A Great Rarity of the Alexandrian Series

CNG 93, Lot: 1053. Estimate $1000. Sold for $725. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitia. Augusta, AD 82-96. Æ Hemidrachm (27mm, 11.17 g, 12h). Dated RY 11 of Domitian (AD 91/2). Draped bust left / Eirene standing left, holding caduceus and grain ears; [L IA (date) in field]. Köln –; Dattari 629 = BMC 2756; K&G 25.1; SNG France 1000; Emmett 357 (R5). Fine, brown patina. Extremely rare.

Apart from the current coin, the only other known examples are: the Paris specimen; the Dattari specimen (now in the British Museum; also cited in Hill, JEA 8 [1922], p. 164); Classical Numismatic Group eAuction 191, lot 158; Münzen & Medaillen FPL 338 (1989), no. 22. There is perhaps one more which was mentioned in the Proceedings in NC 1911, p. 15, fig. 2: “Mr. F. A. Walters brought a fine specimen of the second brass coin of the Empress Domitia... of which only one other specimen in much poorer condition appears to be known.” This last coin is possibly the Dattari/BMC specimen.