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Stater anepigraphic horse facing left, S and amphora
| Issuer | Arverni |
|---|---|
| Year | 65 BC - 51 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Stater |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Stylized male head facing left, rendered in the late La Tène Celtic artistic tradition. The hair is depicted in bold, sweeping curvilinear strands falling behind the neck, with a prominent eye rendered in high relief. The facial features are abstracted yet expressive, consistent with Arvernian workshop conventions of the mid-1st century BC. The field is plain, and the coin is anepigraphic with no legend present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A stylized horse prancing to the left, rendered in the schematic Celtic manner characteristic of Arvernian gold coinage. Above the horse, a prominent S-shaped spiral motif is visible in the upper field, and an amphora symbol appears in the lower field beneath the horse. A leafy branch or torque-like ornament is depicted to the left of the horse. The composition is anepigraphic, with all decorative elements serving as control marks identifying the issuing authority and series. |
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| Additional information |
The Arverni occupied the volcanic uplands of what is now the Auvergne, and at their peak controlled a confederacy powerful enough to challenge Rome directly. This coinage predates or overlaps with the revolt of Vercingetorix, who was himself Arvernian — the son of Celtillus, a chieftain executed by his own people for allegedly seeking kingship. Whether coins of this type circulated as war chest currency during the 52 BC campaigns at Gergovia and Alesia remains an open question, but the concentration of findspots in the Massif Central is consistent with that reading.
The anepigraphic nature of the issue — no inscription — is characteristic of Arvernian gold throughout this period.