Ancient Coin News: The Palla Balla Collection of Roman Silver Denarii

Ancient Coin Newsletter [Read this newsletter online]( [Heritage Auctions]( [Classical Coin News] In This Issue: [The Palla Balla Collection of Roman Silver Denarii](#collector-a) [June 1 Weekly Auction](#collector-b) [Hong Kong World Coins Auction, June 21-23](#collector-f) [Chicago ANA show Platinum Night Auction, August 3](#collector-c) [Pompeia's Pick:](#pompeia) Sabina's towering hairdo [What Happened In Ancient June?](#what-happened) [Is It Time To Sell?](#sell) [Employment Opportunities]( [Around Heritage Auctions](#around) [Current Auctions](#current) June 1, 2017 [Newsletter Archive]( [Last Issue]( June (Junius or Iunius in Latin) is likely named for jealous Juno, wife of Jupiter and thus queen of the Roman pantheon. The poet and gadabout Ovid provided an alternate tradition that June is named for the "young folks," or iuniores, as a counterpoint to May being named for the "old ones," or maiores. This month's Classical Coin News offers highlights of our current all-ancient Monthly Internet Auction, our current Weekly auction of Ancient and World coins, our June 21-23 Hong Kong auction of World Coins, and a strong offering for the ANA World's Fair of Money in Denver, CO this August. []The Palla Balla Collection of Roman Silver Denarii This remarkable offering, our [first all-ancients Monthly Internet Auction]( comprises 303 individual and group lots drawn from the (much larger) Balla Collection, mostly of Roman Imperial silver denarii, but also including several Republican issues and a few later antoniniani (or double-denarii) of the mid third century AD. The collector, Dr. Paul Balla, was quite a fascinating character: Dr. Paul Balla was born in Ujvide'k, Hungary, (now Serbia) in 1893. He studied law and international law at the Universities of Budapest, Berlin, Paris and Bordeaux before the outbreak of World War I, when he entered the Austro-Hungarian army as a first lieutenant. Severely wounded at Doberdo on the Italian front, he returned to combat after recovering. He later served on the Eastern front until captured by the Russians in September 1917; a year later he escaped and was demobilized at the war's end in November 1918. After the war, he completed his studies in diplomacy and in 1923 began his career in the Hungarian Foreign Office. He held various positions with responsibilities in the Balkans, the Holy See, and the Hungarian delegation to the League of Nations. He later served closely with Hungarian Prime Ministers Paul Teleki and Nicolas Kallay until Germany invaded Hungary in 1944. In March 1945, he fled west into American-occupied Germany. He and his wife, Margit, immigrated to Canada in 1953 and to the United States in 1957. From then until his death in December 1961, he taught Latin, French and German at St. Leo College in Florida. Dr. Balla accumulated most of his collection of Roman silver coins during the 20's and 30's during his years of diplomatic service in the Balkans and Italy. Margit Balla assisted in cleaning, identifying and maintaining coins in the collection. At the time of his death, the collection contained 1,894 coins. He acquired much of the collection from local farmers who frequently unearth buried coins in their fields, requiring careful and painstaking cleaning. With the exception of a relatively few coins, the collection was focused on Roman Imperial silver denarii and some antoniniani. The collection remained in the possession of Dr. Balla's daughter, Margit Forizs, until her death in October, 2016. Zala Forizs, Dr. Balla's grandson and the trustee of the Margit Forizs Trust, is now selling the collection, although he and his sisters, Emese Wood and Reka Viczian have kept a few coins for their deep sentimental value to the family. The Balla Collection is a true labor of love, assembled with care and connoisseurship, with each Roman Emperor represented by multiple reverse types and portrait styles, several of them quite rare and seldom offered. Collectors interested in this series will find very little duplication despite the multitude of coins for each ruler. The sale started Sunday, May 28 and concludes Sunday, June 25th. Here are a few highlights from this Monthly sale: [[Rare early Caesar portrait] Rare early Caesar portrait]( [[Augustus 'Capricorn' denarius] Augustus 'Capricorn' denarius]( [[Vitellius and his father] Vitellius and his father]( [['Star' Trajan denarius] 'Star' Trajan denarius]( [[Hadrian travel denarius of Alexandria] Hadrian travel denarius of Alexandria]( [[Choice VF Pertinax denarius] Choice VF Pertinax denarius]( [[Geta ] Geta "Victory in Britain" denarius]( [[Amazing quality Maximinus I denarius] Amazing quality Maximinus I denarius]( [Back to Top](#top) []June 1 Weekly Auction [This sale]( closing Thursday, June 1 starting at 8:00 Central Time, includes 144 Ancients, including many rare and seldom-offered Greek silver pieces and several high-grade Roman pieces. Highlights include: [[Rare stater of Acarnania, Thyrrheium] Rare stater of Acarnania, Thyrrheium]( [[Attractive hemidrachm of Crete, Itanus] Attractive hemidrachm of Crete, Itanus]( [[Choice AU Julius Caesar denarius] Choice AU Julius Caesar denarius]( [[Choice XF Theodosius I gold solidus] Choice XF Theodosius I gold solidus]( The live online auction starts at 8:00 pm CT. Follow the items as they come up on HeritageLive! [Back to Top](#top) []Hong Kong World Coins Auction, June 21-23 [This auction of World coins]( most of them from Asian and Pacific Rim nations, comprises 776 lots in our Signature Floor and Internet sessions. The auction features a strong offering of pattern silver and gold dollars of early 20th century China, including the following beauties: [[Rare stater of Acarnania, Thyrrheium] Likely unique Hsüan-t'ung silver Uniface Proof Pattern Dollar]( [[Remarkable Chekiang, Kuang-hsü silver-plated copper Specimen Dollar] Remarkable Chekiang, Kuang-hsü silver-plated copper Specimen Dollar]( [[Stunning Republic Hsu Shih-chang gold Pavilion Dollar Year 10 (1921): ] Stunning Republic Hsu Shih-chang gold "Pavilion" Dollar Year 10 (1921):]( [[Extremely rare Sun Yat Sen pattern matte proof ] Extremely rare Sun Yat Sen pattern matte proof "Junk" dollar Year 18 (1929)]( [Back to Top](#top) []Chicago ANA show Platinum Night Auction, August 3 This year's Platinum Night offering will feature one of our strongest-ever offerings of Ancients at this venue, highlighted by The Golden Gate Collection, a remarkable offering of Roman gold aurei from the first and second centuries AD! Included in this outstanding group are an extremely rare aureus of Trajan with a bust of his father, Divus Trajan Pater; several elegant aurei of Hadrian, including three from the famous Travel Series; a rare aureus of his intended heir Aelius Caesar, and a splendid Mint State aurei of Marcus Aurelius Caesar and Lucius Verus. Platinum Night will also feature several spectacular coins from The Northern California Collection, including an exceedingly handsome Syracuse decadrachm and a run of Siculo-Punic tetradrachms. Keep an eye on this sale as the catalog builds online in the coming weeks! [Back to Top](#top) []Pompeia's Pick: Sabina's towering hairdo [Sabina]( Vibia Sabina was born about AD 83 as the daughter of L. Vibius Sabinus and Salonia Matidia, the favorite niece of the childless emperor Trajan. Matidia was part of a "corseted cabal" of women who were held in close confidence by Trajan, which also included his wife Plotina and sister Marciana, Matidia's mother and Sabina's grandmother. Another member of Trajan's household was his distant nephew and young ward Hadrian, who shared Trajan's Spanish background. In AD 100, the 16-year old Sabina, whom Trajan regarded as a daughter, married the 24-year-old Hadrian, marking him out as a likely successor to the throne. However, Hadrian's position was never formalized until just after Trajan suffered a stroke in mid-AD 117 while returning to Rome from an arduous Eastern campaign; Plotina took over his affairs and stage-managed the adoption Hadrian, then governor of Syria, as Caesar and successor. Upon the announcement of Trajan's death on August 8, 117, Hadrian moved quickly to secure his position and went on to reign for 21 years. Our denarius of Sabina was struck in AD 128 to mark her elevation as Augusta and shows her with a towering, almost architectural hairstyle similar to that of two other Trajan empresses, Matidia and Marciana. It recalls nothing quite so much as the crown-like headdress worn by Queen Nefertiti in the famous portrait bust now in the Berlin Museum. This issue comes toward the close of an era in Roman society where aristocratic women strove to outdo one another by creating some of the most contrived, complicated and over-the-top coiffeurs the world has ever seen, not to be outdone until the time of Marie Antoinette. Indeed, Sabina seems to have tired of the whole hairdo "arms race" and, on her coins struck in later years, adopted a simplified coif, with a single "pouf" of hair at her brow, and at the back gathered into a long, thick plait down her neck. It's considerably less "structured" than the elaborate coiffeurs of Trajan's ladies and more keeping with the austere faux-Greek Augustan imagery adopted by Hadrian as the regime entered its second decade. Roman ladies' hairstyles make a terrific collection theme, and several other empresses model the best efforts of their "ornatrices" (hair stylists) on the coins in the Paul Balla Collection. See how many different styles you can pick out while scrolling through this Monthly Auction! For a wonderful tutorial on how Roman hairstyles were created, visit the YouTube page of stylist Janet Stephens, a "hairstyle archeologist" who has made a career of figuring out the secrets of history's hair-raising "do's": [( [Back to Top](#top) []What Happened In Ancient June? June 1, 344 BC: Temple of Juno Moneta dedicated in Rome. Juno Moneta was the goddess of money and this temple would eventually house Rome's first mint. June 1, AD 193: Emperor Didius Julianus deposed and executed; Septimius Several recognized as Emperor by the Senate. June 3, 469 BC: Likely birth date of Socrates, Athenian philosopher and "gadfly." June 8, AD 452: Attila the Hun invades Italy. He is eventually turned back at the gates of Rome by a stern warning from Pope Leo I. June 10-11, 323 BC: Alexander III The Great dies in Babylon (see above). June 11, AD 146: Birthday of Emperor Septimius Severus. June 13, AD 40: Birthday of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman great general and governor of Britannia. June 14, 510 BC: Possible foundation date for the Roman Republic. June 17, AD 362: Emperor Julian "the Apostate" issues an edict banning Christians from teaching in Syria. June 18, 240 BC: Greek scientist Eratosthenes estimates the circumference of Earth using two sticks. June 20, AD 451: Attila the Hun met and defeated by Roman and Visigothic forces at the Catalaunian Plains in Gaul. June 21, 217 BC: Roman army destroyed by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. June 22, 168 BC: Romans under L. Aemilius Paullus crush the Macedonian phalanx at the Battle of Pydna in Macedon. June 25, 107 BC: Emperor Trajan celebrates second triumph over the Dacians. June 26, AD 4: Augustus adopts Tiberius as his son and successor. June 26, AD 363: Julian "the Apostate" dies on campaign against the Persians. [Back to Top](#top) [] Is it Time to Sell? We're always seeking consignments our world and ancient coins auctions. If you'd like to see all or part of your collection sold at this high-profile venue, please contact me at DMichaels@HA.com, or (310) 492-8615. As you can see from our recent track record, Heritage Ancients is really starting to achieve some amazing results! If you have any thought of selling your collection, there is no better time than the present and no better venue than Heritage! Our rates are highly competitive and we offer top-notch cataloguing, exceptional photography and production values, an incomparable database of more than 1 million potential buyers, and a matchless promotions/PR department that will make sure everyone knows about your collection. Until next month! Veritas et vita, [David S. Michaels] David S. Michaels Director of Ancient Coins [DMichaels@HA.com]( 1-800-872-6467 ext. 1606 Interested in Selling? [Consign to a Heritage Auction]( [Back to Top](#top) [] Around Heritage Auctions Masterpieces of English Watchmaking Highlight New York Fine Timepieces Auction June 6 [French Royal Eight Day Chronometer]( An extremely rare and impressive timepiece, which was superbly executed and stands as a true horological masterpiece, highlights a group of masterpieces from English watchmakers at [Heritage Auctions'Watches and Fine Timepieces Auction]( in New York June 6. "It was truly a pleasure curating this auction. The English, high-grade Swiss and rare American pocket watches stand out for their superior condition," said Jim Wolf, Director of Fine Timepieces at Heritage Auctions. "Wristwatch collectors have a terrific variety to choose from - important vintage pieces of all price levels and very attractively priced modern timepieces from the best makers." All pocket chronometers are rare and the [French Royal Exchange highly important and unique Eight-Day Running Silver Fusee Pocket Chronometer, circa 1826]( (est. $8,000-12,000) with eight-day running capability can be considered one of a kind. During the Royal Observatory timing trials in 1825 Mr. J.M. French, Royal Exchange, won first prize having been only six tenths of a second in the 12 months on its mean daily rate; three tenths during the last nine months; and under one tenth of a second during the last four months of the trial. [Patek Phillipe Perp Calendar Wristwatch Moon Phase]( Additionally timepieces such as the [Charles Frodsham 09763. AD.Fmsz Exceptional & Rare Gold Keyless Lever Chronograph, By appointment to the King, 27 South Molton St. London]( (est. $6,000-8,000), the [Chas. Frodsham 27 South Molton St. London Extraordinary Gold Keyless Lever AD Fmsz No. 09753, circa 1912]( and the [Nicole Nielsen & Co. 14 Soho Sq. London Fine Gold Split Seconds Chronograph, circa 1890's]( (est. $5,000-6,000) all feature exceptional movement and superb dials. Collectors also will note the inclusion of a stunning [Patek Philippe Ref. 5039R-001 Very Fine Rose Gold Perpetual Calendar With Moon Phases & AM/PM Indication]( (est. $25,000-30,000) along with an unused [Patek Philippe Ref. 5960P-001 Single Sealed Platinum Annual Calendar Chronograph]( (est. $45,000-50,000) and a [Patek Philippe Ref. 5940G-001 Very Fine Gold Automatic Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch With Moon Phases & 24 Hour Indication]( (est. $50,000-55,000) each of these highly complicated timepieces is of the top quality from the acclaimed maker. A historically-significant [Longines Very Fine And Rare Large 14K Gold Wrist-Chronograph Circa 1917 For The Russian Market]( (est. $14,000-18,000) also makes its first appearance with Heritage Auctions. This Hunter pocket chronograph in gold 585 (14ct) transformed into a wrist chronograph is in amazingly pristine condition and based on the Longines archive its delivery predates the Russian Revolution. [More information about Timepieces auctions]( [Back to Top](#top) [] Current Auctions Coin and Currency Auctions [June 8 - 11 Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature Auction - Long Beach #1256]( [June 8 - 11 Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature Auction - Long Beach #1256]( [View Lots]( [June 21 - 23 HKINF World Currency Signature Auction - Hong Kong #3555]( [June 21 - 23 HKINF World Currency Signature Auction - Hong Kong #3555]( [View Lots]( [June 22 - 23 HKINF World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction - Hong Kong #3055]( [June 22 - 23 HKINF World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction - Hong Kong #3055]( [View Lots]( [June 25 The Paul Balla Collection of Roman Silver Denarii]( [June 25 The Paul Balla Collection of Roman Silver Denarii]( [View Lots]( [Weekly World Coin Auction]( [Thursday World Coin]( June 1 Live session @ 8PM CT [Sunday Internet Coin Auction]( [Sunday Coins]( June 4 Live session @ 7PM CT [Tuesday Internet Coin Auction]( [Tuesday Coins]( June 6 Live session @ 7PM CT [Tuesday Internet Currency Auction]( [Tuesday Currency]( June 6 Live session @ 7PM CT OTHER SIGNATURE AUCTIONS • [Watches & Fine Timepieces - June 6]( • [Long Beach Expo US Coins - June 8-11]( • [Fine & Decorative Arts including Estates - June 10-12]( • [Arms & Armor - June 11]( • [The Future is Now - June 11]( • [Entertainment - June 17-18]( • [World Currency - June 21-23]( • [World & Ancient Coins - June 22-23]( • [Fine Jewelry - June 26]( OTHER INTERNET AUCTIONS • [Thurs. 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