Ancient Greek Coins for Auction in New York

Created: Jan 04 2012

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Rare and ancient Greek coins depicting gods, goddesses and mythological and historical figures will be auctioned on Wednesday at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel.        

The entire collection comprised of 642 lots is estimated to fetch up to $8 million US dollars.

[Paul Hill, Ancient Coin Specialist]:             

"Ancient Greek coins are considered to be the very finest artistic coins that have ever been produced and it is full of wonderful rarities, this collection and it really covers the whole Greek world from Italy and Sicily in the West through to mainland Greece, the coast of Turkey and Asia minor and the coast of North Africa too."

              

The sale's top lot is a coin from the Greek city of Pantikapaion.

Ancient Greek Coins for Auction in New York

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[Paul Hill, Ancient Coin Specialist]:             

"It has an image of a satyr, which is a mythological being and it's the facing head of the satyr of the coin and I think just artistically it's such an incredible coin."

              

Hill also highlights a historically important coin featuring Alexander the Great, estimated at $150,000.

[Paul Hill, Ancient Coin Specialist]:         

"... The coin depicts Alexander the Great on horseback pursuing an Indian elephant with the Indian King sitting on top of it, so it's a really important and historical coin, which actually depicts events happening at the time it was struck in the 320s B.C."

             

Buyers for the sale will likely be a combination of collectors and investors.