452, Lot: 701. Estimate $100. Sold for $160. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

L. Thorius Balbus. 105 BC. AR Denarius (18.5mm, 3.98 g, 4h). Rome mint. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat-skin headdress / Bull charging right; S above. Crawford 316/1; Sydenham 598; Thoria 1; Type as RBW 1168. Toned with some iridescence. Good VF.

From the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex Henri Dolet Collection (Crinon-Alde, 21 October 2013), lot 246.

As with many Roman Republican issues, this Thoria issue was engraved by two people, one who made much finer style dies – as on this coin – than the other. In instances such as this, where a better style die engraver is known, I have always aimed to collect that style. Collectors who focus primarily on condition alone may overlook the artistic merits of a die engraver in their zeal to find mint state coins. For me, condition is only one element of the beauty of a coin, with strike and style being of equal merit. [Andrew McCabe]