The momentum is increasing for our Stack’s Bowers Galleries August ANA
World’s Fair of Money auction, as we preview outstanding numismatic treasures
each week. For this installment, we have an ancient Roman issued at the
beginning of the fourth century A.D., under the Roman emperor Galerius. Born a
peasant near the Danube in modern day Bulgaria, Galerius would rise through the
military ranks to become the Praetorian Prefect for Emperor Diocletian. When
Diocletian created the Tetrarchy – the system of four emperors, two senior and
two junior, to better organize the sprawling empire – Galerius was chosen as
the junior emperor or Caesar of the East. Galerius’ dominion lay over the
Danube region of his birth, and included Illyria, Moesia and Thracia (modern
day Balkans and Greece). From the regional capital of Sirmium, Galerius
vigorously fought back against the Goths and other tribes who harassed from across
the Danube. As the years wore on and after the passing of his three
contemporaries in the original Tetrarchy, Galerius struggled in vain to
maintain the principles of Diocletian against power hungry upstarts. When
Galerius finally succumbed to illness, the order brought by Diocletian’s Tetrarchy
died too, as the four emperors vied for sole control of the vast empire.
The featured Aureus follows the well-established pattern, displaying the
right facing head of Galerius wearing a laurel crown, flanked by his name and
royal titles. The reverse shows a right facing standing figure of Emperor
Galerius, holding a spear across his chest in his right hand and a globe in his
left, reinforcing his sources of power, military might and the governmental
role he held. This coin is superb, possessing a fantastic strike from dies of
the finest style. The surfaces are exceptional as well, displaying beautiful
luster. The designs are well framed, thanks to outstanding centering. Overall,
this coin is deserving of a multitude of superlatives; be sure to view this
coin in hand to appreciate the exquisite detail.
We are now accepting consignments of world and ancient coins for our
August 2016 ANA Auction as well as Chinese and other Asian coins and currency
for our August 2016 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. Time is running short, so if
you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole
collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment
directors.
