Contorniates. Late 4th-5th centuries AD. Æ Contorniate (47mm, 73.91 g, 12h). In the name of Valentinian III. Good Fine.

Keystone 17 – The W. Toliver Besson Collection
Lot: 304. Estimated: $ 1 500

Roman Contorniates, Bronze

Sold For $ 3 500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Contorniates. Late 4th-5th centuries AD. Æ Contorniate (47mm, 73.91 g, 12h). In the name of Valentinian III. D N PLA VALENTI NIANVS P F AVG, diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; crude monogram engraved to right / BONIF ATIVS, the athlete(?) Bonifatius, holding wreath and palm frond; to left, three palm fronds within container; to right, boy holding palm frond and uncertain object. Alföldi, Kontorniat – (dies 141a/220; unlisted combination). Green surfaces, reverse slightly double strike, smoothed and tooled, area of corrosion on reverse, repatinated multiple times. Good Fine. Unique. An unlisted die combination in Alföldi, with one example of the obverse and two of the reverse recorded.

From the W. Toliver Besson Collection. Ex Naville 43 (23 September 2018), lot 585; Roma E-Sale 46 (5 June 2018), lot 876; Numismatik Naumann 48 (20 November 2016), lot 676; London Ancient Coins 52 (8 June 2016), lot 249; Roma 10 (27 September 2015), lot 912; Solidus Numismatik 5 (26 April 2015), lot 343.

Alföldi was not able to identify what was held in the main figure’s left hand on the reverse, but he suggests that the figure is either a musician or an athlete – certainly not the famous general of the same name. The palm frond on this example confirms the attribution of an athlete, if it is indeed original to the piece.

Closing Date and Time: 22 July 2026 at 11:41:00 ET.



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