Rainer Kretz, who knows more about the coins of King Tasciovanos than any man alive and who has probably seen more than anyone else, says: "This is a sensational specimen of a highly prized Celtic stater." What makes this gorgeous golden coin particularly attractive (apart from its extremely fine condition) is the well concealed secret it contains. It is not something that the engraver would wish us to discuss publicly, but on the assumption that he is not currently scanning our website - though you can never be sure with these cunning shape-shifting Celts - we'll let you in on his 2000-year-old boo-boo. When he was originally engraving the kings's name he cut it as TASOIO. At some point during that day - or when the mintmaster struck the first batch of staters from these dies - someone noticed the error and the obverse die had to be re-cut, replacing the first letter O with the letter C. This was done so carefully, so craftily, that the king himself may never have spotted his engraver's mistake. Needless to say (but we'll say it nonetheless) this is an extremely rare variant, with only two other specimens known. Chris Rudd November List.                                                                                                       7.11.05