bill Posted November 20, 2006 Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 I bought a Celtiberian bronze coin a year ago because I liked the wolf on the reverse. I next puchased Heiss's 1870 volume, Description générale des monnaies antiques de l'Espagne. My interest in Celtic Gaul and Roman prototypes for the Celtic designs was intrigued by the Iberian coinage and its melding of Roman and Celtic styles. I'm hooked and thus a new collecting field was born. Again, the topic is esoteric, the coins rare, the costs low in contrast to the rarity. I'm a sucker for something I can hold in my hands and not worry about whether it should be slabbed. Aesthetics and history, not condition, determine what I purchase. The oldest so far is listed first. Large bronze (17.4 gm) of Saguntum, The obverse features the head of Pallus (Roma) and SAGUNINV in the Roman alphabet. The reverse features the prow of a ship with a winged victory floating above. ARXE in the Celtiberian script below. The image before the prow is a caduceus. The coin is interesting for it bilingual inscriptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 Next is a silver denarius ca. 180 to 20 B.C. The denarius of the Osca feels Roman and certainly emulates the denarius as part of the Roman economic system. The lancer on the reverse is a classic Celtiberian figure and occurs on many coins across the Celtiberian tribes and is used on silver and bronze coins. The inscriptions are clearly Celtiberrian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 A bronze as(?) of Ilerda. This coin sparked my interest in the Celtiberian series. No one knows what the denominations are supposed to be for Celtiberian coins, but the sizes correspond generally to those of Rome. The coin pictured here is 7.88 grams or about half the size of the Saguntum piece. The coin dates to 80 to 72 B.C. The wolf on the reverse is thought to derive from the wold of Rome, although the wolf appears frequently on Celtic coins and imagery. The Celtiberian inscription above the wolf identifies the coin as from Ilerda. Julius Casear scored a tactical victory over Pompey in 49 B.C. near Ilerda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 Celtiberian bronze of Castulo. The bronze dates to the period of Augustus, 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. The obverse figure may be Augustus. There is a crscent and star in front of the bust. Different figures appear in this location on other varieties of the type. The reverse features a sphinx, another figure I find intriguing. A Celtiberian legend below the sphinx is off the flan. Earlier coins from this mint were bilingual even though this one is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted November 20, 2006 Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 A very nice collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted November 21, 2006 Report Share Posted November 21, 2006 Next is a silver denarius ca. 180 to 20 B.C. The denarius of the Osca feels Roman and certainly emulates the denarius as part of the Roman economic system. The lancer on the reverse is a classic Celtiberian figure and occurs on many coins across the Celtiberian tribes and is used on silver and bronze coins. The inscriptions are clearly Celtiberrian. This one is pretty interesting. It reminds me of the Phillip tetradrachms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 This one is pretty interesting. It reminds me of the Phillip tetradrachms. I can see the resemblance, but it does have the look and feel of the Roman coins of the period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 My latest acquisition is a bronze (9.98 gm) of Augustus struck in Osset. The Osset mint was probably located in the area of Seville and struck coins with variations of grape clusters for about two centuries. The coin shown here is a type struck under Augustus and he is most likely pictured on the obverse. Two styles are known for the type, a traditional Roman naturalistic image and a slightly more abstract barbaric style of which this is an example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 That definitely looks like Augustus to me. Is that a female figure on the reverse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted November 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 That definitely looks like Augustus to me. Is that a female figure on the reverse? The more naturalistic version is definitely a male. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 The more naturalistic version is definitely a male. Just really built up pecs then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 An As of Obulco ca, 120 - 20 B.C. Female obverse and plow and ear of grain on the reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Orc Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Lovely coins I dont have any Iberian in my collection but now might well start looking for some Thanks for sharing them with us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 Did the Celtic tribes in Spain mint any coins before the Roman occupation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawsonsLV Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Please, sby place a link where is celtiberian abc (alphabeth) with transcription! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Did the Celtic tribes in Spain mint any coins before the Roman occupation? D.F. Allen in the Coins of the Ancient Celts (1980) writes: Spain had an extensive native coinage of silver and bronze, and some of it was issued by Celtic-speaking or Celtic-influenced people, but the whole Spanish coinage, employing a local Spanish script, hangs together and is best studied as a provincial offshoot of Roman coinage. (p. 6) Heiss lumps the Celtiberian and Roman provincial coinages together as well. So I guess the answer is yes, but they are studied as Celtic tribes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted September 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Please, sby place a link where is celtiberian abc (alphabeth) with transcription! Try this for a start: http://www.webpersonal.net/jrr/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josemartins Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Just a link with some bibliography regarding Celtiberian coins: LINK Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted September 11, 2007 Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Just a link with some bibliography regarding Celtiberian coins: LINK Jose Wow, that's quite a detailed list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted September 11, 2007 Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 D.F. Allen in the Coins of the Ancient Celts (1980) writes: Spain had an extensive native coinage of silver and bronze, and some of it was issued by Celtic-speaking or Celtic-influenced people, but the whole Spanish coinage, employing a local Spanish script, hangs together and is best studied as a provincial offshoot of Roman coinage. (p. 6) Heiss lumps the Celtiberian and Roman provincial coinages together as well. So I guess the answer is yes, but they are studied as Celtic tribes. I'd love to see some from the tribes allied with Carthage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted December 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 A bronze semis of Castulo, the Castulo Bull: The Iberic script on the reverse in exergue reads, CaSTeLe. I recently acquired this piece from Chris Rudd who noted that it was one of the finest he had encountered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Bill, That's a beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeOldeCollector Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Superb coins Bill, as per usual!! Also good to see the name of a familiar dealer on CP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted August 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2009 A bronze As of the Celtiberian tribe of the Emporia region on the coast. The Celtiberian script on the reverse reads, UNTiKeSKeN. It dates from approximately 130-90 B.C. A second As of approximately 50 B.C. struck by the Hispanic Ursone of Roman Spain. The piece is rare. While heavily worn, the squatting bear on the reverse is clear. This is one of my favorite coin designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigers Posted March 14, 2010 Report Share Posted March 14, 2010 Nice coins you have. Do you sale them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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