So I bought another Celtic coin...

[Parthicus]

... and I think I might like this one even more than the previous one:

Celtic Central Europe and Asia Minor. AR drachm (2.80 g). c.2nd century BC. Imitation of Alexander III drachm. Obverse: Herakles head right wearing lion-skin headdress. Reverse: Jupiter seated left, holding eagle and spear, degraded legend behind. This coin: Stephen Album Electronic Auction 16, lot 3 (July 11-12, 2022).

I've been trying to avoid getting into Celtic coins, as my time and budget are both finite and I already have too many areas of coinage that interest me. But I recently bought a Celtic reduced tetradrachm just because the design looked interesting and the price was cheap (see here: 

 ). And then I noticed this in a recent Steve Album auction and had no choice but to bid.Something about that portrait style just appealed to me. The reverse is also interesting, with Jupiter's face reduced to just a few dots and lines, and also Jupiter appears to be transitioning to female. Unfortunately I don't know any historical details for this coin. If anyone is able to narrow down the attribution finer than "Central Europe and Asia Minor" (either region or tribe) I'd appreciate it. Please post your Celtic coins, or whatever else is related.

[CPK]

The purposeful abstraction on Celtic coins is intriguing. Nice coins!

[Curtis JJ]

Celtic coins are really fun. I have only a few but have learned a lot about Celtic / La Tena cultures from Britain to E. Europe by studying them. It's really fascinating how they took imagery from Greek and Roman coins, but then adapted them to their own aesthetic sensibilities. I'd recommend reading about Celtic art more generally for anyone who likes the coins.

I have a bibliography on the topic, much of it can be found online, but I don't seem to have the links. Here are a few online that I found worthwhile:
https://museum.wales/articles/2007-05-03/Celtic-Art-in-Iron-Age-Wales/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_art
Paul Jacobsthal. 1935. "Early Celtic Art." The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs Vol. 67, No. 390: https://www.jstor.org/stable/866191 (requires free account if you don't have one, but well worth it, as it includes Numismatic Chronicle and other numismatic publications)

Edit, forgot, here's a coin!

Celts in Eastern Europe “Baumreiter” AR Drachm (3.35g, 15mm, 10h), 3rd cent. BCE. Bearded head / Rider on horse.
Kostial - Lanz 422 (this coin)

Edited July 29, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[John Conduitt]

11 hours ago, Parthicus said:

... and I think I might like this one even more than the previous one:

Celtic Central Europe and Asia Minor. AR drachm (2.80 g). c.2nd century BC. Imitation of Alexander III drachm. Obverse: Herakles head right wearing lion-skin headdress. Reverse: Jupiter seated left, holding eagle and spear, degraded legend behind. This coin: Stephen Album Electronic Auction 16, lot 3 (July 11-12, 2022).

It's a very nice example. It might be Philip III rather than Alexander III, because it has Π in the legend. (See also the last coin on that linked page - it seems to be the same type).

[Al Kowsky]

12 hours ago, Parthicus said:

... and I think I might like this one even more than the previous one:

Celtic Central Europe and Asia Minor. AR drachm (2.80 g). c.2nd century BC. Imitation of Alexander III drachm. Obverse: Herakles head right wearing lion-skin headdress. Reverse: Jupiter seated left, holding eagle and spear, degraded legend behind. This coin: Stephen Album Electronic Auction 16, lot 3 (July 11-12, 2022).

I've been trying to avoid getting into Celtic coins, as my time and budget are both finite and I already have too many areas of coinage that interest me. But I recently bought a Celtic reduced tetradrachm just because the design looked interesting and the price was cheap (see here: 

 ). And then I noticed this in a recent Steve Album auction and had no choice but to bid.Something about that portrait style just appealed to me. The reverse is also interesting, with Jupiter's face reduced to just a few dots and lines, and also Jupiter appears to be transitioning to female. Unfortunately I don't know any historical details for this coin. If anyone is able to narrow down the attribution finer than "Central Europe and Asia Minor" (either region or tribe) I'd appreciate it. Please post your Celtic coins, or whatever else is related.

Nice score ☺️. Both sides are rather comical 😉.

[Steve]

Nice! ... hey Parthicus, congrats on adding that great 2nd Celtic example (it is a super fun coin)

 

Here are a couple of my neat Celtic ex-amples ... 

 

Celtic Gaul, Senones AE Cast Potin (below)

Date: 100-50 BC

Diameter: 17.8 mm

Weight: 4.0 grams

Obverse: Head right

Reverse: Stylized horse with pellets around ... aka => horse playing soccer

 

 

FRANCE. CELTIC TRIBES OF GAUL

CORIOSOLITE CLASS IIB BILLON STATER (below)

Date: 80-50 BC

Diameter: 20.69 mm
Weight: 6.13 grams
Obverse: Stylized Celtic head right
Reverse: Celticized rider on horseback right, below, boar right

Reference: De LaTour 6598
Ex-stevex6 … From an old French collection

Edited July 29, 2022 by Steve

[Curtis JJ]

Oh, also, for Alexander III type Celtic imitations, here's a quick (0:35s) video (hope video shows up, if not I'll try embed code -- also just put it on Youtube and on Imgur, so it should be visible there): 

Three of my Celtic Alex. III Drachm/Hemidrachms in hand, alongside an official Drachm (Troas, Abydos, under Antiogonos) and Hemidrachm (Babylon, Price 3605, late lifetime, 325-323 BCE, a little coin that I really love). I'm not sure if the third one was clipped down to hemidrachm size or struck that way:

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Curtis JJ