Pre-Long Beach Auction #91

Celtic. Northwest Gaul. Gold 1/4 Stater (1.98 g), 3rd-early 2nd century BC Nearl. Diademed head right; no symbol below neck truncation. Reverse: Rider, holding torque, on horseback galloping left; before, large bird, standing right, pecking at horse's head; above horse's head, stellate ornament with either two or three rays. Cf. Delestrée & Tache 28 (with symbol below neck and quatrefoil above horse's head); cf. LT 8390 (same); cf. Sills class 1, 229-30 (quatrefoil); cf. Scheers series 4, class 2. A charming little jewel and excellent style. Only the third known example. Nearly Extremely Fine.
Sills notes three findspots in Kent and Nottinghamshire with the two examples found in Kent of the same variety as the coin offered here. Two further examples are in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale, but have the ornament below the diademed head on the obverse and a quatrefoil stellate ornament on the reverse above the horse's head. Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,500