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Lister’s Celtic Head. c.50-40 BC. Celtic silver unit. 14mm. 1.13g.
1/2
Auctioneer has chosen not to publish the price of this lot
Aylsham, Norfolk
Description
Lister’s Celtic Head. c.50-40 BC. AR unit. 14mm. 1.13g. Male head r, with angular eyebrow and noseline, rounded chin, shaggy moustache curling up at ends, large locks of hair falling down to the back of neck in twisted strands, like ram’s horns, small horse in front of face./ Well-formed horse prances r, large ear and cabled mane, corded tail, winged object and pellets above, star above tail, ringed-pellet below. ABC 2478, VA 1540, BMC—, S—. Brilliant EF, bright silver, well centred, beautifully ornamented with superlative head. The finest known specimen, found at Meldreth, Cambs., 31 March 2014. Extremely Rare only 14 others recorded
Note: This is one of the most imposing male heads to be seen on any late iron age coin or Romano-British figurine. The coin was possibly issued by Cassivellaunos, commander of the British coalition against Caesar in 54 BC, and the portrait could indeed be of Cassivellaunos himself, though this is by no means certain; it could equally represent a Catuvellaunian war-god. Fifteen years ago we named this coin type ‘Lister’s Celtic Head’ in honour of Major Clement Wynter Lister (1920-2010), who was a colleague of Commander Richard Paston Mack MVO (1901-1974), Henry Richard Mossop DFC (1919-1988) and Derek Fortrose Allen CB, FBA, FSA (1910-1975), and who served on the council of the British Numismatic Society for twelve years, 1963-66, 1969-76. In 1959 Major Lister published the first known coin of this type, saying: ‘Julius Caesar, in his Gallic Wars, Book I, chap. xiv, records that the inhabitants of Britain “wear their hair long and have every part of their body shaved except the head and upper lip”. This coin, almost alone among British coins, bears out this description…The head is likely to be that of some British or Belgic deity following the Roman pattern, though it might be argued that it could be of a tribal king’ (BNJ 29, 1959, pl. xv6, p.5-6). Dr Philip de Jersey says: ‘The winged ornament above the horse links this type to the Whaddon Chase staters (ABC 2433, 2436-42), and it seems likely that the silver unit was produced by the same authority and circulated at much the same time as the more common stater.’
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Lister’s Celtic Head. c.50-40 BC. AR unit. 14mm. 1.13g. Male head r, with angular eyebrow and noseline, rounded chin, shaggy moustache curling up at ends, large locks of hair falling down to the back of neck in twisted strands, like ram’s horns, small horse in front of face./ Well-formed horse prances r, large ear and cabled mane, corded tail, winged object and pellets above, star above tail, ringed-pellet below. ABC 2478, VA 1540, BMC—, S—. Brilliant EF, bright silver, well centred, beautifully ornamented with superlative head. The finest known specimen, found at Meldreth, Cambs., 31 March 2014. Extremely Rare only 14 others recorded
Note: This is one of the most imposing male heads to be seen on any late iron age coin or Romano-British figurine. The coin was possibly issued by Cassivellaunos, commander of the British coalition against Caesar in 54 BC, and the portrait could indeed be of Cassivellaunos himself, though this is by no means certain; it could equally represent a Catuvellaunian war-god. Fifteen years ago we named this coin type ‘Lister’s Celtic Head’ in honour of Major Clement Wynter Lister (1920-2010), who was a colleague of Commander Richard Paston Mack MVO (1901-1974), Henry Richard Mossop DFC (1919-1988) and Derek Fortrose Allen CB, FBA, FSA (1910-1975), and who served on the council of the British Numismatic Society for twelve years, 1963-66, 1969-76. In 1959 Major Lister published the first known coin of this type, saying: ‘Julius Caesar, in his Gallic Wars, Book I, chap. xiv, records that the inhabitants of Britain “wear their hair long and have every part of their body shaved except the head and upper lip”. This coin, almost alone among British coins, bears out this description…The head is likely to be that of some British or Belgic deity following the Roman pattern, though it might be argued that it could be of a tribal king’ (BNJ 29, 1959, pl. xv6, p.5-6). Dr Philip de Jersey says: ‘The winged ornament above the horse links this type to the Whaddon Chase staters (ABC 2433, 2436-42), and it seems likely that the silver unit was produced by the same authority and circulated at much the same time as the more common stater.’
Chris Rudd List 139
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Venue Address
PO Box 222
Aylsham
Norfolk
NR11 6TY
United Kingdom
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