The Collier Collection Auction of Ancient Coins
The American Numismatic Society (ANS) announces that the Collection of James M. Collier will be offered at auction by Nomos AG (Zurich, Switzerland) from April 5-6, 2025. All proceeds from the collection will establish an endowment at the ANS to offer the Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics in perpetuity. The Collier Prize was established in 2020 with the generous support of ANS Trustee Carole Anne Menzi Collier in honor of her late husband Professor James M. Collier. It is the most substantial financial award supporting scholarship in ancient numismatics. Nomos AG Auction 35 will include many fine examples of ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins from the Collier collection.
James Collier initially taught art history before fully dedicating himself to painting, in which he drew inspiration both from the rich tapestry of art history and the world around him. His work is deeply influenced by his understanding of artistic periods–in particular of the Renaissance–yet he remained attuned to the nuances of objects he loved, such as coins and medals, blending the two to create a unique and compelling visual narrative. His coin collection contains many of the great highlights of ancient numismatics, such as an exceptional group of coins of Syracuse, including a stunning decadrachm of Euainetos (Lot 169). In the extensive Roman series, there are many highlights, such as a remarkable specimen of the sesterius of Nero with his lost triumphal arch (Lot 659) and a full set of the Twelve Caesars in silver (Lot 640).
What Is the Collier Prize?
The Collier Prize is awarded biennially to the best single or multi-authored work in the field of ancient numismatics, with the winner(s) receiving $20,000 (to be split equally for a multi-authored work). The prize was first awarded in 2021 to Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) II.3 (Spink, 2020) by Richard Abdy and Peter Mittag, and most recently to Moneda Ibérica (monedaiberica.org), developed and edited by Manuel Gozalbes Fernández de Palencia, Pere Pau Ripollès Alegre, Alejandro Peña, and Juan Francisco Onielfa, in a ceremony on March 18, 2025, at the ANS in New York City.
The Sydney F. Martin Executive Director, Dr. Ute Wartenberg Kagan, commented on the auction: “We are most grateful for the generous support of our trustee, Carole Anne Menzi Collier, and Nomos AG for hosting this auction. The proceeds will help the ANS continue to enrich the study of ancient numismatics by supporting this prize and honoring significant research publications in the field.”
The auction of the Collier Collection will begin at 14:00 CEST (8:00 AM ET) on April 5. For more information, visit www.nomosag.com/auction. We hope that you will support the ANS by bidding in the auction!
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