“Mercury in Virgo” – Ex Wetterstrom Collection

381, Lot: 349. Estimate $500. Sold for $7000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (34mm, 18.94 g, 12h). Zodiac series. Dated RY 8 (AD 144/5). Laureate head right / Mercury (Hermes) in Virgo: Demeter (Virgo) standing right, holding a long torch and two grain ears; directly above her head, a star of eight rays; before her, draped bust left of Hermes, wearing lotus-bud crown, caduceus behind his shoulder; in lower right field, L H (date). Köln 1499 var. (placement of star and caduceus); Dattari (Savio) 8829; K&G 35.268 (this coin illustrated); Emmett 1575.8 (R4); Carlson, “Rarities 3–The Zodiac Series,” SAN Journal 1972/3, Vol. IV, No. 3, p. 48 (this coin illustrated). Good Fine, dark brown patina, spots of green and red encrustation. Very rare, one of the rarest types of the Zodiac series from Alexandria.

Ex Kerry K. Wetterstrom Collection (Classical Numismatic Auctions XIII, 4 December 1990), lot 164; Garrett Collection, Part III (NFA/Leu, 29 March 1985), lot 484g (part of).