Unique Marcus Aurelius Hemidrachm

Triton XXI, Lot: 271. Estimate $1000. Sold for $600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius. AD 161-180. Æ Hemidrachm(?) (27mm, 14.37 g, 12h). Dated RY 5 (AD 164/165). [Μ AV]ΡΗΛΙΟC ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟC CЄ, radiate and draped bust right / Griffin, as Nemesis, seated left with right forepaw on wheel; L Є (date) across field. Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 3592 (this coin – reverse illustrated on pl. XXXII); K&G 37.253 (this coin illustrated); Emmett 2204.5 (R5 – citing this coin); Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 260 (this coin); Staffieri, “La ‘corona radiata’ sui ritratti dei bronzi imperiali alessandrini con catalogo regionata” (NACQT Vol. XLII, Lugano, 2013), pp. 121-144, 52a (this coin – illustrated). Good VF, attractive dark brown patina with traces of red, holed in antiquity. Unique.

From the Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection. Ex Kölner Münzkabinett 67 (12 November 1997), lot 638; Giovanni Dattari Collection, no. 3592.

While the diameter is slightly short for a hemidrachm, the weight conforms with the average for the denomination.