Gallic War Stater

292, Lot: 223. Estimate $300. Sold for $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

GAUL, Northeast. Ambiani. Circa 58-55 BC. AV Stater (16mm, 6.08 g). Gallic War issue. Plain bulge / Disjointed horse right; crescents and pellets around. D&T 237; Scheers 154; SCBC 11. VF.

Ex Ponterio 154 (18 June 2010), lot 8001.

As their name implies, Gallic War staters were issued to fund the fight against Julius Caesar in Gaul. Two explanations for the blank obverse have been suggested: firstly, to signify that the coins were minted by a coalition of tribes – ‘headless’ in other words – and, secondly, to speed up the production process, because the coins were often made in a hurry. The latter rationale seems to be more plausible.