Joseph Martini of New York assembled a highly specialized Roman Republican collection in the first few decades of the 20th century, which was later sold by Rodolfo Ratto in Milan on February 24, 1930. His collection was focused on some of the most historically significant and challenging areas of Roman numismatics. Including, but not limited to aes grave, the Romano-Campanian series, coinage from the Social War (91-88 BCE), and family denarii (monnaies des familles).

The decision to sell his collection through Rodolfo Ratto’s Milan firm, rather than an American auction house, is quite interesting. By 1930, Ratto had established himself as one of Europe's premier numismatic auctioneers, and his catalogues are still consulted by scholars and collectors worldwide. Martini's choice suggests he wanted his collection to receive the kind of expert cataloguing and reach the specialized audience that only a major European firm could provide. This practice still holds today, with numerous consignments flowing from the US to European auction houses.