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This Tasciovanos
gold stater shows a
British cavalryman
galloping into
battle. This
excellent example,
with its razor-sharp
reverse, clearly
shows that the rider
is wearing a
wide-brimmed
helmet, that he
carries a short
sword in his right
hand and a large
elliptical shield in
his left hand, seen
here behind the
horse's tail. The
bridle rein is also
clearly delineated.
Though struck on a
short flan, this has
to be one of the
nicest displays of
an iron age horseman
in action that we've
seen. But that's by
no means the most
unusual feature of
this lovely gold
coin. When we look
closely at the
king's abbreviated
name and regal title
we see that the
legend reads TASCI
RICO instead of the
expected TASCIO
RICON - in other
words, the
inscription is
noticeably shorter
than usual. Only two
other specimens are
recorded from this
exceedingly rare
pair of dies. For
those interested in
the rarest gold
staters, this is a
'must have'.
Chris Rudd March
list.
4.2.08 |
