Künker Spring Auction Sale 419 Earns Millions in Euros

A Brutus portrait denarius, an aureus of Postumus, and more go for thousands at the latest auction.

Künker’s Spring Auction 419 Commences with a Spectacular Takeoff

As the curtain rises on a new chapter in the realm of ancient coins, Künker's Spring Auction 419 has kicked off in style, boasting an impressive collection of 638 select lots from all periods and in exceptional quality.

The bidders, attending both physically and online, quickly drove the total hammer price for the ancient coins to aprx. €4 million—a remarkable feat that nearly doubles the auction estimate of €2 million.

Among the highlights of the sale are:

This aureus depicts Caligula on the obverse and his mother, Agrippina the Elder, on the reverse. It was sold for €120,000 or $129,768.00 USD.

Agrippina was one of the most influential women of the early Roman Empire. She married Germanicus, and they had nine children, including the future Emperor Caligula. The latter focused on dynastic connections in his coinage, and his mother played a significant role. There are several coin types with her profile, including this aureus from 37/8. Agrippina was exiled in A.D. 29 and starved herself on Pandataria in A.D. 33.

This is probably the most iconic denarius in Roman history. The obverse shows a portrait of Marcus Junius Brutus, and the reverse depicts a liberty cap between two daggers. This coin realized €280,000 or $302,820.00 USD, the highest result of the auction.

This aureus of Postumus was won at the price of €190,000 or $205,466.00 USD. This example offered by Künker is an outstanding specimen. It features Postumus and Heracles on the obverse, with whom the emperor liked to identify himself. The reverse shows Victoria and Felicitas, representing Postumus’ military successes. Coins like this were photographed for auction catalogs as early as the 19th century, which is why this coin’s ownership can reliably be traced back to 1888.

A spectacular result from the Crusader states, this extremely rare lead seal rose went from an estimate of €400 to almost 24 times that amount, €9,500 or $10,272.35 USD. The seal belonged to a short-lived Grand Master of the Order of St John called Geoffroy the Rat. He was elected in 1244 after the death of Raymond de Poissy, but he died in the same year and was succeeded by Guillaume de Sonnac.

The complete results of Künker's Spring Auction 419 are available on the auction house's website.