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Lot of three (3) coins.
307a Pescennius Niger. AD 193-194. WM ‘Aureus’ Restrike (21mm, 3.87 g, 5h). Dies by Carl Wilhelm Becker (1772-1830). Berlin Museum restrike. IMP CAES PESC NIGER IVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / CONCO R DIA, Concordia standing left, raising hand and holding double cornucopia; P P flanking. Hill 184. Superb EF.
From the Richard McAlee Collection.
307b Pescennius Niger. AD 193-194. WM ‘Denarius’ Restrike (19mm, 3.17 g, 6h). Dies by Carl Wilhelm Becker (1772-1830). Berlin Museum restrike. IMP CAES PESCE NIGER ISTI AVG, laureate head right / FORTVNAE R EDVCI, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucpia. Hill 185. Superb EF.
From the Richard McAlee Collection.
307c Pescennius Niger. AD 193-194. WM ‘Denarius’ Restrike (21mm, 3.15 g, 4h). Dies by Carl Wilhelm Becker (1772-1830). Berlin Museum restrike. IMP CAES PESCE NIGER IVSTI AV, laureate head right / SAECVLI FELICIT/AS, seven stars over crescent. Hill 186. Superb EF.
From the Richard McAlee Collection.
As a young man, Carl Wilhelm Becker was sent to train as a wine merchant, despite his desire to pursue a career in the arts. Becker’s wine business failed by 1803, and he subsequently undertook training as an engraver at the Munich mint. It appears Becker was producing copies of ancient coins by at least 1806, and he would go on to produce some 350 dies of classical and medieval coins, both common and rare. It was disputed then as now whether his intent was to defraud. While it is true he would offer coins to collectors and museums as study pieces, they would also frequently turn up in the trays of antiquarian dealers as genuine. Following Becker’s death in 1830, his dies were transferred to the Berlin Museum, which used them to strike off-metal copies that were made available to museums, dealers, and collectors.
Closing Date and Time: 26 August 2020 at 11:42:00 ET.
All winning bids are subject to an 18% buyer’s fee.
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