panticapaeum c.340-320 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients MS, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface with Fine Style. Founded by Milesian pioneers in the 7th century B.C., Panticapaeum started as a Greek trading post on the northern Black Sea coast and evolved into a prosperous city ruled by the Spartocid kings, Greek dynastic rulers of the region. The city's wealth stemmed from fertile grain fields and a thriving fishing industry, enabling lucrative trade with mainland Greece and Asia Minor. This coin (lot 31015) has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000.

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Another interesting coin is a Roman Empire Claudius, AD 41-54 Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients MS★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface. Born in 10 BC, Claudius faced setbacks due to a childhood illness that left him with a limp and a stammer. However, these limitations protected him from the family's treacherous plots, eventually leading to his unexpected ascension as the fourth emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty following the murder of Caligula in AD 41. With the support of the Praetorian Guard, Claudius ruled wisely and moderately, expanding the empire by annexing Britain in AD 43. This coin (lot 31043) has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000.

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Also featured is a Sicily, Syracuse c.405-370 BC (Euainetos) Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients AU, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface with Fine Style. During the reign of Tyrant Dionysius I (406-367 BC), Syracuse emerged as the most prosperous and influential city-state in the Greek world, seizing the opportunity to mint extravagant coins, including signed silver decadrachms. These remarkable coins may have been produced to compensate the Greek mercenaries who flocked to Sicily to confront the growing power of Carthage. The breathtaking decadrachms crafted by the master engraver Euainetos have set a timeless standard for classical beauty. This coin (lot 31007) has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000.

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Other coins certified by NGC Ancients in this auction include:

• a Lydia Croesus, 561-546 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 31022), with an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000
• a Roman Empire Plotina, c.AD 105-122(?) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch XF, 5/5 Strike and 2/5 Surface (lot 31053), with an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000
• a Lydia Croesus, 561-546 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients AU, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 31023), with an estimate of $50,000 to $60,000
• a Lydia, Croesus 561-546 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients AU★, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 31026), with an estimate of $50,000 to $60,000
• a Ptolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy I, 323-282 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 31032), with an estimate of $50,000 to $60,000
• a Sicily, Acragas c.413-406 BC Silver Tetradrachm graded NGC Ancients XF, 4/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 31003), with an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000
• a Roman Empire, Otho (AD 69) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients VF★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 31045), with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000
• a Sicily, Syracuse (c 405-370 BC) Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients AU, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 31008), with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000
• a Sicily, Syracuse c.405-395 BC Gold 100-Litrai graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 31006), with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000
• a Mysia, Cyzicus c.550-500 BC Electrum Stater graded NGC Ancients XF, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 31016), with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000
• a Byzantine Empire Leo V, AD 813-820 Gold Solidus graded NGC Ancients MS★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 31064), with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000)

Estimates are provided by the auction house.