The Alex Shubs Collection of Coins of the Bosporos

CNG 84, Lot: 520. Estimate $500. Sold for $575. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS, Pantikapaion. Circa 480-470 BC. AR Triobol (13mm, 2.81 g). Lion head seen from above / Quadripartite incuse square. Frolova, Frühe, Type I, 6-22 (unlisted dies); MacDonald 1/5; SNG BM Black Sea 836. VF, dark find patina. Very rare.

From the Alex Shubs Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 69 (8 June 2005), lot 209 (misattributed as Frolova Type II).

Alex's 40 years of collecting ancient coins began when he was merely a boy of 11 years, when his father gave him with the autobiography of the famous German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. From that moment, Alex became enamored with archaeology and ancient history. At the time, his family was living in Kiev, where the Institute of Archeology of the Ukrainian Academy of Science was located. The Institute held special after-school classes for children who were interested in ancient history and archaeology, and one of the best archaeologists at that time, Valery Dudkin, was an instructor. By the following summer, Alex and his classmates, alongside students from Moscow University, were conducting a dig at the site of ancient Olbia along the Black Sea in the Crimea. Thereafter, until the completion of his schooling, for three months every other summer, Alex and his classmates (15-20 children) were involved in archaeological expeditions with their teacher. In addition to the dig at Olbia, Alex participated in digs at Chersonesos (Tauric), Karkinitis, Pantikapaion, and Nymphaion. During this time, Alex learned about the history of these cities and their inhabitants, as well as the skills and techniques required to properly conduct an archaeological excavation. He also learned the proper methods to preserve artifacts and how to conduct scientific research on them. Of course, ancient coins were found by Alex during these summer digs. The first coin he found was at his first site, Olbia; it was a 4th century BC bronze with the head of the river god Borysthenes (the Dneiper River was known as the Borysthenes to the Olbians). The coin was in excellent condition, and so beautiful to the young boy that he even slept with it under his pillow over the following days. It was the first coin that Alex obtained for his collection, where it remains to this day.

Beside this archaeological experience, one other event in Alex's youth was a motivating factor in his desire to collect ancient coins. When he was 13 years old, Alex visited the coin cabinet of the Hermitage Museum, which holds the greatest collection of ancient Greek coins of the Black Sea area. While amazed by the entire display, he was particularly captivated by the 5th-4th century bronze coins of Theodoseia, which, at that time, were of even greater rarity than today (though they are still quite rare, with only 20-30 pieces are known). On the reverse of these coins was the forepart of a bull, but the obverse was never displayed. The young Alex, enamored with the beauty of their reverse, dearly wished to see what the obverse depicted, and the simple pictures he found in books failed to assuage his desire to view one of these in his hand. Over the years of his collecting, Alex managed to obtain four early bronzes of Theodoseia for his collection (lots 568-71), one of which is of the extremely rare type he saw at the Hermitage. Finally having the coin in-hand, Alex spent three hours just staring at the head of Hera on the obverse.

Collecting coins was not new to Alex's family; his father and grandfather both collected, but concentrated on issues of Imperial Russia. Eventually, their collections were passed on to Alex, who exchanged the (then-inexpensive) Russian coins for ancient Black Sea Greek and Roman coins. He soon built a quite impressive collection of ancient coins.

In 1988, at age 28, and holding a degree in mechanical engineering, Alex immigrated to the US, and opened his own engineering firm a couple years later. His company soon developed into an international firm, giving him the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, where he would take the opportunity to acquire new coins for his growing collection. By the 1990s, with huge hoards of material pouring out of eastern Europe, Alex was in a position to acquire many very rare and desirable coins. Many of these were gold issues, some of which are among the greatest rarities of the Bosporan coinage: a late series stater of Pantikapaion (lot 545), the third-known year 247 (his final issue) stater of Pharnakes (lot 574), and the second-known year 2 stater of Asander as Archon (lot 576). Others, though not as rare, are in exquisite condition: a year 1 stater of Asander as Archon (lot 575) and a year 6 stater of Asander as king (lot 577). Most of the rarities in Alex's collection are from this last decade of the 20th century, and some of his coins are pedigreed to various European auction sales during this time, although many were also acquired privately from friends and fellow collectors.

Classical Numismatic Group is proud of offer this outstandingly diverse collection of coinage, which contains a wide variety of Bosporan civic and royal issues, as well as some coinages from adjacent regions. Particular attention is drawn to lot 517, a gold stater of Chersonesos. It is the only known issue of year 119, and fewer than 12 staters total are known for all issues of that city. Only a portion of Alex's collection is presented here; the balance will be offered in our Electronic Auction 233, which runs concurrent to this sale, opening on April 28th and closing on May 26th.