Roman Empire Gold Coin of Otho Graded by NGC Ancients Likely to Bring Six Figures

Heritage Auctions is offering coin collectors the opportunity to acquire a rare ancient Roman coin certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®). It is one of over 100 coins certified by NGC Ancients in the Heritage NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature Auction, which will be held January 9, 2023. Bidding is already underway.

The top ancient coin in the auction is a Roman Empire Otho, 69 AD Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch VF, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 32081). The obverse of the nearly 2,000-year-old gold coin features Marcus Otho, who overthrew the sixth Roman emperor, Galba, but sustained his rule for only four months. Otho was one of four emperors who ruled in rapid succession in AD 69, during a year of civil war that came to be known as the Year of the Four Emperors. This coin, regarded as the most difficult to obtain when collecting a gold coin of the first 12 Roman Emperors, has an estimate of $80,000 to $100,000.

Roman Empire Otho, 69 AD Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch VF, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface. Click images to enlarge.

Other highlights certified by NGC Ancients in this auction include:

• a Sicily, Syracuse c. 405-370 BC (Euainetos) Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch XF, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 32009) with an estimate of $50,000 to $75,000
• a Lydia Croesus 561-546 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients Ch AU, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 32043) with an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000
• a Sicily, Syracuse c. 405-370 BC (Euainetos) Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients AU, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 32008) with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000
• a Kingdom of Macedon Alexander III, 336-323 BC Gold Distater graded NGC Ancients Ch XF, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 32022) with an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000
• a Bruttium, Caulonia late 6th Century BC Silver Stater graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 32003) with an estimate of $35,000 to $40,000
• a Sicily, Syracuse c. 405-400 BC (Kimon) Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch VF, 3/5 Strike and 2/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 32007) with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000
• a Kingdom of Macedon Alexander III 336-323 BC Gold Distater graded NGC Ancients XF, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 32023) with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000
• a Lydia (Croesus or later) after c. 561 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients Ch MS, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 32045) with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000
• a Lydia Croesus 561-546 BC Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients MS, 4/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 32046) with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000
• a Roman Imperatorial Octavian & Divus Julius Caesar c. 43 BC Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients VF, 5/5 Strike and 2/5 Surface (lot 32068) with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000

Estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.