Sale: CNG 70, Lot: 720. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 21 September 2005.  Sold For $600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

AUGUSTUS. 27 BC-14 AD. Æ Sestertius (25.17 g, 11h). Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck 9-14 AD. Laureate head right / Front elevation of the Altar of Lugdunum, decorated with the corona civica between laurels, flanked by nude male figures; to left and right, Victories on columns, facing one another. RIC I 231a; Lyon 95; BMCRE 565; Cohen 236. Near VF, brown and orichalcum surfaces, minor obverse pitting, evenly porous. Rare. ($300)

SECTION INTRO

John Francis Sullivan, Esq., Massachusetts native, World War II Marine pilot and flight instructor, has had a long interest in ancient coins. Such a love fit in well with his classical education. In 1942, he received a bachelor of Arts degree in history at the then Tufts College in Medford, Massachusetts. After the war, he returned to school to pursue law and in 1948 received his law degree from Boston University. In 1965, Mr. Sullivan co-founded the Society Historia Numorum, an esteemed greater-Boston ancient numismatic group, and served as its secretary for 22 years. Concurrent with the sale of his collection, Mr. Sullivan wishes to acknowledge his numismatic debt and friendship with fellow charter members of the club and mentors, Herbert Barclay, James Ford Clapp, Jr, and Lt. Col David Graham, all now deceased, as well as Thomas Mac Donough, of Dover, Massachusetts. Mr. Sullivan currently lives in Natick, Massachusetts, with his wife, Joan Matheson Sullivan, a retired college professor. Although his diverse collection of Roman Imperial bronze coins form the core of his interest, examples of Greek, Roman Provincial, Roman Republican, and World coinage that he acquired may be found throughout this sale.