Home
Welcome to the website of Munthandel G. Henzen. With the navigation-frame you can select a part of our collection.
If you click on a photo an enlargement will appear. Does a coin appeal to you then you can order it by clicking on order. The coins you wish to order will be collected on an order form. After you have completed your order you can simply e-mail the order form to us. We will confirm your order by sending an invoice. After receipt of full payment, the coin(s) will be sent to you. On request we can also sent you a PayPal invoice, in case you prefer to pay with PayPal. There is also the possibility to view the coins at our office in Amerongen by making an appointment.
We also offer many more coins in our regular richly illustrated pricelists. You can receive it by filling out the order form.
We hope you will enjoy viewing our website and we hope you will find something of your interest.
Gijs Henzen
News
We also regularly publish lavishly illustrated pricelists.
Ask for a free copy by e.mail. Please, always mention what you collect exactly.
Payment with PayPal is also possible.
Search by product name
our monthly special offer
Our latest acquisitions
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
 
 |
ROMAN IMPERATORS - SEXTUS POMPEIUS MAGNUS PIUS, Imperator and Prefect of the Fleet - AE As, uncertain mint of Sicily (circa 42-36 BC)
weight 22,08gr. ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Laureate head of Janus, both faces resembling Pompeius Magnus,
MGN above
rev. Prow of galley right, PIVS above, IMP below
Sextus Pompeius, the younger son of Pompeius the Great, inherited his father′s vast influence and personal following. He first established himself in Spain in 44 BC as the successful leader of the anti-Caesarian forces. Following the death of Caesar, the Senate, believing itself freed from the domination of the Caesarians, bestowed on Sextus the title of praefectus classis et orae maritimae (Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet and of the Sea Coasts). Four months later, however, the Senate was forced by Octavian and the second triumvirate to rescind this title and Sextus was proscribed. Upon receiving word of the Senate′s abrogation of his commission and receiving reports of the revenge the Caesarians were exacting on the leading figures in Rome, Sextus set sail from Massalia in Gaul and headed for Sicily. Here he established a powerful base from which he could blockade Italy and provide a safe haven for those fleeing the proscriptions. Alarmed at these developements, Octavian sent a naval squadron under the command of Salvidienus Rufus to handle the situation, but Salvidienus was defeated off the coast of Rhegium. Following this battle, Sextus took the title of imperator iterum. Sextus continued the republican struggle against the second triumvirate until his death in 36 BC.
Although the reign of Augustus as first emperor of Rome is often seen as a period of innovation in iconography and ideology, several Romans in the late Republican period also pushed the boundaries of traditional representation. This role is often obscured in literary sources, which were written to favour the emperor Augustus. Coins, however, survive in abundance from this period and can provide an insight into what other Romans, the opponents of Augustus, were thinking and doing. Coinage reveals that Sextus Pompeius, the son of Pompeius the Great, was a great innovator in terms of ideology and iconography. Although Augustus portrayed himself as the pious successor of Julius Caesar after the latter′s assassination in 44 BC, Sextus Pompeius had, in fact, already been developing this ideology after the death of his father in 48 BC. The way Sextus used the memory of his father went beyond the normal boundaries of the Roman Republic, and indeed, was far more radical than the ideology and imagery eventually used by Augustus. In this sense, Sextus Pompeius was one of the great innovators of his time.
This coin, a bronze As struck by Sextus Pompeius somewhere in Sicily, is a perfect illustration of this. Roman bronze coins normally had the head of Janus on the obverse, and the prow of a ship on the reverse (in fact, the Roman version of our game ′heads or tails′ was called ′heads or prow′). On this coin the features of Janus are changed so that they resemble Pompeius the Great, an allusion that is reinforced by the legend MGN or Magnus (′Great′) above. Neither Julius Caesar nor Augustus were ever portrayed in such a blatantly divine fashion. In fact, Sextus also portrayed his father as Neptune. The reverse of the coin displays the traditional prow alongside the legend IMP or imperator, as well as the legend PIVS or pious. Sextus potrayed himself as the pious son of his assassinated father, and so when Augustus and Antonius did the same after the death of Caesar they were actually playing catch up. Coinage thus reveals that Sextus Pompeius had an important role in setting the ideological agenda that would eventually shape the ideology of Marcus Antonius, Octavianus and the Roman principate.
Crawford 479/1 ; Cohen, Pompeius Magnus, 16 ; Sydenham 1044 ;
Woytek Arma et Nummi page 558 ; BMCR Spain 95-103 ;
Babelon Pompeia 20 ; CRI.336 ; Albert 1477 ; Sear 1394 R
Very attractive example with dark brown patina. Rare.
vf |
|
| |
|
 |
SYRIA-CYRRHESTICA, BAMBYKE-MANBOG - ABYATY, HIGH PRIEST OF ATARGATIS, CIRCA 330-329 BC - AR Shekel or Didrachm
weight 8,39gr. ; silver Ø 20mm.
obv. Facing bare headed bust of Atargatis (Ateh) with flowing short hair and
collar, the Aramaic text; H D D R A T H (hd′d w′th = Hadad and Ateh,) to left
rev. Quadriga of goats right, carrying driver and draped male figure wearing
crenelated crown (the Persian King ?), Aramaic ′byty (Abyaty) above
Little is known about the history of the north Syrian city called Bambyke, or Manbog by its Semitic inhabitants. However we know that it was the location of the important sanctuary of Atargatis. Its site in now Membij, to the northeast of Aleppo. It lay to the west of the Euphrates and was within the Persian satrapy of Ebarnahara. Bambyke retained its religious importance after the Macedonian occupation of the region that was sequel to Alexanders′ victory at the Battle of Issos in 333 BC. Seleukos I built a new temple to Atargatis and renamed the town Hierapolis (″Sacred City″). However it is certain that is was already an important centre for the cult of the Syrian Goddess, Atargatis, and her consort, Hadad under Persian rule. Hadad was the storm and rain god in the Canaanite and ancient Mesopotamian religions.
Alexander′s conquest of the region had varied effects on local coinage. There was a short transitional phase during which old coinages were phased out and new Macedonian coinage was introduced, circa 333 to 328 BC. The Local coinages of Philistia, Samaria and Judea all came to an end. The High Priests of Bambyke minted all their ephemeral coinage in the aftermath of the change to Macedonian suzerainty. The coin are silver local shekel (staters or didrachms) of Attic weight, which indicates that they were minted later than the Battle of Issos (333 BC). There is general consensus that the High Priest ′Abd Hadad′ minted the first coins minted circa 332 BC. There is less unanimity concerning the time span of the coinage. The more likely view is that all the coinage had been minted by 323 BC.
Atargatis was the chief goddess of northern Syria in Classical antiquity. The name Atargatis derives from the Aramaic form ′Atar′ atheh. The name ′Atar′ atheh is widely held to derive from a compound of the Aramaic form ′Attar. The second half may be a Palmyrene divine name ′Athe. It has also been proposed that the element -gatis may relate to the Greek gados ″fish″. So Atar-Gatis may simply mean ″the fish-goddess Atar″. Ctesias also used the name Derketo for her, and the Romans called her Dea Syria, or in one word Deasura. Primarily she was a goddess of fertility, but, as the baalat (″mistress″) of her city and people she was also responsible for their protection and well-being. Her chief sanctuary was at Bambyke (later renamed in Hierapolis). Her consort is usually Hadad. As Atar′ atheh, doves and fish were considered sacred to her: doves as an emblem of the Love-Goddess, and fish as symbolic of the fertility and life of the waters.
This coin has a countermark ″rosette″ in the right field of the obverse. On the reverse, on the back of the most right standing goat it has a small test cut, but also a counter ″Aramaic letter Nun (N)″. Almost all the known examples of this cointype have testmarks or bankersmarks/countermarks. This very rare coin type was probably not a common sight in the payment system, so people were suspicious of the quality of the silver. By applying test cuts they wanted to convince themselves of the good quality of the silver and this confirmed with one or more countermarks.
provenance; Ex Garth R.Drewry Collection.
ex Sotheby′s Zürich 27-28 Oktober 1993, 816; ex NFA 25, 1990, 185.
Mildenberg, ″A note on the coinage of Hierapolis Bambyce,
″Travaux Le Rider, 5 (this coin) ; Seyrig, ″Le monnayage de Hieropolis
de Syrie à l′epoque d′Alexandre,″ RN 1971, pl. 1, 4 ;
Price, ″More from the Memphis and the Syria 1989 hoard,
″ Essays Carson-Jenkins, pg. 34, 16-17 ; BMC Syria - ; SNG Copenhagen - ;
SNG München- (cf. 453) ; HGC.9, no.1344 (this coin) ; Mitchiner ATAEC,
page 476, no.1300 ; Brindley (2003), 586 RR
An interesting and fascinating issue of great historical interest. Very rare.
Probably one of the best preserved pieces of the type.
vf/xf |
|
| |
|
 |
KINGDOM OF MACEDONIA - ANTIGONOS I MONOPHTHALMUS, 306-301 BC - MYSIA - AR Drachm, Lampsakos, 310-301 BC
weight 4,20gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Head of young Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
rev. Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter,
ΓH-monogram at lower left field, Θ beneath throne, AΛEΞANΔPOY in right field
This drachm was minted during Antigonos activities in asia Minor. These activities clearly demanded coinages for military expenditure. This alliance coinage was ceased round 301 BC, when Antigonos lost the Battle at Ipsos and was killed, and all Mints in Western Asia Minor came in control of Lysimachos.
Müller 1678 ; Price 1412 ; SNG.Copenhagen 1003
Wonderful coin of great style, with excellent details.
xf+ |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
 |
SICILIA (SICILY), SYRACUSE - DIONYSIOS I THE ELDER, 405-367 BC - AE Drachm, circa 395-367 BC
weight 31,74gr. ; bronze Ø 31mm.
obv. Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet bound with wreath of olive,
ΣΥΡΑ before
rev. Two dolphins, between which star-fish with eight rays
BMC 287 ; SNG.Copenhagen 720 ; SNG.München 1133 ;
SNG.ANS.454 ; McClean 2755 ; Calciati II,p.111,62 ;
HGC 2, 1436
Exceptional quality for this coin type. Very rare this nice.
vf/xf à xf- |
|
| |
|
 |
ROMAN REPUBLIC - CNAEUS POSTUMIUS - AR Denarius, Rome (74 BC)
weight 4,03gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Draped buste of Diana right, bow and quiver over shoulder
rev. Hound running right, spear below, C.POSTVMI in exergue,
TA (or AT)-monogram below
The gens Postumia was a noble patrician family at ancient Rome. Throughout the history of the Republic, the Postumii frequently occupied the chief magistracies of the Roman state, beginning with Publius Postumius Tubertus, consul in 505 BC, the fifth year of the Republic. Although like much of the old Roman aristocracy, the Postumii faded for a time into obscurity under the Empire, individuals bearing the name of Postumius again filled a number of important offices from the second century AD to the end of the Western Empire. The nomen Postumius is a patronymic surname, derived from the praenomen Postumus, which presumably belonged to the ancestor of the gens. That name is derived from the Latin adjective, postremus, meaning "last" or "hindmost," originally indicating a last-born or youngest child. However, its meaning has long been confounded with that of posthumous, indicating a child born after the death of the father; this misunderstanding is fostered by the fact that a posthumous child is also necessarily the youngest.
Cnaeus Postumius was appointed monetalis of Rome in 74 BC. He also may appear in Cicero pro Murena as a prosecutor of Murena and candidate for the praetorship of 62 BC. There is no unambiguous explanation for the abbreviation AT or TA, which is listed as a monogram on the reverse. It may be an addition to Postumius, suggested by some scholars to Tatius. On some pieces this monogram is lacking.
On this coin the dog is beautiful depicted; clear visible ribs and muscles, hair details, claws detailed by finger, collar around his neck. The artist die cutter had a good feeling for dog′s anatomy.
Sear 330 ; Crawford 394/1a ; Sydenham 785 ; Albert 1296
(cf. NAC auction 120 ,lot 566 in xf; SFR 2.250 + 21%)
Very attractive coin with beautiful cabinet tone.
xf |
|
| |
|
 |
ROMAN REPUBLIC - CAIUS CLAUDIUS PULCHER - AR Denarius, Rome (110-109 BC)
weight 3,97gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Head of Roma right with winged helmet.
rev. Victory in biga galloping right, C•PVLCHER in exergue
The gens Claudia, sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician houses at Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic. The first of the Claudii to obtain the consulship was Appius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis in 495 BC, and from that time its members frequently held the highest offices of the state, both under the Republic and in imperial times.
Caius Claudius Pulcher was born round 136 BC as son of Appius Claudius Pulcher. He became moneyer in the years 110-109 BC. His great-grandfather was Caius Claudius Pulcher (consul 177 BC). The reverse of this coin relates to the Victory over the Istrians an Lugurians in 177 BC. In 100 BC he was one of those took up arms against Saturninus. In 99 BC he was curule aedile, and in the games celebrated by him elephants were for the first time exhibited in the circus, and painting employed in the scenic decorations. In 85 BC he was praetor in Sicily, and, by direction of the senate, gave laws to the Halesini respecting the appointment of their senate. The Mamertines made him their patronus. He was consul in 92 BC, together with Marcus Perperna. Cicero speaks of him as a man possessed of great power and some ability as an orator.
Crawford 300/1 ; Sydenham 569 ; Albert 1091 ; Sear 177
Beautiful coin with attractive cabinet tone.
xf |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
 |
THEODOSIUS II, 402-450 - AV Solidus, Constantinopolis (420-422)
weight 4,44gr. ; gold Ø 22mm.
Struck in the second (B) officina of Constantinople.
obv. Bust of Theodosius, helmeted, pearl-diademed, cuirassed, facing front,
holding spear in right hand behind head and shield decorated with horseman
on left arm, surrounded by the legend; DN THEODOSIVS P F AVG
rev. Victory standing left, supporting long jewelled cross,
surrounded by the legend; VOT XX MVLT XXXB, CONOB in exergue
RIC 219 ; Depeyrot page 252, 74/2 ; MIRB 15a ; Sear 21155 S
Nearly uncirculated coin with excellent details. Scarce.
unc- |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
 |
CARIAN ISLANDS, RHODOS - AR Diobol, circa 275-250 BC
weight 0,85gr. ; silver Ø 10mm.
obv. Radiate head of Helios right
rev. Two rosebuds between P - O, fish-hook above
Helios is the god and personification of the Sun in ancient Greek religion and myth, often depicted in art with a radiant crown and driving a horse-drawn chariot through the sky. He was a guardian of oaths and also the god of sight. Though Helios was a relatively minor deity in Classical Greece, his worship grew more prominent in late antiquity thanks to his identification with several major solar divinities of the Roman period, particularly Apollo and Sol. The Roman Emperor Julian made Helios the central divinity of his short-lived revival of traditional Roman religious practices in the 4th century AD. Helios figures prominently in several works of Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, in which he is often described as the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and brother of the goddesses Selene (the Moon) and Eos (the Dawn).
The Dorians also seem to have revered Helios, and to have hosted his primary cult on the mainland. The scattering of cults of the sun god in Sicyon, Argos, Hermione, Epidaurus and Laconia, and his holy livestock flocks at Taenarum, seem to suggest that the deity was considerably important in Dorian religion, compared to other parts of ancient Greece. Additionally, it may have been the Dorians who brought his worship to Rhodes. The island of Rhodes was an important cult center for Helios, one of the only places where he was worshipped as a major deity in ancient Greece. Annual gymnastic tournaments were held in Helios′ honor. The Colossus of Rhodes was dedicated to him. The Rhodians called shrine of Helios, Haleion Athenaeus also mentions that the Rhodians celebrated a festival, the Halieia, in his honour.
BMC- (cf.42) ; SNG.Copenhagen - (cf.743) ; SNG.von Aulock 2819 ;
McClean- (cf.8574) ; Weber collection- (cf.6723) ; SNG.Delepierre- (cf.2759) ;
SNG.Tübingen 3583 ; SNG.Keckman - (cf. 511-529) ; cf. HGC 6, 1450 ;
Sear- (cf.5045) RR
Attractive tone and lovely style. Very rare.
vf/xf |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
