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ANCIENT COINS
ANCIENT GREEK COINS
1001
Celtic. Carpathian region. Imitating Philip II of Macedon. Silver Tetradrachm (11.88 g), 3
rd
century BC.
‘Zickzackgruppe’ type. Laureate head of Zeus left. Rev.
PLLL
, horseman riding left; behind, circle. (Kostial
738; OTA 459; CCCBM I S132). Fully lustrous and boldly struck. Mint state.
$ 3,000
The Zeus and horseman types introduced by Philip II enjoyed great popularity among neighboring Thracian and Celtic peoples.
Indeed, they were so successful that they continued in production long after his death because the Thracians and Celts demanded
them in payment when they served as mercenaries in the armies of early Hellenistic dynasts and kings. This preference for Philip’s
types spawned numerous local imitations such as this tetradrachm. It takes the standard images of Zeus and the horseman and twists
them into something new and unique through the abstract artistry for which the Celts are justifiably famous.
1002
Celtic. Eastern Europe, Imitating Thasos. Silver Tetradrachm (16.77 g), late 2
nd
-1
st
centuries BC. Wreathed
head of Dionysos right. Rev. Debased legend reduced to pellets, Herakles standing facing, holding club and
lion’s skin. (Kostial 983-95; cf. OTA class V; CCCBM I 235). Bold style and attractively toned. Very fine.
$ 300
ex CNG 55 (13 September 2000), lot 23.