Nomos 1

CELTIC, Middle Danube. Uncertain tribe. Late 2nd century BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 12.47 g 10), variety of the Reiterstumpf/Kroisbach type. Beardless male head (Apollo) to left, with heavy brows and S-shaped locks of hair Rev. Rider, in the form of a crested head and torso (= “Helmschweif-Reiterstumpf”), his left hand stroking his chin, on horseback to left; below, two torques connected by a twisted rope. G. Gorini, Le emissioni del Kroisbach Typ, p. 82, 6 examples cited (in Spinei and Munteanu, edd., Miscellanea numismatica antiquitatis in honorem setagenarii magistri Virgilii Mihailescu-Birliba oblata. Bucharest, 2008). KMW 1396 (same reverse die). Lanz -. Very rare, only about a dozen of these coins are known. Attractively toned, well struck and fully centered. Good extremely fine.

This impressive looking coin was basically unknown until relatively recently when a group of them came on the market. It is actually a remarkable example of the Celtic art of the area of what is now Burgenland in Austria and neighboring Slovakia. The whole type is derived from the coins of Philip II; the head on the obverse is clearly a Celticized version of the head of Apollo on his staters, while the rider is an adaptation of the horseman on his tetradrachms. This coin has a strange and compelling beauty, which only the best of Danube Celtic coins have, and it is most impressive.