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Sills Insular Cf2. Regini. c.70-65 BC. Celtic gold quarter stater. 10mm. 1.64g.
1/2
Auctioneer has chosen not to publish the price of this lot
Norwich, Norfolk
Description
Sills Insular Cf2. Sills class 1, rev. die 1. c.70-65 BC. Gold quarter stater. 10mm. 1.64g. ‘Two-fat-men-in-a-sun-boat’ motif, pellet rosette to left, ./ Short tree-like object with five radiating branches, thick bent bar below, Y-shape under bar. ABC 530, VA−, BMC−, DK 133 (same dies), Sills GGC (2003) 460-461, S 39A. CCI 20.0615 (this coin). EF, mint state, as struck in golden gold on thick chunky flan. The nicest we’ve had of this early type. Found south of Chichester, West Sussex.EXCESSIVELY RAREonly one other this reverse die recorded (DK 133).
“Insular Cf is a brief series of staters and quarters struck on or near the south coast, and is contemporary with the later classes of Gallo-Belgic Ca; it is still the earliest identifiable regular British gold coinage,” says Dr John Sills in Divided Kingdoms (Chris Rudd 2017), p.100. Talking about this coin specifically Sills says ‘This coin appears to be from a recut state of obverse 1, with radiating lines above the boat, no other example shows these lines so clearly’ (pers.comm. 2.1.21, this coin). The first Class 1 dies were cut for an important migrant authority by an engraver who had previously worked on Ca (p. 710). They also signal membership of a sprawling Belgic maritime network whose coin designs were closely similar. Quarter stater reverses divide two worlds with a line as jagged as their coastlines seen from sea. Above it, a world tree links dry land with the skies. On Belgic originals this has three symbolic living roots and leafy branches, but the British tree is plainly uprooted, and cut down to a short stump. However, like the migrants whose badge it was, it is putting down a new root and has five strong winter-dormant branches: transplanting was successful. Obverses reference a very ancient cosmic tale, in which the divine sons of blazing daylight (clearly indicated on this particular coin) rescue their bountiful sister, Summertime herself, from the clutches of the ruler of the dying year, who has detained her, beyond the Ocean, in his nether realm of winter night. With conventional outlines like wooden figurines, she is the rounded shape (an Insular innovation) in the pointed bow of their little skin boat, lower views of which hint at oars amongst the stars of winter night (e.g. DK 133, ABC 530). With her darkened sun disc, they are heading for dawn. Her brothers, famous everywhere in Europe as healers, horsemen, and rescuers at sea, had special appeal in sea-trading communities. One twin - the angular figure in the blunt stern - was a mortal hero who went to dangerous lengths to fetch her back into the light. The other - probably the serpentine cypher here, behind the stern - was immortal, a benign and potent helper inhabiting night, the Ocean, and the nether world, often represented on later British coins.
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Sills Insular Cf2. Sills class 1, rev. die 1. c.70-65 BC. Gold quarter stater. 10mm. 1.64g. ‘Two-fat-men-in-a-sun-boat’ motif, pellet rosette to left, ./ Short tree-like object with five radiating branches, thick bent bar below, Y-shape under bar. ABC 530, VA−, BMC−, DK 133 (same dies), Sills GGC (2003) 460-461, S 39A. CCI 20.0615 (this coin). EF, mint state, as struck in golden gold on thick chunky flan. The nicest we’ve had of this early type. Found south of Chichester, West Sussex.EXCESSIVELY RAREonly one other this reverse die recorded (DK 133).
“Insular Cf is a brief series of staters and quarters struck on or near the south coast, and is contemporary with the later classes of Gallo-Belgic Ca; it is still the earliest identifiable regular British gold coinage,” says Dr John Sills in Divided Kingdoms (Chris Rudd 2017), p.100. Talking about this coin specifically Sills says ‘This coin appears to be from a recut state of obverse 1, with radiating lines above the boat, no other example shows these lines so clearly’ (pers.comm. 2.1.21, this coin). The first Class 1 dies were cut for an important migrant authority by an engraver who had previously worked on Ca (p. 710). They also signal membership of a sprawling Belgic maritime network whose coin designs were closely similar. Quarter stater reverses divide two worlds with a line as jagged as their coastlines seen from sea. Above it, a world tree links dry land with the skies. On Belgic originals this has three symbolic living roots and leafy branches, but the British tree is plainly uprooted, and cut down to a short stump. However, like the migrants whose badge it was, it is putting down a new root and has five strong winter-dormant branches: transplanting was successful. Obverses reference a very ancient cosmic tale, in which the divine sons of blazing daylight (clearly indicated on this particular coin) rescue their bountiful sister, Summertime herself, from the clutches of the ruler of the dying year, who has detained her, beyond the Ocean, in his nether realm of winter night. With conventional outlines like wooden figurines, she is the rounded shape (an Insular innovation) in the pointed bow of their little skin boat, lower views of which hint at oars amongst the stars of winter night (e.g. DK 133, ABC 530). With her darkened sun disc, they are heading for dawn. Her brothers, famous everywhere in Europe as healers, horsemen, and rescuers at sea, had special appeal in sea-trading communities. One twin - the angular figure in the blunt stern - was a mortal hero who went to dangerous lengths to fetch her back into the light. The other - probably the serpentine cypher here, behind the stern - was immortal, a benign and potent helper inhabiting night, the Ocean, and the nether world, often represented on later British coins.
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