Watch List notes:

Celtic Coinage, Germania, attributed to the Vindelici (in Bavaria), gold stater, 1st century BC, coiled serpent (Konvex Rolltier) enclosing three uncertain objects, rev., six pellets, the letter T and a star within open Celtic torc, 8.10g, die axis 12.00, very fine and of the highest rarity. This coin published: Edgar Wendling, Euroatlas des monnaies celtes, pl. 240, 4693. Other references: Lambert, p. 78 and plate 4, no. 19 = Brenet and Scheers 1183, ­same dies – illustrating the example in Lyon; cf. Kellner H-J, Bemerkungen zur Situation der Forschung, in Passauer Jahrbuch 26 (1984), 1999, type IA, pl. 2, 1-5 var. Provenance: The Bru Sale, Auction 3, Brussels, 6 May 2011, lot 26. Note: This unusual coin is from the series of cup-shaped gold staters known as regenbogenschlüsselchen or "rainbow cups", the name referring to the old belief that gold is to be found at the end of the rainbow. The present coin is an important and extremely rare variant (first recorded in 1864 by Lambert, op.cit.) in displaying the three uncertain objects (which might represent some sort of treasure within the coiled serpent on the obverse (mythologically serpents used to guard buried treasure). Wendling recorded 4 examples including the present piece (nos. 4690-4693 but it seems that 4690 and 4691 are the same coin). The letter T and the star on the reverse seem not to be otherwise known for this series of gold coins. Its weight of 8.10g is high for Kellner type I where the normal weight is around 7.50g but is on a par with the Glatte Schlüssel ("empty cup") type – as Kellner type V. Kellner's Die Münzfunde von Manching und die Keltischen Fundmünzen aus Sudbayern, Die Ausgrabungen in Manching (Stuffgart 1990) does not record such a coin. In cataloguing this piece we are very grateful for a number of helpful observations made by Michael Nick, Chris Rudd and John Sills. (5000 - 7000 GBP)