Sale: Nomos 5, Lot: 228. Estimate CHF10000.  Closing Date: Monday, 24 October 2011.  Sold For CHF60000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. Cistophorus (Silver, 12.07 g 12), Pergamon, 27/6 BC. IMP CAESAR Bare head of Augustus to right; to right, lituus curved to right. Rev. AVGV - STVS Sheaf of six ears of grain tied together. BMC 697. RIC 490. Sutherland 111 ( certainly the same reverse die). RPC I 2209. Rare. An elegant coin, very attractively toned. Good extremely fine.

From a European collection, acquired in the late 1970s..

This coin is a direct descendent of the regal and then provincial coinage of cistophori produced by the kings of Pergamon and the governors of Roman Asia. The local population was used to silver coins in such weight and was greatly enamored with them - the continued in use until the 3rd century AD. The vast majority of those issued under Augustus were re-minted as tetradrachms of Hadrian as can be seen by the traces of overstriking found on so many of them.