Featured “Celt”er skelter/The Wild one/Shipping up to Republican Rome

First, someone (sorry I don’t remember who or what thread... much like my remembering the day of the week. I think it’s Thatday or possibly Thisday) had recently asked why we pronounce the Boston Celtics with the soft C and not the hard C, like they would’ve pronounced it themselves (though it wasn’t a name they gave themselves)?
A question I’d wondered myself! So, I looked it up and found a very informative article and podcast. It ultimately falls to how the English language has evolved over hundreds of years. Give it a listen or a read if you’d like: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wgbh.org/news/2018/03/27/how-we-live/why-we-pronounce-celtic-music-and-boston-celtics-differently?_amp=true


Which is my totally radical Segway



into my new coin!

But first, some history:

The Celts were known for their bright red and gold long hair, hairy large bodies and fierce warrior spirit. Their language sprang up from the late Bronze Age Urnfield culture as far back as 1200 BCE. They were a conglomerate of Indo European people’s whoes specific origins and migration is still hotly debated.



What’s not debated is that they were some bad hombres (which I’m pretty sure is their word) on the battlefield
Having recently done 23 and me, I can boast about 48%, what in hindsight we consider, Celtic heritage!... oh, and that I’ve a new long lost sister
So, I’ve been on the lookout for more ancient Celtic coins, aside for my obligatory Philip II and ATG imitations and proto coin rings types.
When I came across this handsome Roman Republic imitation I couldn’t resist and pull the trigger...then won it for a whisper.
Gotta LOVE faux Roma’s massive nose that sweet toning and the Rosetta the horse is jumping over sure seems like a faux Macedonian shield with a splash of wishful thinking thrown in:


CELTIC, Gaul. The Aedui.
Circa 1st Century BC. AR Quinarius (15 MM 1.70 gm). Santonos series. Helmeted head left; [SANT]ONOS before / Horse galloping right; rosette below. CCCBM II 441; de la Tour 4520. Toned, nice VF.

Those other guys I’d mentioned:

You’d assume they considered a girthy ring more valuable


Eastern Celts
AR Drachm (15-16 mm, 2.02 g), 2nd to 1st century BC. Imitation of Philip II of Macedon, ’Kapostal’ Type.
Obv. Celticized head of laureate Zeus to right.


Celtic Coins – DANUBIAN... Kapostaler Type Drachm (2,42g). Av. Head of Zeus right / Rv. Horseman left, wearing high-crested helmet. Ref.: Lanz 819 (Kapostaltype). VF


Celtic
Celts in Eastern Europe AR Drachm. Imitation of Alexander III 'the Great' of Macedon. Circa 310-275 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Zeus Aëtophorosseated left; monogram in left field. Lanz 943; CCCBM I 213; KMW 1492. 2.07g. 16mm, 2h.
Near Very Fine

Queue the bagpipes and please share your Celtic beauties, enemies or anything you deem Wild!

 

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Interesting and nice coins.

LOWER DANUBE CELTS
AR Drachm
OBVERSE: Stylized head of Herakles with wild hair, right
REVERSE: Stylized Zeus seated left holding an eagle, kantharus to left
Struck by the Lower Danube Celts, 2d-1st Century BC
2.9g, 20mm,
CCCBM I 217, Kostial 896
ex JAZ Numismatics

EASTERN CELTS, DACHREITER TYPE
AR Drachm
OBVERSE: Celticized head of Zeus right
REVERSE: Celticized horseman riding left; wheel of four spokes above
Struck by the Skordoski in Syrmia, 2d Century BC
1.87g, 14mm
OTA 188/2-3

 

My one and only (for now). I love the almost cartoonish horse on the reverse.


CELTIC, Iceni. Ecen. Circa AD 25-38. AR Unit (15mm, 1.15 g). Ecen Symbol (Icenian J) type. Two opposed crescents with pellets between, superimposed upon band of three lines surrounded by two lines of pellets / Horse leaping right; six pellets on shoulder; rosette of five pellets to upper left; trace of EC[E] below horse. Van Arsdell 764-1; ABC 1663; SCBC 445. Toned, some porosity, double struck. Good VF.

From the Matthew Curtis Collection.

 

CELTIC. Danubian Celts. Philip II. AR Drachm by weight (4.2 gm, 3h, 22mm), ca. 2nd-1st Century B.C.? Obv: Abstract head of Zeus right. Rev: Rump and rear and fore legs of abstract horse, left. I don't have a reference.

 

CELTIC. Danubian Celts. AR drachm (2.4 gm,10h, 19mm) Imitation of Alexander III or Philip III. Obv: Head of Herakles, right wearing lion skin. Rev: Zeus std. left. Again, no reference.

 

I really LOVE the unique artistry the Celt's employed. Though, @Bing, I am pretty sure your reverse was inspired by everyone's favorite friendly ghost (or vice versa)!



WoWiE! @Chris B, that is a sensational first Celtic coin It seems so abstract, but we know that the artist/celator that created this die knew just what he was portraying in this style and with those designs.
That first one, @PeteB, is the style of Phili II imitation that I have been trying to get for a while, though has remained elusive as the starting prices are usually not so bad and they just jump up come auction time! What do you suppose those 3 dashes, usually across the face of Zeus, represent? They often look like little scoops, like the type that are used to take off metal when a coin weighs too much, but here it is clearly the artistic representation of something.

 

Nice write up and coins, @Ryro ... Yeah, same here, probly 50% Celtic, and some German and Finnish (I thought that was cool, been there several times).

Nice music! Kinda a Floggy Molly fan myself, so yours fit the bill!

Thanks for the article. I know they have nice reasoning for the K to S sound, but I do not agree with their statements that it is difficult to pronounce Ke sound. It sounds like they are justifying-after-the-fact. I have always pronounced it as Keltic, and in the Celtic Nations, I always heard it with the hard C / K sound. Romans used a Hard C, and the Greeks started calling the Keltoi before everyone. However, I AM very curious what the Kelts originally CALLED THEMSELVES! I am sure it was their word for The People, and the Romans and Greeks were probably called Barbarians or Scum Murderers, or something like that.

Here are some of my Celts...


Celtic Imitation Philip II 2nd C BCE AR Drachm Kugelwange type- Danube Valley - pecunum auction



Celtic Britain Iceni Boudicca 61 CE 1.03g Celt Hd r Celtic horse galloping Scarce



Celtic AE Ring 800-500 BCE



Ancient Celtic Shaving Razor 8th-6th c BCE Rare Bronze Age Hallstatt Type 48mm x 40mm



OSCA Spain AR silver denarius 204-154 BC. Head r beard -N behind - Horseman spear, Celtiberian PMAN BOLSCAN Burgos 1501 Villaronga 3

 

Ancient Celtic Shaving Razor 8th-6th c BCE Rare Bronze Age Hallstatt Type 48mm x 40mm


Sensational Celtic collection, @Alegandron! That Philip II imitation is BOSS!
And, man, I have never seen anything like your 2nd to last ancient. I've seen strigils but never a razor that I recall...I figured that is what you had been using to Flog Molly

 

One of my favorite songs!

 

SE England, Catuvellauni
Coin: AU Stater
(None) - To be completed later
(None) - To be completed later
Wt./Size/Axis: 5.66g / 18mm / -
References:

• ABC 2436

I enjoy this coin because it is thought to be part of a group that was destined for Caesar (Julius) as tribute. At least one consignment was sent, then the tribes thought "bugger that" and kept the rest. This is one that is thought to be one of the rest.

 

..kool koins...i love Keltic art..(even when i can't make it out).. .Celtic bronze tet King Phillip ll

 

Did someone say Celts? Off to show my gold stater again

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

Don't think I've posted this one before:

CELTS, Senones or Tricasses. Denomination: Potin unit, minted: Celtic Gaul; c.100 BC
Obv: Head with “wild” hair
Rev: Horned horse with long tail, three pellets around
Weight: 4.2g; Ø:19mm. Catalogue: BMC.396. Provenance: Ex Eldijk collection; acq.: 09-2019


CELTS, Anonymous. Denomination: BI Regenbogenschüsselchen , minted: The Netherlands and Western Germany; ca. 100 BC
Obv: Triskelion with dots at end of spirals. Wreath around, with encircled dots at two ends.
Rev: Three encircled circles, pyramidal zig-zag line around. Dotted circles below
Weight: 5.6g; Ø:1.7mm. Catalogue: Flesche 404. Kellner IX C. LT 9439-9441. SLM 1097ff. Provenance: Found near Geldermalsen, the Netherlands. Ex private collection 09-2019.; acq.: 08-2019


CELTS, Anonymous. Denomination: AE 22, minted: Danube region; Eastern Celts; 200-100 BC
Obv: Trident, illegible text
Rev: Dotted line / pearls.
Weight: 5.22g; Ø:2.3mm. Catalogue: Imitation of trident type AE20-22 of the last two Macedonian kings Phillip V (reign 221 to 179 BC) and Perseus (reign 179 to 168 BC). Type B trident, with illegible Greek-ish text. . Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 12-2018


CELTS, Anonymous. 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


CELTS, Uncertain (Eastern?). Denomination: AE or bilion unit, minted: uncertain mint; uncertain
Obv: Kugelwange type
Rev: Horse prancing to the left
Weight: 4.4g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: ?. Provenance: Ex Eldijk collection; acq.: 09-2019

 

Oh my! Simply stunning coin with an amazing history!
You need to go get the Pulp Fiction briefcase just to show that off! Though, each time you pull it out you'll have to find a long, greasy haired, cigarette smoking John Travolta just for effect:

 

...it is the cats meow ain't it?!

 

Ryro: Here is a coin with a similar representation of Zeus's head, however, note that it is a didrachm:
https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=146468
I am unsure what you mean by "three dashes." Zeus' hair-do at the link above is similar to mine. It weighs 7.54 grams. Mine weighs 4.2 grams.
I see a huge "scoop" in the center of my coin.
Now, the curious part: most other drachms I find online weigh 2.5 to 3 grams. Was mine originally a didrachm that was attempted to be reduced in value to a drachm? 4.2 grams is very heavy for an eastern-celt drachm!
Do we have a Celtic coin expert in CT that explain this anomaly?

 

Ahhhhhh, you answered my question. It's his hair! Here are some other examples (not mine) :

They really had fun with their artistry. The hair gives some pretty gnarly sideburns!
But Celtic coin expert I'm not.

 

Oh, Man, just think about it. We Kelts don’t have gnarly sideburns... we are just GNARLY DUDES !!!