67 - Imitation of Massalia

Copyright tcx3.co.uk

Unique ID: 67

Technical details
DataDescriptionProvenanceReferences

Denomination

Drachm

Metal

Silver

Area

Cisalpine Gaul

Region

Lombardy

Issuing Authority

Insubres

Issuer

Unknown

Weight

1.57g

Diameter

16mm

Rarity

Very Common (200+)

Date

100 BC to 0 AD (see note about dating)

Obverse Legend

No Legend

Reverse Legend

ΛΛΛΣΣ

Obverse Description

Abstract head of Diana facing right.

Reverse Description

Abstract lion facing left. It’s called a wolf, but it’s really the engraver’s happy pet dog. There’s a pseudo legend “ΛΛΛΣΣ” above the wolf.

Lanz

Lanz 1043. Imitation of Massalia

This isn’t a coin I know much about, and it’s only in the collection because I liked the cartoony rendition of the lion. It’s an imitation of the Massalia drachm featuring Diana on the obverse and a lion on the reverse. Various tribes in the area copied this, but the Insubres did it best by turning the lion into a wolf, although I prefer to think of it as a happy dog. I like to think that the engraver just carved a picture of his pet.

These normally date to the second centrury BC, but the auction house I bought it from have dated it to the first century BC. It’s about 1g underweight for the other, 2nd century, examples I’ve found, so I’m assuming that 1) they know what they are doing and 2) the weight and metal content degraded over time like with all other Celtic coins.

This is one of two in the collection (see 68).