Veneti, 1/4 Stater, 2nd century BC
Gold - VF(30-35) - Delestrée:2128-30
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Quarter stater coin 'with the small bare head' ("à la petite tête nue) related to the gold coinage of the Veneti, a tribe from the Vannes region (Brittany, France). Delestrée 2128-2130; Latour 6838 (pl. XXIII); Scheers, Lyon 867-8.
Profile on the right of a small bare head, hair in three thick locks pulled downwards; around the head, four beaded cords, two emerging from the forehead and two from the back, ending in small heads.
Androcephalic horse galloping to the right, surmounted by a charioteer holding the reins in one hand and, in the other, a strap passing over the horse's head and ending before it in a square with fringes divided by an X, similar to a vexillum. Below the horse, a reclining winged figure to the right.
This quarter stater is quite atypical compared to other coins in the same series featuring the “small bare head” ("à la petite tête nue). Very similar in style to Dt. 2129, it differs in the absence of the triangle made of three globules above the head. This is most likely a variety of the three divisional coins in this series: Dt. 2128, 29, and 30, examples where the representations on the obverse and reverse are positioned to the right. The portrait is not quite in the style of example 2128, and the reverse is not precise enough to be considered as 2130. It is not uncommon to identify subtle stylistic variations in the engravings when studying Celtic coinage divisional coins, but it is always of particular interest because examples of Gallic stater divisional coins are very rare and generally known from only one or a few examples, as here where the quarter staters linked to Veneti coinage and grouped under these three references are known from only a dozen or so examples. Delestrée 2128-2130 ; Latour 6838 (pl. XXIII) ; Scheers, Lyon 867-8.
1.74 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.
