Sale: Nomos 5, Lot: 243. Estimate CHF1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 24 October 2011.  Sold For CHF1500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Pescennius Niger. AD 193-194. Denarius (Silver, 2.42 g 1), Antioch, 194. IMP CAES C PES NIGER IVS AV Laureate and bearded head of Pescennius Niger to right. Rev. IOVI CONSERV Jupiter seated left on stool, holding Victory on globe in his right hand and long scepter in his left; at his feet to left, eagle standing left with spread wings, head turned back to right. BMC 302 = Cohen 40 = RIC 41 (all citing the off center coin in the BM, without the last letter of the reverse legend) . Very rare, perhaps only four or five examples with this reverse are known.. Edge chipped, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

From the PGB collection.

Aside from the example in the BM, the only other examples of this coin known are: 1) Gemini I, 2005, 393 and 2) M&M 72, 1987, 746 = Leu 28, 1981, 487. The fact that there are many varieties of the coinage of Niger known shows how enormous his minting effort must have been. After his final defeat and execution by the forces of Septimius Severus his coinage must have been vigorously recalled and re-minted: thus its great scarcity today.