Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The Museum Year 2009
The Year
Acquisitions
Art of the Ancient World: July 2008–June 2009
Aureus with head of Constantius I Chlorus, struck under Diocletian and Maximian I Herculius
A.D. 303
Diameter: 17 mm. Weight: 5.07 gm. Die Axis: 7
Gold
Classification: Numismatics
Culture: Roman
Mint: Trier, Gaul
Period: Imperial Period, 1st Tetrarchy
Accession number: 2008.641
Location: Michael C. Ruettgers Gallery of Ancient Coins
Description: Obverse: head of Constantius Chlorus, laureate, to the right; to both sides of head: CONSTAN TIVS NOB C Reverse: Jupiter, on the left, standing, chlamys over left shoulder, holding scepter in right hand, facing Hercules, on the right, holding lion's skin and club in left hand, with a small victory held in between them; around: CONSERVAT ORES AVGG ET CAESS NN; in exergue: PTR
Provenance/Ownership History: 1922: found as part of the Arras Hoard at Beaurains in northern France, May 22, 1922; by 1930: Sir Arthur J. Evans Collection; by 1934: with Ars Classica S.A. (Naville & Cie), 31 Quai du Mont-Blanc, Geneva, Switzerland (Auction 17, collections of Sir Arthur J. Evans, et al., Hotel Schweizerhof, Lucerne, Switzerland, October 3ff., 1934, lot 1850); 1935: with Adolph Hess AG, Weggisgasse 14, Lucerne, Switzerland (Auction, Monnaies d'or antiques et modernes monnaies grecques at romaines, March 7, 1935, lot 105); 1936: Glendinning & Co., London, England (Auction, May 27, 1936, lot 233); 1937: Münzhandlung Basel, Basel, Switzerland (Auction 8, March 22, 1937, lot 1049); by 1962: Gillardi Collection, France and Switzerland; 2008: with UBS AG, Bahnhofstrasse 45, Zurich, Switzerland (Auction 78, Bedeutende Sammlung Römischer Gold- und Silbermünzen, Hotel Savor-Baur-en-Ville, Poststrasse 12, Zurich, Switzerland, September 10, 2008, lot 1933); purchased at UBS 78 on behalf of MFA by Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 31 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602; September 17, 2008: purchased by MFA from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
Theodora Wilbour Fund in memory of Zoë Wilbour