Extremely Rare Coin Certified by NGC Ancients in the Spotlight at CNG Sale

An extremely rare Indo-Greek issue is one of dozens of ancient and world coins graded by Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®) that are part of an upcoming Classical Numismatic Group auction. Bidding is already underway for the Triton XXV Auction, which concludes January 11-12, 2022.

Sharing the top spot in the sale is a Bactria, Indo-Greeks Menander (c. 165/55-130 BC) Silver Tetradrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch XF★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface, with Fine Style (lot 565). It has an estimate of $150,000.

Bactria, Indo-Greeks Menander (c. 165/55-130 BC) Silver Tetradrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch XF★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface, with Fine Style Click images to enlarge.

Menander I was an Indo-Greek king based in what today is eastern Pakistan who expanded his territory well into modern-day India. Though Menander's coinage is plentiful, this particular coin is extremely rare because it was struck using the heavier Attic standard., in which a tetradrachm would be expected to be about 17 grams, as opposed to about 10 grams under the Indian standard.

Another very rare coin in the auction hails from about a century later and was issued in the name of a Roman general allied with Caesar assassins Brutus and Cassius. The Roman Imperatorial, Quintus Labienus 40-39 BC Silver Denarius graded NGC Ancients AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 764) has an estimate of $75,000.

Roman Imperatorial, Quintus Labienus 40-39 BC Silver Denarius graded NGC Ancients AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface Click images to enlarge.

After the defeat and death of Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, Labienus eventually won support from the Parthians (based in modern-day Iran) to wage war in western Asia against Marc Antony. After some initial successes, Labienus was defeated in 39 BC by a general allied with Marc Antony, who ruled the eastern part of Rome's territory.

Other NGC-certified coins in the sale include:

• a Bactria, Indo-Greeks Menander (c.165/55-130 BC) Silver Drachm graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 556) with an estimate of $50,000
• a Babylonia c.328-311 BC Gold Double-Daric graded NGC Ancients AU★, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 511) with an estimate of $30,000
• a Bactria, Indo-Greeks Theophilus (c.130/29 BC?) Silver Tetradrachm graded NGC Ancients AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface, with Fine Style (lot 567) with an estimate of $30,000
• a Babylonia, Mazaeus satrap (331-328 BC) Gold Double-Daric graded NGC Ancients Ch VF, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 510) with an estimate of $25,000
• a Sicily, Syracuse c.405-370 BC (Euainetos) Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients AU, 4/4 Strike and 4/4 Surface, with Fine Style (lot 106) with an estimate of $20,000
• a Roman Empire, Diocletian (AD 284-305) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients MS, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 988) with an estimate of $20,000
• a Western Roman Empire, Eugenius (AD 392-394) Gold Solidus graded NGC Ancients AU, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 1017) with an estimate of $20,000
• an Eastern Roman Empire, Aelia Verina (AD 457-484) Gold Solidus graded NGC Ancients Ch XF, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 1026) with an estimate of $20,000

All estimates are provided by the auction house in US Dollars.