I bought this recently, and need some help identifying it! I have looked for a long time now and can’t find it, any ideas?
I found another on eBay, but there isn’t really an attribute, and I don’t think they’re worth this much
Charles, a good place to start when faced with any unknown ancient coin is with CNG's archives (the "research" tab). Their search engine is easy to use. Pick a few features from the unknown coin and type them in as search terms. For this coin, for instance, type in "Celtic tetradrachm horse", although you didn't tell us the size and weight. You'll find a bunch of hits that aren't relevant to your coin but you'll also find many that are. Yours seems to be an eastern imitation of a Philip II tetradrachm. As for your coin's authenticity, I have no useful opinion.
TIF knows a lot of coin styles, maybe other experts could provide more info but if she doesn't know it that might be a red flag. The exaggerated price on the one like it is what I also call a red flag especially when it says it is unique or whatever. If you buy on ebay you might want to check if you could find something similar before you buy. If you find a real type you might Then check the fakes forum and forgery network to see if you find it there. Otherwise it is a gamble that you might be buying an early first century Bulgarian. Just kidding with you on that attribution but have fun, it is possible to find a real treasure on ebay. Maybe a CT expert will find something out.
Thanks for the compliment, Mike, but perhaps I come across as someone who knows more than she really does (hence the disclaimer under my avatar). When it comes to Celtic coins I know very little and can't imagine how the majority of Celtic coins could be authenticated from a picture, simply because of the nature of their designs-- cartoonish imitations of other coins. It must take a lifetime of studying Celtic coins to have any kind of accuracy with vetting a coin's authenticity from images (exceptions for obvious casts, wrong metal, etc). The name I hear most often when it comes to Celtic coins is Chris Rudd, so that website might be a good resource.
This is tetradrachm struck by Eastern Celtic tribe Scordisci, and belongs to Phase B of Syrmia type - say 200 to 100 BC. An example of the drachm of the same type is my avatar. Your tetradrachm looks authentic to me.
This classification is from the book: Petar Popovic: Novac Skordiska (Le monnayage des Scordisques), in Serbian and French, Archeology Institute Belgrade 1987. The book is not online. The type is also called ballcheek (kugelwange). So if you type something like Syrmia Scordisci tetradrachm kugelwange or any three out of these four words you will get some results similar to your coin. At least I did. It should be fun.
Celtic coins are very collectible. i've had this one for years and really wasn't sure what it was, other than a Celtic until just the last couple of years. These types are their (the Celts) rendition of the Greek Phillip ll's coinage. Different groups made theirs a little different and it's those attributes that we confer as to where they may have come from..i still have a hard time seeing a face on the obverse of mine. Yours seems to be the same type as mine.
some of those asking prices i think are crazy!.. yours is a silver while mine is bronze, so your would be more costly. i think i paid in todays money around $60.00 for mine. i see now that they're making copies of Celts and selling them.. wow..
LOL, WOW @ominus1 ! Love that Keltic imitative of Philip II. Got me all HAPPY! Here is one of my Keltic imitative of Philip II - Yeah, The Mastermind! Celtic Imitation Philip II AR Drachm Kugelwangel type - pecunum auction
well, copies are really not considered fakes as they aren't trying to dupe anybody, but some of those claiming to be real are counterfeit i think.