NORTHWEST GAUL. Osismii. Late 2nd to mid 1st century BC. Stater (Electrum, 24 mm, 6.52 g, 2 h), "au taureau enseigne" type. Celticized head to left, the hair in three long plaits, curled at the ends. Rev. Man-headed horse galloping to the left; an X before, a bird above, and a bull standing right below. DT 2223. LT 6578. Extremely rare and of great interest. The usual areas of weakness, otherwise, very fine.



The Osismii inhabited the region around Brest, at the far western tip of the Breton Peninsula in Gaul. The first known account of them comes from the renowned Massaliote explorer Pytheas. During his northern expedition in the late 4th century BCE - which would ultimately lead to the first circumnavigation of Britain - he passed by Brittany and recorded the Osismii, who were then known as the Ostimii. The name likely originates from the Celtic Ostim(i)os, meaning 'the farthest' or 'the extreme'. It thus aptly describes these mainland Celts who settled at the western 'end of the world'.