Contorniates. Late 4th-5th centuries AD. Æ Contorniate (37mm, 26.85 g, 12h). Good Fine.

Keystone 17 – The W. Toliver Besson Collection
Lot: 305. Estimated: $ 2 000

Roman Contorniates, Bronze

Sold For $ 5 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Contorniates. Late 4th-5th centuries AD. Æ Contorniate (37mm, 26.85 g, 12h). Half-length figure of charioteer right, wearing lorica aurigae, holding transverse whip and horse by the bridle; galea to left / Pegasus standing right. Alföldi, Kontorniat – (but cf. obv. dies 115-122 for similar). Brown patina, obverse re-engraved in antiquity, areas of inlay lost but with traces of niello and silver remaining in a few spots, faint cleaning scratches. Good Fine. Unique – struck from an obverse die unlisted by Alföldi, and with an entirely unattested reverse type.

From the W. Toliver Besson Collection. Ex Leu Numismatik Web Auction 34 (5 July 2025), lot 3395 (hammer 3800 CHF).

This depiction of a standing Pegasus is unique in the contorniate series. The nearest comparison is another unique piece depicting Pegasus being washed, watered, and crowned, sold in lot 894 of our Triton XXIX auction (hammer $40,000). Rather than depicting the mythical winged horse himself, the type may more likely represent a mythicized image of a real race horse, effectively claiming him to be as fast as Pegasus himself. This interpretation is supported by the obverse type, a remarkably detailed half-length figure of a charioteer. Clad in splendidly detailed lorica auriga (charioteer’s leather armor) and with a leather galea (racing helmet) behind him, the figure holds a whip and a horse by the bridle.

Closing Date and Time: 22 July 2026 at 11:41:20 ET.



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