Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 649. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $1600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CELTIC, Northeast Gaul. The Bellovaci. Circa 60-30/25 BC. Æ19mm (2.67 g, 10h). Schematic head left, surrounded by a leonine mane of hair / Human-headed fowl type gryllus right; to right, pellet-in-ring above spiral-armed sun. D&T 509; Scheers 475; CCCBM III S28; Scheers, S-M -; De la Tour 8584; Allen & Nash -. EF, glossy emerald green patina, struck on an irregular flan. ($500)

From the Prof. T.R. Gurr Collection.

“Gryllus” is the Latin term for “cricket, or grasshopper.” Modern writers have adopted this word to describe fantastic creatures composed of metamorphosed animals and humans. The Celts had an innate fascination for these transformations, which endured throughout the Celtic period, even into medieval times in illuminated manuscripts. The bird creature on this bronze coin is not of a type frequently encountered in Celtic art, but may be an adaptation of a Roman type occasionally seen on carved gemstones. It is possible that a Celtic engraver saw this design and decided it would fit in nicely with his repertoire.