A gold two solidi medallion minted during the reign of the Eastern Roman emperor Valens made $233,733 at the 51 Gallery in Brussels, Belgium on December 9.
It was the top lot of an Archaeology and Numismatics auction - achieving a 72.2% increase on a $135,700 high estimate.
 The medallion of Valens was minted circa AD 364-367 |
The medallion, which dates to AD 364-367, was issued in the town of Aquileia in northern Italy and is one of just two examples known to have survived to the present day.
It features a clear and well-centred strike with a light reddish tone.
Valens ruled the Eastern Roman empire from AD 364 until his defeat by the Goths at the Battle of Adrianople in AD 378 - an event which set in motion the demise of the Western Roman empire.
A silver dekadrachm of the Carthaginians made $103,117 - achieving an increase of 89.9% on a valuation of $54,280.
 This is one of the finest known examples of the silver dekadrachm |
The coin displays the head of Tanit, the chief deity of Carthage, on the obverse - while the reverse features a depiction of Pegasus.
One of the greatest of all ancient cities, Carthage stood on the site of what is now Tunis in Tunisia.
Its people dominated trade in the Mediterranean between the 6th and 3rd century BC, and began issuing coins in the 5th century in order to pay soldiers engaged in wars with the Greeks in Sicily.
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