TRAJAN BRONZE CONTORNIATE – ISSUE DEPICTING THE FAMOUS RACE HORSE POLYSTEFANUS EX SACHERO AND EX BESSON PUBLISHED IN ALFOELDI – VF ROMAN IMPERIAL COIN (Inv. 21494)

$4,500.00

21494. ROMAN EMPIRE. CONTORNIATE IN THE NAME OF DEIFIED TRAJAN, LATE 4th CENTURY AD.
Bronze Contorniate Medallion, 20.98 g, 37 mm.
Obv. DIVO TRAIANO AVGVSTO, laureate and draped bust of Trajan right, EP monogram engraved in right field. Rev. Charioteer riding quadriga right, turning to look back, holding flail and palm frond, POLVSTEFAVS in exergue.
Published: Alföldi & Alföldi, Die Kontorniat–Medallions (1976), 345.17 (noted as belonging to Sachero, Turin) and plate 141.2 (this coin, illustrated).
Ex W. Toliver Besson Collection = ex Varesi 74, 4/29/2019, lot 108 = Montenapoleone 8, 5/11/1988, lot 373 = ex Luigi Sachero Collection (so noted in Alföldi) = Robert J. Myers 1, 11/18/1971, lot 618.
VF, light brown patina, published in Alföldi.

While at first the legend on the reverse might appear to name the charioteer as Polystefanus (“Many-crowned”), it in fact refers to one of his horses. This animal of the North African Berber breed was so famous that he is believed to be depicted in a panel of the fourth-fifth century AD “Mosaic of the Horses” from Carthage. On the mosaic (illustrated on the inner cover of this list) the horse is shown standing with his driver while a display of twelve prize crowns appears in the background, alluding to his name. It is unclear whether Polystefanus actually won twelve races to match the crowns shown or whether the number is a meaningless indicator that he won many crowns. The mosaic also shows the abbreviation SAP on the horse’s hind quarters, likely the name of the owner. On the contorniate, Polystefanus (probably the horse closest to the viewer) is shown in full action, galloping to the finish line while his driver holds the palm branch of another victory in his hand.