GAUL. Massalia. Circa 500-470 BC. Hemiobol (Silver, 7.2 mm, 0.48 g). Female (?) head to right, wearing a simple helmet or cap ornamented with pearls in a wing-shaped (?) outline. Rev. Irregular incuse square of swastika-form. F/Py OBA-O. Nicely toned. Nearly extremely fine.

From the Montecristo Collection, acquired from Leu Numismatics, Zürich, in 1996.

What is interesting about this coin, and somewhat unusual and unexpected, is the long hair falling down the back of the woman on the obverse. Normally, on coins similar to this one (as F/Py OBA-F) we see a female head wearing a large, circular earring and a close-fitting helmet or bonnet with a line of pearl ornamentation: the back of the neck is free from locks of hair. Here the head has long hair falling down the back of the neck, a helmet or bonnet (cap) with a wing-shaped ornament and no earring. So who is it?