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Search Advanced Search Search By Coin ID     Home ANCIENT/BYZANTINE Ancient Spain (872) Byzantine (753) MEDIEVAL/EARLY WORLD Germany (30) MODERN WORLD COUNTERFEITS AND IMITATIONS   Submit New Coin(s)   Sponsors page Terms of Service Contact Us About Us FAQ Page Coin Detail Click here to see enlarged image. ID:     710649      [UNVERIFIED] Type:     Celtic Region:     GAUL City:     Bellovaci Issuer:     The Bellovaci Date Ruled:     Circa 60-30/25 BC Metal:     Bronze Denomination:     AE19 Struck / Cast:     struck Date Struck:     BC Circa 60-30/25 Diameter:     19 mm Weight:     2.67 g Die Axis:     10 h Obverse Description:     Schematic head left, surrounded by a leonine mane of hair Reverse Description:     Human-headed fowl type gryllus right; to right, pellet-in-ring above spiral-armed sun Primary Reference:     D&T 509 Reference2:     Scheers 475 Reference3:     CCCBM III S28 Reference4:     Scheers, S-M -; De la Tour 8584; Allen & Nash - Photograph Credit:     Classical Numismatic Group Source:     http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=75877 Grade:     EF, glossy emerald green patina, struck on an irregular flan Notes:     Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 649 ($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.

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