Sun in Leo

Triton XXI, Lot: 130. Estimate $2000. Sold for $1500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (35mm, 25.56 g, 12h). Zodiac series. Dated RY 8 (AD 144/145). AYT K T AIΛ A∆P ANT[ω]NINOC CЄB ЄVC, laureate head right / Sun in Leo – Lion leaping left; above, radiate and draped bust of Helios (Sun) left and eight-rayed star; L H (date) below. Köln 1498 var. (obv. bust type); Dattari (Savio) 2966; K&G 35.276; Emmett 1531.8 (R5); Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 146 (this coin). Good VF, dark green and reddish brown patina, natural hole in flan, flan flaw near edge on obverse. Very rare with the reverse type left, as indicated by Emmett’s R5 rating. None in auctions since 2000, and this variant missing from most major collections.

From the Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection, purchased from Numismatica Aretusa SA (Lugano–Franco Chiesa), 27 March 1980.