Forces of Galba in Spain. Anonymous, 3 April-2nd half of June 68. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 3.68 g, 6 h), uncertain mint in Spain. Group III. GENIO P R Draped youthful head of the Genius of the Roman people to right; behind, cornucopiae.
Rev. MARTI VLTORI Mars, nude but for helmet and parazonium slung around his chest, advancing right, wielding spear in his right hand and holding shield in his left. BMC 1. CG 45.2 (
this coin). Cohen 384. Martin 34. Nicolas 31. RIC 17. Smyth XV/15 (
this coin). Rare and nicely toned. A few light scratches
, otherwise, very fine.
From the collections of Dipl.-Ing. Christian Gollnow and Hugh Algernon Percy (1914-1988), His Grace the 10th Duke of Northumberland, K.G., P.C., G.C.V.O., F.R.S., and very likely from the collection of Hugh Percy (circa 1714-1786), His Grace the 1st Duke of Northumberland, K.G. and P.C., removed from Alnwick Castle, Sotheby's, 4 November 1982, 548.
Leu Numismatik is proud to being able to offer, through the Gollnow collection, an exceptional group of civil war denarii from the famous Duke of Northumberland collection (lots 1007-1008, 1010, 1024-1025, 1035, 1066, 1079, 1098 and 1143 in this catalogue). The collection of the Dukes of Northumberland was described in detail by Rear-Admiral William Henry Smith (1788-1865), F.R.S., a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, who saw it for the first time in 1851 and published his 'Descriptive Catalogue of a Cabinet of Roman Family Coins belonging to His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, K.G.' in 1856. Smith cataloged a total of 1718 coins and noted that the collection had been in the possession of the dukes for many years.
The most probable original compiler was Hugh Percy (circa 1714-1786), His Grace the 1st Duke of Northumberland, K.G. and P.C., who was renowned as an art patron and was advised by the French traveler, author and numismatist Louis Dutens (1730-1812). Dutens also guided Elizabeth Percy (1716-1776), Her Grace the 1st Duchess of Northumberland, in forming her renowned collection of medals, and accompanied the Duke's and Duchess's younger son Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley, F.S.A., to Italy during his Grand Tour in the late 1760s. Among the coins offered in the 1982 Sotheby's sale, the group of twelve anonymous civil war denarii and two early imperatorial denarii of Galba (lots 546-559) were particularly noteworthy, and most of the former were hence acquired by the late C. Gollnow.
