The Gallic Chieftain Kavaros

CNG 88, Lot: 67. Estimate $1000. Sold for $2300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of THRACE. Kavaros. Circa 230/25-218 BC. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 16.62 g, 1h). Kabyle mint. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Zeus Aëtophotos seated left; in left field, Artemis Phosphoros standing facing, holding two torches. Draganov 867-873 (dies 5/14); Mouchmov, Monnaies 145 (same dies as illustration); Yourokova 107 = T. Gerassimov, “Rare Coins of Thrace,” NC 1957, pl. I, 4 (same dies): cf. Price 882 (same obv. die). VF, lightly toned, slight die shift on reverse. Very rare.

The Gallic chieftain Kavaros was the sole Gallic king of Thrace to strike coinage. Kabyle was his capital, and the presence of its badge, Artemis Phosphoros, on his coins confirms that they were minted there. Price also noted that the obverse die used for all Kavaros' coins were used to strike tetradrachms in the name of Alexander at Kabyle (Price 882). Draganov notes 12 examples of these coins in the name of Kavaros, which were struck from one obverse and nine reverse dies. In addition to the present coin, CNG has offered two other examples not noted by Draganov: Triton XI, lot 863, and Triton VII, lot 181 (= Rauch 88, lot 63 = Lanz 112, lot 110 = Gorny & Mosch 114, lot 57). Only four others has appeared on the market in the last decade: (1) Gorny & Mosch 180, lot 84 = Gorny & Mosch 176, lot 1154 = Gorny & Mosch 169, lot 64; (2) Gorny & Mosch 181, lot 1262 = Gorny & Mosch 170, lot 1215; (3) Lanz 141, lot 102; and (4) Peus 371, lot 99. Kavaros was killed during a Thracian revolt against the Gauls circa 218 BC.