CNG 93, Lot: 1416. Estimate $500. Sold for $525. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES. 4th centuries AD. Uniface Æ Appliqué (27mm, 2.34 g). I(wedge)I(retrograde C)VИOVHOIVOИSH, bareheaded and draped (or armored?) bust left; star to left. VF, green patina, light cleaning marks.

This interesting appliqué seems to have been influenced by Roman prototypes, and the style suggests a central European origin. One may note a similarity of style between this piece and the busts on various late Celtic tribes from Noricum and other areas along the northern reaches of the Danube, although the pseudo-legend indicates a much later date. It is likely that this piece was the product of one of the Gothic tribes that resided in this region in the 4th century AD.