Gallic Wars Funding
238, Lot: 2. Estimate $300. Sold for $490. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. |
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CELTIC, Northeast Gaul. Ambiani. AV Stater (17mm, 5.76 g). Gallic War issue. Plain bulge / Disjointed horse right; crescents and pellets around. D&T 237; Scheers 154; SCBC 11. VF.
As their name implies, Gallic War staters were issued to fund the fight against Julius Caesar in Gaul. Two explanations for the blank obverse have been suggested: firstly, to signify that the coins were minted by a coalition of tribes – ‘headless’ in other words – and, secondly, to speed up the production process, because the coins were often made in a hurry. The latter rationale seems to be more plausible.