Attractive Elagabalus in Ancient Pendant

Triton XIX, Lot: 598. Estimate $20000. Sold for $18000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Elagabalus. AD 218-222. AV Aureus in contemporary mount (32mm, 10.81 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 218-219. IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VICTOR ANTONINI • AVG, Victory advancing right, holding wreath in extended right hand, cradling palm frond with left arm. RIC III 154; Thirion 59; Calicó 3038; BMCRE 30-1; Biaggi 1295. EF, scuff on the reverse of the mount at 8h that does not affect the coin.

Ex Sternberg FPL 6 (July 1994), lot 117.

For a similar Elagabalus aureus in an ancient mount from the Beaurains–or Arras–hoard, see NFA Auction IX (New York City, 10 December 1980), lot 573 (illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue). That piece was one of eight known gold pendants of the necklace “originating from the famous Beaurains hoard,” and a “reconstruction of the necklace is illustrated on plate xi....of Le tresor de Beaurains (dit d’Arras).” The other seven pendants from the Beaurains necklace consisted of aurei of Hadrian (two pieces), Faustina Junior, Commodus, Caracalla, Julia Domna, and Postumus. The Postumus piece, once owned by Edward T. Newell, is today part of the American Numismatic Society’s collection.