BELLOVACI BRONZE AE – RARE EMISSION IMITATING ROMAN DENARII – CHOICE XF STAR NGC GRADED GALLIC COIN (Inv. 19392)

SOLD

19392. GAUL. BELLOVACI. 1st century BC.
Bronze AE 17, 2.79 g, 17 mm.
Obv. Helmeted head (Roma?) to right within various patterns in field. Rev. Gryllos composed of a cock and the head of a man; various patterns in field.
DT 516; Allen –; Castekub –; Flesche –; Scheers –; de la Tour –.
Ex Chaponniere & Firmenich 15, 2022, 1 = iNumis auction 30, 10/13/2015, 70.
NGC graded CHOICE XF STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, an extremely rare variant, especially in this exceptional condition.

The Bellovaci were a Belgic tribe of northern Gaul who joined with the neighboring Atrebates, Ambiani, Aulerci Eburovices, Caletes and Veliocasses in rising up against Roman domination in 57 BC. The Bellovaci, whom Julius Caesar described as “the bravest of all Gauls,” played a major role in the conflict—initially contributing 60,000 warriors to the Belgic coalition until 51 BC, when Caesar inflicted a devastating defeat on them and their chieftain was killed. Despite the strong opposition of the Bellovaci to the Romans, this rare coin illustrates the impact that Roman material culture was already having on the tribe. Unlike the somewhat more common “au coq” bronzes of the Bellovaci, which feature a Celtic head, the obverse of this piece depicts an abstracted head of Roma imitated from a Roman Republican denarius. The reverse is remarkable for the fantastic creature depicted there: a cock with its breast composed of the face of a Celtic warrior. Indeed, the skill of the die engraver has created an optical illusion in which the creature could also be interpreted as the head of a warrior wearing an elaborate cock–shaped helmet with the legs and claws of the bird forming his neck and shoulder.