Rare Coin Curated by Collector since 1940s

A rare Roman coin featuring one of the earliest depictions of the Colosseum has sold for £372,000 - nearly five times its estimate.

 

 A Roman coin featuring one of the earliest depictions of the Colosseum has sold for £372,000. The bronze Sestertius coin that dates back to AD81 is believed to be only one of 10 that exist today. Seven are in museums around the world while the other three are in private hands. This one, appearing in public for the first time in almost 80 years, was acquired by a wealthy British connoisseur of Roman bronze coins in 1939 [and] had remained in the late collector's family ever since but was today sold to a European private collector through London coin dealers Dix Noonan Webb. A packed auction room watched on in amazement as the relic far exceeded its £80,000 estimate. One side of the coin features an image of the famous Colosseum in Rome, which had only just been built. On the reverse is a depiction of Emperor Titus who oversaw the completion of the Colosseum in AD80. The building of the magnificent amphitheatre began under his late father Vespasian using the gold seized during the Roman conquering of Jerusalem 10 years earlier. Vespasian died in AD79 and his son took over but only reigned for three years. This coin was created posthumously.

Again we see the benefits of collectors preserving relics from the past so that they survive and can safely pass down to our times.