I don’t collect really Celtic coins even if I follow a art history course on Celtic art. I got only 2 Celtic coins. To tell the story my first antic coin buy was a Celtic coin , it was a mistake in some way as I was without any experience and I enter a numismatic shop and the guy show me a tray of coins and I fall in love of this coin thinking at first glance it was a Greek one. The coin dealer, by the way a highly respected one in the worls of Antic coins Jean-Luc Van Der Schueren said to me that it as a Celtic one not common from Osca HUESCA in Spain. Anyway I bought it and I like it every time I look at it. Sorry got the photo as I am a bad coin photographer. My second Celtic coin is a Lindon Kaletoy hybrid from Gaul , it is an hybrid from a old Celtic collection with a pedigree and stay in the same collection over 50 years. I bought it to Cedric who is a great French numismatic researcher and coin dealer too (Bnumis).
The first one was so appealing indeed I bought it around 200 usd. I was thinking I was crazy but when I show this coin to Philippe Elsen the famous coin dealer he told me that it is really a rare one and it is very uncommon to have it at such grading and that I did a great bargain. I saw one sold by CNG not so nice for a high price tag.
The Osca one is a real beauty! It's on my wish list for a while. My Iberian coins: CELTS, Iberocelts. Denomination: AE semis, minted: Near Castillo, Iberia (current Spain); 200-100 BC Obv: Male head right Rev: Bull standing right; crescent above, Iberian KASTILO in exergue, and M in field. Weight: 9.9g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: ACIP 2115?. Provenance: Ex Eldijk collection; acq.: 09-2019 CELTS, Annonymous. Denomination: ae semis, minted: Obulco (current Porcuna, Spain); c 100 - 0 BC Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right. NIG on the left, OBVULC on the right (off center) Rev: Bull, crescent above Weight: 3.63g; Ø:17mm. Catalogue: CNH 81; SNG BM Spain 1473-5.. Provenance: Found near Baza, Spain; acq.: 12-2019 Strabo writes in his Geographies "Formerly the road passed on through the midst of the plain, and [the city of] Egelastae, which was both difficult and long, but they have now constructed a new road close to the sea, which merely touches upon the Plain of Rushes, and leads to the same places as the former, [viz.] Castlon, and Obulco, through which runs the road to Corduba and Gades, the two greatest emporia [of Iberia]. Obulco is distant about 300 stadia from Corduba. Historians report that Caesar came from Rome to Obulco, and to his army there, within the space of twenty-seven days, when about to fight the battle of Munda." My Celtic coin with an old provenance, the Mossop collection: CELTS, Durotriges celts. Denomination: AR Quarter Stater, minted: Durotriges region; 58 BC - AD 43 Obv: Either a boat, with two occupants standing, and multiple oars for rowing, or a wolf design; pellet rosette to right Rev: Lightning bolt, pellets within annulet Weight: 0g; Ø:12mm. Catalogue: ABC 2211 corr.; VA 1260; BMC 2748-70. Provenance: Ex Mossop collection (), ex Eldijk collection; acq.: 09-2019 And because I really, really like these two: CELTS, Ambiani celts. Denomination: AV stater, minted: Ambiani region, (current France, near Amiens); 58-55 BC Obv: Blank Rev: Disjointed horse right with remains of charioteer above; crescent above pellet below, intertwined lines pattern in exergue Weight: 6.02g; Ø:17mm. Catalogue: Evans 1864 Pl.B8; Scheers 1977 series 24, class IV (type) . Provenance: Ex private collection (Found in France, ca. 2000); acq.: 08-2019 The Ambiani Celts were Belgic people of Celtic language. In 57 BC, when Julius Caesar started his Belgic campain, they were able to muster 10.000 armed men. However, when Julius Caesar came close to their capital Samarobriva (probably the modern Amiens), they submitted to Caesar. This gold stater was probably minted to finance the war against Julius Caesar. CELTS, Durotriges celts. Denomination: AR stater , minted: Durotriges region; 65 BC - 45 AD Obv: Head of Apollo right, devolved to wreath and crescents Rev: Disjointed horse left; pellets above, pellet in lozenge above tail, zigzag and pellet pattern between two parallel exergue lines Weight: 4.05g; Ø:18mm. Catalogue: Van Arsdell 1235-1, ABC 2157, SCBC 365, Cranborne Chase (Durotrigan E) type. Provenance: Ex private collection ; acq.: 09-2019
oldfinecollector, Both of your Celtic coins are fine additions, the 1st coin because of the classic style & the 2nd coin because the abstractions . It's amazing how much Celtic coins can vary in their artistic style, I prefer the highly abstracted coins like the one pictured below. I sold all my Celtic coins long ago but kept this one because of its bizarre appearance . The coin pictured below is what a genuine Thasos Tetradrachm looks like. Photo courtesy of Pecunem Auctions.
Celtic art is interesting it is not a barbarous art it is a very different art . The celts were buying a lot of thing from Greece like rage famous Vix Tomb treasure Show but they got their own form of art.
That Oscan drachm is beautiful. They are indeed scarce, and even scarcer in better grades. In my few years of being a dealer, I only came across one similar. I sold it two years ago and I think someone on this forum owns it. @Alegandron ? At any rate, if you can find them this nice, buy them! You may not see another for many years.
Here are my Osca's: Nov-2017 SPAIN. Osca. Æ Semis, 25mm, 8.0g, 6h. 1st century BC. Obv.: Bearded male head right. Rev.; Horseman galloping right, holding spear, star above and behind, legend below. Reference: SNG Cop 325, Burgos 1918. EX: @John Anthony John's comments: The ancient city of Osca, known as Bolskan in the Iberian language, was situated in northwestern Spain. It was a Roman colony under the rule of Quintus Sertorius, where he founded a prestigious school to educate young Iberians in Roman and Latin customs. Here is a lovely, well-preserved bronze with an attractive patina and excellent detail. Feb-2017 OSCA, Spain, AR silver denarius. Struck circa 204-154 BC. Head right with short beard, legend resembling *N behind. Reverse - Horseman galloping right with spear, Iberian legend resembling *PMAN BOLSCAN below. Burgos 1501, Villaronga 3 Ex: @John Anthony
