CNG: THE PLZ COLLECTION OF ROMAN COINS

The PLZ Collection, a remarkable holding of ancient Roman coins featuring gold, silver and bronze coins of the first 12 Roman Caesars in superb quality, will lead off Classical Numismatic Group's Feature Auction 132, scheduled for May 18-19, 2026.

Additionally, the PLZ Collection spotlights the famous "Travel Series" coinage of the Emperor Hadrian, called "the wandering emperor" for his extensive journeys throughout the Roman Empire.

"When I first had a chance to see this collection in person, I immediately saw its incredible quality," said Michael Gasvoda, CNG's president and managing director. "This group of coins, when seen in hand, is almost mind-boggling. I know because I spent more than 30 years building my own collection of Twelve Caesars coinage."

The PLZ Collection comprises 61 Roman Imperial coins, which are featured in a special catalog with extensive historical notes on each coin. An additional six Roman Republican, Greek and Celtic coins will be featured in the main catalog for Feature Auction 132. The total estimate for the PLZ holding is $1.16 million.

The PLZ Collector himself cites a decades-long interest in ancient Rome, which started when he visited the Eternal City during his junior year in High School. Much later in life, in 2008, he began collecting Roman coins under the guidance of Steve Rubinger, a well-known and highly regarded numismatist in Southern California. "Guided by the inestimable expertise of Steve Rubinger, over the course of my first two years I acquired stunning examples of aurei and denarii for each Emperor in this period. Steve's knowledge and eye for both beauty and quality helped me quickly assemble complete collections that look even better as a set than their individual pieces."

Although every coin in the collection would be a "highlight" in any high-end auction, standout coins from the set include:

Lot 2

Lot 2, an extremely rare portrait gold aureus of Julius Caesar, struck in 43 BC by his grand-nephew and eventual heir Octavian, later known as Augustus Caesar. Portraits of both Octavian and Caesar appear on opposite sides of the coin. The catalog states: "The key factor for this coin is that this Julius Caesar die is almost universally accepted as being the finest die for the type. His portrait is spectacular. Thus, this is likely the finest representation of Julius Caesar found on a Roman gold coin." First offered in Triton XII in 2009, this aureus carries an estimate of $100,000.

Lot 15

Lot 15, a gold aureus of Gaius Germanicus Caesar, better known to history by his nickname Caligula (Latin for "Little Boot"). Struck at the outset of his brief reign in AD 37, the stunning obverse portrait is paired with a reverse depicting an oak wreath representing the Corona Civica, or Civic Crown, bestowed on a Roman for saving the life of a fellow citizen. The wreath encloses the letters S.P.Q.R. P.P OB C.S, abbreviating the legend "[by] the Senate and People of Rome, [to] the Father of the Fatherland, for Service to the Citizenry." One of only two specimens known to exist for this issue, the aureus grades EF and is well-struck and beautifully centered. Furthermore, it is pedigreed to the extremely prestigious Leo Biaggi de Blasys Collection formed in the early 1900s. It carries an estimate of $150,000.

Lot 22

Lot 22, a gold aureus of Claudius, the fourth Caesar, depicting the camp of the Praetorian Guard on the reverse. After Caligula's assassination in AD 41, the Praetorians found Claudius hiding behind a curtain in the palace and acclaimed him as emperor, after which they whisked him away to their camp within the city and forced the Roman Senate to accept his elevation. Graded Extremely Fine, the aureus is pedigreed to the famous New York Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, sold by Sotheby's in 1972.

Lot 28

Lot 28, a bronze sestertius of Nero featuring a reverse depiction of the Port of Ostia. Shown in a bird's eye view, this large coin shows a circular harbor with seven ships and small boats floating within, while a figure of Neptune, god of the sea, reclines at the base of the enclosure. Graded Extremely Fine with a deep green patina, this rare and impressive piece is estimated at $30,000.

Lots 30

Lots 30, 34 and 36 are gold aurei of the short-lived Emperors Galba, Otho and Vitellius, all of whom reigned briefly in AD 69, the "Year of the Four Emperors." Estimated at $40,000, $40,000 and $50,000 respectively, they represent exceptional examples of the three key acquisitions in any Twelve Caesars in gold.

Lot 42

Lot 42, a magnificent "Judaea Capta" bronze sestertius of Vespasian, the Roman general who was sent to crush the first Jewish rebellion against Rome, but later made a successful bid for the throne and established the Flavian dynasty. The reverse depicts a triumphant Vespasian standing before a palm tree, at the base of which sits a female representation of Judaea weeping bitter tears over her country's defeat and occupation. Graded Superb EF, with an attractive dark brown patina, this exceptional bronze is estimated at $50,000.

Lot 45

Lot 45, a silver denarius of Titus, the conqueror of Jerusalem, depicting an elephant on the reverse. Struck in AD 80, the silver piece celebrates the opening of the Colosseum, the enduring symbol of Rome, built in large part with spoils and slave labor provided by the Judean War. Graded Extremely Fine with a light iridescent tone, this denarius carries an estimate of $3000.

Lots 53-61 are all gold and bronze coins celebrating Hadrian's travels. Struck circa AD 133-135, these beautiful pieces come at the peak of Roman representational art and depict the provinces Africa, Egypt, Spain, and the River Nile, along with the city of Rome (wolf-and-twins), a Roman galley (the conveyance mainly used on his journeys), and a Victory type marking the end of the Bar Kochba rebellion in Judaea (AD 132-135).

CNG Feature Auction 132 will kick off with the PLZ Collection, with the live auction commencing at 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, May 18. The PLZ offering will be followed by Greek and Roman Republican offerings from CNG 132, and will conclude on Tuesday, May 19 with the Roman Imperial, Byzantine, World and British coins from the sale.

All sessions can be viewed, and bid upon, online using CNG's Auction Mobility platform available on the firm's website, www.cngcoins.com. All lots may be viewed at the Central States Numismatic Convention in Schaumburg, IL April 23-25 (Thursday-Saturday).

Classical Numismatic Group Inc. is the foremost U.S. numismatic firm dealing in Ancient, World and British coinage. To receive a printed copy of CNG Feature Auction 132 and the special PLZ Collection catalog, to enquire about lot viewing or bidding, or to ask about consigning to future auctions, call (717) 390-9194 or write to CNG@cngcoins.com.

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