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Obolos 1

8 Feburary 2015
Webauction
overview

Rare type of Vindelici Stater

Starting Price: 500 CHF
Hammer Price:  720 CHF
Lot 62

CENTRAL EUROPE, Vindelici. 1st century BC. Stater or ’Regenbogenschüsselchen’ (Gold, 17mm, 7.05 g 11). Head of eagle to left within wreath with a jeweled closing above. Rev. Star or cross in centre of convex field; three pellets above and ornament below. Flesche 305. Kellner type II E. LT 9436. Rare. Slightly worn, otherwise, very fine.


From the Cologny Collection.

This curious looking coin comes from southern Germany and was surely issued by the Vindelici, a powerful tribe living in that area. Such coins have entered German folklore under the name Regenbogenschüsselchen, which means ‘little rainbow cups’ and refers to the belief that where a rainbow touched the earth, it left a treasure of gold. The strongly convex/concave form of these coins with their odd designs of stars, crosses, birds’ heads, wreaths, coiled serpents or dragons, torques and pellets confirmed their other-worldly strangeness in the eyes of their simple finders. Now we can see how these odd designs have descended from the types on the gold staters of Philip II, so prized by the Celtic mercenaries to whom they were paid hundreds of years before the Vindelici produced their gold pieces.

Online bidding closes: 8 Feb 2015, 18:31:00 CET Current Date & Time: 29 Mar 2024, 12:18:58 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:720 CHF by gtrummlitz (7 bids)
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