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1/4 Stater with star
| Issuer | Bellovaci |
|---|---|
| Year | 80 BC - 50 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | LT#7245, DT#281, GCV#116 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A horse galloping to the right in the characteristic disjointed Celtic style, with the body rendered in bold relief and the legs depicted as elongated, sinuous lines. Above the horse, a prominent multi-rayed star or solar symbol occupies the upper field, a defining iconographic element of this Bellovaci issue. A charioteer or anthropomorphic figure appears above the horse's back, reduced to schematic limbs in keeping with the abstract La Tène artistic convention. The exergual area below the horse features irregular pellets or ground-line motifs. The flan is irregular and slightly ragged at the edges, consistent with the hammered production techniques of late Gaulish coinage. |
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| Additional information |
The Bellovaci were among the most militarily formidable of the Belgic tribes — Caesar himself noted in the Gallic Wars that they could field 100,000 fighting men and considered themselves superior to the other Belgic peoples. Their silver fractional coinage dates to precisely the period of maximum Roman pressure on northern Gaul, and many of these pieces almost certainly circulated among warriors in active resistance to Caesar's campaigns of 57 BC and again during the revolt of 51 BC.
The star motif on this type links it to a broader Belgic iconographic tradition shared across several neighboring tribes, complicating precise tribal attribution in worn examples.