Kenneth Bressett Collection wins: 22 coins, incl. Judaea Capta As, Dorchester & "Higgie" Hoards

I’m sure others here bought coins from the same collection sale, so I thought it might be worth sharing some background info on the collector/collection (CNG Keystone Auction 6, 11 March 2022). I posted a few in another comment, but I’ll show them all here and give more background.

Please do share anything similar or relevant, as you see it.

Here’s a group shot of the bulk of my takeaway:




Kenneth Bresset (1928 - ) Bio / Background.

Ken Bressett (1928 - ) is a well-known American numismatist and author, now in his 90s, who has been active in the field since the 1950s.

He was President of the American Numismatic Association in 1995 (among many other offices held). If you were in the Boy Scouts and got the “Coin Collecting” merit badge after 1975 (I did not, perhaps reserving Boy Scouts for outdoor stuff?) then you used his pamphlet.

He may be best known in the field of U.S. Coins, but he’s also written about ancient coins. He wrote Money of the Bible (2005 & later eds.) and edited the 1994 single-volume of Zander Klawans’ Ancient Greek & Roman Coins.

In addition to American and British coins (if not others), he built an ancient coin collection from the late 1940s through at least 2014.

Bressett's biography is on pp. 50-51 of Pete Smith's (2021 ed.) American Numismatic Biographies (on Archive; or here on NNP; Lincoln Higgie’s, mentioned below, is on p. 178; Salton is notably absent). By 1985, he had nine entries indexed in Clain-Stefanelli's Numismatic Bibliography (p. 1647), and many more publications after.


COINS SHOWN:

The “tray photo” above shows twenty-two coins. The ten coins on the top row (two groups, Lot 3334 [CNG listing] and Lot 3378 [CNG listing]) had no prior provenance but were types I always enjoy (Valens and Valentian dragging bound captives, Constantine I AEs). (For group lots I include CNG links as well, since ACSearch only shows one photo; otherwise I prefer to use ACSearch.)

The remainder attracted my attention partly with interesting backstories:

Vespasian Judaea Capta AE As.

Roman Imperial. Vespasian (Augustus, 69-79 CE) "Judaea Capta" Commem. AE As (28mm, 9.40 g, 6h). Rome mint, 71 CE.
Obv: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III P P. Laureate head right.
Rev: IVDEA CAPTA / S C in exergue. Judaea seated right in attitude of mourning, Palm tree to her left; to left, pile of arms (shields, helmet).
Ref: RIC II 305; Cohen 244; Hendin (GBC 5) 1554(b); OCRE (RIC 305; 14 specs.).
Note: Incorrectly described as RIC 1233 (COS VIII / IVDAEA) by CNG.
Prov: Kenneth Bressett (1928 - ) Collection, CNG Keystone Auction 6 (Lancaster, 11 Mar 2022), Lot 3156; acq. Mark Salton-Schlessinger, 1957 ($8), with tag/envelope.​

As I've commented before, one of my favorite sub-collections is "barbarians, captives, and enemies" on Roman coins. It's my first Judaea Capta RIC bronze.




The coin also fits my other favorite collection theme: History of numismatics.

Bressett bought it from Mark Salton-Schlessinger (1914 - 2005) in 1957 (as a dealer, not from his celebrated collection).

In this case, the provenance is particularly important in relation to the type of coin. Salton came from a family of prominent Jewish numismatists (Schlessinger, Hamburger, et al.), most of whose coins and other properties were seized by the Nazis c. 1940, and most of who were murdered in the Holocaust. (I will post more later, but I’ve also just purchased a copy of his father, Felix Schlessinger’s final Auction in 1939 [No. 15, Baron A. de la Chapelle Coll.], in exile in Amsterdam, one year before the Nazis invaded.)

The important history of the family, WWII, and their fates is detailed in Ursula Kampmann’s (2022) Origins of the German Coin Trade: The Hamburger and Schlessinger Families, published by Künker and available online (English translation, read-only on issuu; the Coinsweekly summary [31 Mar 2022] links the downloadable .pdf on Künker’s website).


Philip I & Gordian III AR Antoniniani ex Dorchester Hoard.

Also among Bressett’s collection were many silver Ants from “The Great Dorchester Hoard of 1936,” as Mattingly called it in his 1939 Numismatic Chronicle article (avail. with free account on JSTOR, or free, in lower-quality .pdf on Archive). It remains one of the largest hoards ever found in Britain, with 20,748 coins cataloged by the British Museum (another c. 1,000-plus were not cataloged). Many of the coins were dispersed by B.A. Seaby. (I don’t know if all were.)



Bressett’s Dorchester Antoniniani were all described as Ex “Joe Powers 1950.” Joseph Powers was an active member of the Boston Numismatic Society in the 1950s and 1960s. Bressett reported buying coins in Boston c. 1948 and 1950 and/or at Boston coin shows, so these coins were likely purchased on one of these visits.

Many of the coins retain original hoard encrustations, which I appreciate on coins like these (especially since I've seen similar encrustations on others reportedly ex-Dorchester). All six coins (four types) are common: In the Dorchester Hoard alone, there were 128 specimens of my Gordian III (Cohen 299) and, of my Philip I Ants, there were 526 (C. 9, 3 coins), 411 (C. 25), and 167 specimens (C. 215)! I was, of course, shocked that not even one of mine was illustrated on Mattingly’s three plates!

Collectively, they were under $35 each (incl. auction fee), which I consider a good price for coins persuasively tied to an important hoard. (Lot 3231 and 3244 [on CNG].)


Constantine I AE3s Ex “Lincoln Higgie Hoard.”

Another group I found interesting were those described as Ex-"Lincoln Higgie Hoard, 1967." Of the five I won (4X Constantine I [3335; on CNG] and a Constantine Jr. [3352]) these are my three favorites:



Again, common coins, but ones I never tire of, and with an interesting story. The group of six came out to about $14.40 each.

The larger group was reportedly “discovered” by William “Bill” Lincoln Higgie (1938 - ) in Turkey, 1967, and sold to Bressett “intact” (about 40 VRBS ROMA AEs, plus a couple dozen Constantine I and II). Characteristic of that era, no publications or other reports of the hoard are mentioned, nor does one imagine cultural property and export permits to have been a major concern.


DID ANYONE ELSE WIN ANY OF THE BRESSETT COINS? OR ANY DORCHESTERS (OR OTHER BRITISH HOARDS)? EX SALTON-SCHLESSINGER COINS? ANYTHING ELSE INTERESTING OR RELEVANT TO SHARE?

 

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Nice haul! The Judaea Capta's an excellent score, especially with that provenance. Thanks for sharing the information about the Bressett collection coins. I didn't come away with much from the auction but found the material very interesting. I'm especially happy with this ragged but rare LRB, acquired by Bressett from Lincoln Higgie (though apparently not from the Hoard).


Gratian. AD 367-383. Æ (17.5mm, 2.37 g, 1h). Arelate (as Constantia) mint, 3rd officina. Struck AD 367-375. [D N] GRATIANVS AVGG AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right / [GLORI]A NO–VI SAECVLVM, emperor standing facing, head left, holding labarum and shield; OF–III//CON. RIC IX 15. VF/Fine, brown surfaces, edge a bit ragged, rough reverse. Rare and unusual.

From the Ken Bressett Collection. Ex Lincoln Higgie 1966 @ $10.

Interestingly, on the reverse the workshop is specifically referred to as OF(ficina) III. As an accession issue, this coin touts the “glory of the new age” that the new emperor and heir apparent is to bring. The obverse legend echoes Gratian’s role as junior emperor, differentiating between the senior emperors Valentinian I and Valens (AVGG) and Gratian (AVG) in an unorthodox manner only employed at Arelate and Lugdunum.

 

Wow ! That was a great haul Curtis . Kenneth Bressett is a numismatist icon who has done so much to popularize the hobby. I'm sure you'll cherish these coins.

 

Nicely done, Zumbly! I was watching that one, too. Not only is it a really great portrait for a Gratian AE3, but really interesting Officina marks. That's one of my favorite things about collecting Late Roman Bronze and AE3s in particular. There are many of these variants, but some quite rare and special. Great pickup!

 

@Curtis Very nice score on that Judaea Capta!

I picked up a few coins, mostly inexpensive worn coins, from that auction. My best (and favorite) is this Vespasian denarius I've posted elsewhere:

Vespasian, AR denarius
A.D. 74, Rome mint
OBV: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG, laureate head of Vespasian right
REV: PONT MAX TR P COS V, winged caduceus
18.5mm, 3.25g; RIC II.1 684; BMC 137; RSC 361a
From the Ken Bresset Collection, ex CNG Keystone auction 6, session 3, part II, lot 3157

 

I didn't buy anything at this auction, but the name Kenneth Bressett is certainly familiar to me: he was the author of the very first book about coins that I ever owned. My father bought it for me in 1965, when I was 9. We were on vacation in the Bahamas and I quickly became fascinated with the English coinage then used there. So off we went to a local coin store, and my active interest in English coins (and, later, historical/commemorative medals) continued for another 45-50 years. I still have the book, naturally:

 

I am glad to see Ken's coins find good homes. I hope to see him at a coin club meeting Wednesday night, and if I do I will mention this thread.

 

I only picked up one from this sale but admittedly there wasn't much in my wheelhouse.



Germany. Bavaria, Louis IV. 1317-1374. AR Pfennig (15mm, 1.37 g). Dortmund. Berghaus 22. Toned, weak in part. Good VF.

From the Ken Bressett Collection. Ex Spink 1971 @ $50.

 

That's a great group of coins @Curtis congrats on such a nice haul. I won one coin and it was the one I was determined to win. Thankfully CNG wrongly attributed the coin so that may have kept the price down.

Its a scarce to rare series G groat of Edward III, but for some reason it was attributed to Edward IV. Even when CNG finally corrected it to Edward III they didn't get the series correct.

 

Great Denarius @The Meat man (that one was purchased from Lincoln Higgie, too -- apparently he was a favorite of Bressett)!

Great catch on the Edward III, @TheRed! I love the old toning on that and @Chris B 's Bavarian Pfennig (I'm totally unfamiliar with medieval German coins, but what an amazing facing bust on that obv!). Those are fantastic coins.

@CaptHenway -- that would be wonderful if you get the chance. If you do speak, please let him know that the collection has been the source of a lot of excitement, and it will certainly be cherished for a long time! I'm thrilled I was able to get a few, and that he'd kept track of so many of the coins' backstories for so long.

Donna, I love that you still have your first coin book -- and that it was purchased in Nassau! (I'd forgotten reading that you collected British coins first.)

I've got a similar book. My first was Sear's Greek Coins & Their Values, Vol. 1, my parents also purchased it for me while on vacation (in London, after visiting the British Museum). I was about the same age (7-9 years old). I still have it, including the 22.50 GBP price-tag. (That was A LOT c. 1986-8! Almost $90 in 2022 USD according to the internet, so we considered it quite an investment.) It's tattered, but I'm actually surprised not more so after all the years of regular use.

I may have some Bressett (or Bressett-edited) U.S. coin books in storage, but my only ancient one is the Zander Klawans volume that he edited / updated in 1994. (Money of the Bible is on my want-list, though.)

 

Funny, I just picked up a coin book edited by Ken Bressett a couple weeks ago at a local used book sale.

 

Thank you. I hate throwing out books! Even outdated reference books.

I have the Sear book, and the Klawans paperback -- which I never noticed was was edited and updated by Bressett -- was actually the first ancient coin book I ever bought. I consulted it so much (mostly for the section listing and briefly describing all the emperors & empresses, etc.) that it quite literally fell apart. I taped it together, and still have it as well.

 

Q. Curtius and M. Sergius Silus. 116-115 BC. AR Brockage Denarius (19mm, 3.63 g, 12h). Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) behind / Jupiter driving quadriga right; lituus above. Cf. Crawford 285/2; cf. Sydenham 537 (both for obverse type). Fine, toned, scratches, bankers’ marks. From the Ken Bressett Collection. Ex coin show c.1980 @ $45.

 

Congratulations, great coin! I love Republican brockages -- especially this one since it has my name on both sides!!!

 

Unfortunately Ken was not at the meeting Wednesday night. He had something else to do.
The next day I mentioned this thread to him in an open letter to all club members, and he said he would look for the thread.
And then three or four other members responded by saying that they had purchased some of Ken's coins as well! Not bad for a club with only about 20 members.

 

Picked up this bushy-bearded Julian from that collection. AE27, Arles mint, RIC 320. Highly funky (in a good way) IMO