.jpg "Celtic Northeast Gaul. Ambiani AR Fraction.")
LOT 3008
Celtic Northeast Gaul. Ambiani AR Fraction. Circa 75-50 BC. Picardy Horse Face type.
Stylised helmet head right, horse's head forming eye and nose / Horse right, with long beaded mane, six armed 'star' in front with ring at centre, two rings above, small horse's head below. LT 8500/8515 var.; BMC 156; Sch/ GB 51, fig. 330; DT 189; Allen 'Les pièces d'argent minces du comté de Hampshire', Revue Numismatique, VI série, VII (1965), p.79-93, pl.V, no.29. Good Very Fine. Toned, great horse, full 'star'. Very rare.(0.48gr, 13mm, 11h.).
ProvenanceEx Chris Rudd, 118, lot 5, ref. no.15074.
From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.
As Derek Allen (1965) says, this extraordinary type was ultimately derived from the Pallas Athene silver coins of the Aulerci Cenomani (cf. LT 5967, 5973, 5980, 5985) and heavily influenced the Hampshire Thin Silver series of the British Belgae (ABC 911) and the Chichester Chariot Wheel thin silver of the Regini (ABC 701). This lovely example of the Picardy Horse Face explicitly shows a horse's head emerging from the forehead of the stylised head. The spear is also clearly displayed as part of the helmet. The spidery 'star' symbol in front of the horse can be seen again before the horse on the Yarmouth gold stater of the Regini (ABC 518).
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Celts. Uncertain AR Half Unit. 1st century BC.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £14
Head(?) to right / Animal standing to left; pellet-in-crescent above. 0.10gr, 5mm.
Very Fine.
Ex Baldwins basement, 20th century. -
Celtic Northeast Gaul. Coriosolites BI Stater. Circa 100-50 BC.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Stylised head to right, hair in large spiral curls, S-like ear; [pearl strings flowing around] / Stylised charioteer driving biga to right; below, boar to right; pearl string flowing above. Depeyrot, NC VIII, 186; DT 2341. 6.13gr, 20mm, 2h.
Good Very Fine.
Ex Michael Trenerry. From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent. -
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Celtic Britannia. Atrebates and Regni, Commius AR Unit. Circa 50-25 BC. Commios Ladder Head Wheel type.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £624
Moon head left, lentoid eye, ladder-like hair, small phallic face in front / Horse left, wheel above, double ring in front, uncertain animal below. ABC 1034; VA 355-5; BMC 758; S 69. 1.28gr, 11mm, 3h.
Near Extremely Fine. Sharply struck in lightly toned silver, super head, full hidden face. Very rare.
Ex Chris Rudd, 129, lot 22, ref. no.17214. From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.
One of the finest known specimens of this extraordinary silver unit, first attributed to Commius by Robert Van Arsdell. The weird little face we see hovering before the slant-eyed moon-head (note the proximity of the nose and parted lips) also occurs on the gold staters of Commius and the Selsey Two-Faced stater.
