FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Numismatic and History Discussion Forums => Ancient Coin Forum => Topic started by: 186 on March 03, 2022, 05:29:55 pm

Title: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: 186 on March 03, 2022, 05:29:55 pm
This coin was advertised as 'Greek', but I am more inclined towards 'Celtic'. (Perhaps Durotriges.)
I have found that some coins are even described as 'Greek Celtic'.
I am afraid that my knowledge in this area is lacking and I am hopeful to get ideas from some others who are more knowledgeable than I, when it comes to these types of coins.
I can tell you that the coin is AE10mm., and 1.10 gm.
It appears to have a prancing riderless horse on one side, and four pellets in a square with four more pellets outside the square, on the other.
Thank you.
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: Mark Fox on March 03, 2022, 08:44:40 pm
Dear 186 and Board,

How intriguing!  Celtic it almost certainly is, and I strongly suspect this Maroneia issue (or a similar one) was the prototype:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4369031 (https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4369031)

Here are some similar imitations for comparison:
 
https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins/16590 (https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins/16590)
https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins/16592 (https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins/16592)
https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins/16593 (https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins/16593)   

Hope this helps!


Best regards,

Mark Fox
Michigan
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: 186 on March 04, 2022, 12:45:15 am
Thank you, Mark.
(With your input), the consensus appears to be Maroneia, Thrace, contemporary (barbarous) imitation, 280-125BC.
I actually have a second one of them, albeit somewhat smaller.
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: Virgil H on March 05, 2022, 12:29:32 am
One thing to note is that Celtic is almost always included in the "Greek" sections of catalogs, which is super crazy when thinking of, say, British Celtic coins. Even when there is a subsection for Celtics they are often included under the Greek heading. There are other civilizations handled the same way, such as Carthage. It makes no sense but seems to be a convention. Even Lydia, where coins seem to have been invented, was not Greek until later on. And, by this logic, Judean coins should not have their own section, but should be part of Greek or Roman. And to get really confused, deal with Roman Provincials (Greek Imperials).

Virgil
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: Curtis JJ on March 11, 2022, 09:41:36 am
Those are nice examples of the type, 186. (And helpful examples from CN, Mark Fox.)

I immediately recognized your first coin by type, since I've come across those same ones at least a couple times. Unfortunately I was not able to dig any of mine up yet when I went digging around, but hopefully I can post photos later. (I really love these tiny little imitative horse & dots ones.) Gorny & Mosch sold several enormous group lots of them in their Auction 233 in 2015, lots 2944-2947 included >750 coins total, many or most being of this type. Here's Lot 2945 on ACSearch.info (https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2661170)

I believe there may be a continuum of imagery between the official and the most Celticized, or at least an array of different imitations (as with many other imitated types). I suspect my two examples below are imitatives, but closer to full size and official imagery. (The first I think I sold years ago but still have this photo, the second I just photographed now) which are a bit closer in style to official, but which I've always believed were imitations. I suppose the first could just be a legend variation or blunder I'm not aware of (MATK- instead of MAPK-):

16mm, 4.3g for the first, 14mm, 3.47g, 3h for the second.

(https://i.imgur.com/bX8FpD4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/twZDR22.png)
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please? this is mine
Post by: Zoltan K on April 08, 2022, 11:18:15 am
this is mine  horse horse celtic ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: Pekka K on April 08, 2022, 11:38:21 am

Maybe it is bull, however:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8070238
Title: Re: Help needed to identify this (Celtic/Greek) coin, please?
Post by: 186 on May 06, 2022, 08:04:46 pm
Thank you, one and all for your input.