Ambiani, Æ Unit, ca. 60-40 BC
Bronze - MS(63) - Delestrée:467
PLEASE NOTE: this collector's item is unique. We therefore cannot guarantee its availability over time and recommend that you do not delay too long in completing your purchase if you are interested.
Bovid to right, head slightly facing; above him, a bucranium; before him, a bucranium (?); below his belly, a pointed annulet, the whole surrounded by annulets and pellets.
Horseman on the left, raising his left arm and holding a whip (?). The horse is stylised, its head is made of two annulets and two long S-shaped ears, he is adorned with a pointed annulet, and several annulets (pointed or not) around it; all within a grenetis.
Rare bronze unit "au bovidé", attributed to the Celtic tribe of the Ambiani, located near present-day Amiens, in its mint condition, to be considered as "Fleur de Coin" and the finest specimen known! Each annelet, pointed or not, is visible and delicately traced, as is the grenetis on the reverse. The iconography on both sides is complete, and many details have been preserved. The nostrils, neck and legs of the bull are perfectly defined, as are the rider and horse on the reverse. Our coin was minted during the last years of the Roman Republic. The minting period corresponds to a number of major political events, including Julius Caesar's Conquest of Gaul, his assassination in 44 BC and the beginning of the Second Triumvirate, whose fall preceded the establishment of the Empire. A rare magnificent bronze unit, a must-have! Délestrée Série 50 "au cavalier" (with horseman), Classe I "au bovidé" (with bovid), 467 and Latour 8456. Faune d'Argent Collection.
2.77 gr
Bronze
Bronze (not to be confused with brass, although usage of the two terms varied in times of yore) is an extremely ancient alloy with origins going back to the period around 2,000 BC. Also known...wait for it...as the Bronze Age (who would have guessed?). Back in ancient times, a proportion of 10% tin was added to copper. It was used in particular for luxurious objects such as swords, helmets, hairpins, and even chariot ornaments.
That is by no means insignificant though, as when putting on a bronze helmet you would already find yourself with an extra 3 kilos or so on your head. Add to that your sword and armor…let’s see you advance quickly now!
The heavyweight of alloys one might say*.
The first Western bronze coins probably date back to the end of the 4th century BC and Greece.
Although the coins may be ancient, it is more difficult to date the appearance of a specific word for this alloy. The earliest record is a Venetian manuscript in Greek dating from the 11th century, but it is not impossible that it was in use earlier.
Nowadays, the bronze used in coinage is an alloy of copper (majority) and tin (minority) along with other metals such as zinc, for example, which improves the castability, or nickel, which produces a harder alloy. Its main qualities are undeniably its great resistance to corrosion and mechanical wear as well as...its aesthetic aspect.
The patina of bronze can vary, ranging from verdigris to brown through to black.
*Actually, puns aside, copper and cupronickel have a greater density, for example.
An “MS(63)” 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:
Mint State(63)
This means – more prosaically – that it is very unlikely that the coin has circulated, even among few and careful hands. Traces of any manipulations are practically imperceptible and no patina or other form of oxidation has altered the object’s brilliance.
