Aulerci Eburovices, Hemistater, 2nd-1st century BC
Gold - EF(40-45)
Sold
Profile to left, wreathed, chubby, a tattoo on the cheek formed by two horizontal beaded lines enclosing a central wavy line. The mouth is represented by a horizontal V, the nose by a large pellet above, and the eye is well formed. Above, the wreath is made up of two lines segmented by pellets, with a third pelleted line above.
Where the neck should be, a cross-shaped floral ornament with curved ends. Behind, an upside-down S.
Horse to left, harnessed, mane beaded, surmounted by an charioteer kneeling on its croup, holding the reins in his hands. The horse's forelegs are separated from its chest, forming a triangle. Before, a beaded cross. Below, a wolf figure to the right, depicted as biting the horse's forelegs.
Very fine specimen. It is interesting to note that the flan has been struck with worn dies, especially the reverse, with the horse's head showing die breaks. Some examples have the remains of a vexilium before the horse, which was found on earlier types, but it was not engraved on the dies used to strike this flan, making this specimen a variety of the main type. Same dies as the CGB example (bga_396011).
3.28 gr
Gold
Although nowadays gold enjoys a reputation as the king of precious metals, that was not always the case. For example, in Ancient Greece, Corinthian bronze was widely considered to be superior. However, over the course of time, it has established itself as the prince of money, even though it frequently vies with silver for the top spot as the standard.
Nevertheless, there are other metals which appear to be even more precious than this duo, take for example rhodium and platinum. That is certain. Yet, if the ore is not as available, how can money be produced in sufficient quantities? It is therefore a matter of striking a subtle balance between rarity and availability.
But it gets better: gold is not only virtually unreactive, whatever the storage conditions (and trouser pockets are hardly the most precious of storage cases), but also malleable (coins and engravers appreciate that).
It thus represents the ideal mix for striking coins without delay – and we were not going to let it slip away!
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which derives from its Latin name aurum. Its origins are probably extraterrestrial, effectively stardust released following a violent collision between two neutron stars. Not merely precious, but equally poetic…
The first gold coins were minted by the kings of Lydia, probably between the 8th and 6th century BC. Whereas nowadays the only gold coins minted are investment coins (bullion coins) or part of limited-edition series aimed at collectors, that was not always the case. And gold circulated extensively from hand to hand and from era to era, from the ancient gold deposits of the River Pactolus to the early years of the 20th century.
As a precious metal, in the same way as silver, gold is used for minting coins with intrinsic value, which is to say the value of which is constituted by the metal from which they are made. Even so, nowadays, the value to the collector frequently far exceeds that of the metal itself...
It should be noted that gold, which is naturally very malleable, is frequently supplemented with small amounts of other metals to render it harder.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of gold included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ gold or 999 parts of gold per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
An “EF(40-45)” quality
As in numismatics it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
Extremely Fine
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has circulated well from hand to hand and pocket to pocket but the impact on its wear remains limited: the coins retains much of its mint luster, sharp detailing and little sign of being circulated. Closer examination with the naked eye reveals minor scratches or nicks.
