EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero, with Poppaea. AD 54-68. BI Tetradrachm (24.5mm, 10.86 g, 12h). Dated RY 13 (AD 66/7). Good VF.

Electronic Auction 591
Lot: 509.
Closing Date: Jul 16 2025 10:00 ET

Roman Provincial, Billon

Estimate: $ 100

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EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero, with Poppaea. AD 54-68. BI Tetradrachm (24.5mm, 10.86 g, 12h). Dated RY 13 (AD 66/7). Radiate bust of Nero right, wearing aegis; L IΓ (date, retrograde) before / ΠOΠΠAIA ΣEBAΣTH, draped bust of Poppaea right. Köln –; Dattari (Savio) –; K&G –; RPC I –; Emmett 128.13 (RY 13 unrecorded); William E. Metcalf, “Two Alexandrian Hoards. 1. A Hoard of Forgeries from Luxor,” (Revue Belge de Numismatique Vol. CXXII, 1976, pp. 65-69) Obv. VI/Rev. 18 (same dies). Deeply toned, minor marks. Good VF. Extremely rare. This fantasy piece imitates a type which was not struck in year 13.

Ex Luxor Hoard, acquired by E.T. Newell, March 1908.

According to Metcalf’s article: “Thus a hoard of Alexandrian forgeries in the collection of the American Numismatic Society is of particular interest. It was acquired at Luxor in March, 1908, by the late E. T. Newell. The 76 pieces still in the ANS may or may not represent the entire hoard, since Newell was in the habit of disposing of duplicate or damaged specimens; but the presence of many die-duplicates suggests that the hoard was not systematically culled.”

It has long been assumed that the known forgeries of these types are die matches to the coins published by Metcalf in 1976 as this study was the first to record ancient imitations from Alexandria. However, the Dattari collection contained over 400 of these imitations, several of them with types and dies unrecorded in this hoard. Contemporary counterfeits of Alexandrian coins, as noted by Metcalf, are extremely rare and are seldom offered for sale.

Closing Date and Time: 16 July 2025 at 12:49:20 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.