St. Stephen - The Fist Christian Martyr

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 1013. Estimate $2500.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $3250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

GERMANY, Halberstadt (Bistum). Ulrich I von Reinstein. 1149-1160. AR Bracteate Pfennig (0.93 g). The Martyrdom of St. Stephan: the nimbate saint kneeling left, head facing; to left, three figures standing right, to right, figure standing left, raising rock in right hand and holding three more in left; above, radiate sun, SCS ST E HPAN in arcs around the sun and saint; small cross to right / Incuse of obverse. Bonhoff 459; Löbbecke 21; Reichmann 643. Good VF, lightly toned. A rare depiction of early Christian martyrdom.

From the Collection of a California Gentleman. Ex Robert Schonwalter Collection (Triton VIII, 11 January 2005), lot 1566; Sternberg XXII (20 November 1989). lot 871.

From Acts 6:7 - 8:2 (passim):

“And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people ... [and men] said, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.’ And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon [Stephen], and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, [saying], ‘This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy thisplace, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.’ And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Then said the high priest, ‘Are these things so?’ And he said, ‘Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken…Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.’ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.’ [The people] cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.”