AR tetradrachm of Gallic chief Kavaros in Thrace (225-218 BC), Tylis Kingdom

Description

Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; in left field, small figure of Artemis Phosphoros standing facing. 27mm, 16.64 grams. Kybele mint. Draganov 874-83; Price 882. SKU X7052-T313-Q154-36524
The Gallic chieftain Kavaros was the sole Gallic king of Thrace to strike coinage. Kabyle was his captial, and the presence of its badge, Artemis Phosphoros, on his coins confirms that they were minted there. Price also noted that the obverse die used for all Kavaros' coins was used to strike tetradrachms in the name of Alexander at Kabyle (Price 882). Kavaros was killed during a Thracian revolt against the Gauls circa 218 BC.
Kavaros (or Cavarus) was the last Celtic King of Tylis. Tylis or Tyle was a capital of a short-lived Balkan state mentioned by Polybius that was founded by Celts led by Comontorios in the 3rd century BC, after their invasion of Thrace and Greece in 279 BC the Gauls were defeated by Antigonus II Gonatas in the Battle of Lysimachia in 277 BC after which they turned inland to Thrace and founded their kingdom at Tylis. It was located near the eastern edge of the Haemus (Balkan) Mountains in what is now eastern Bulgaria. The bands of Celts that did not settle in Thrace, crossed into Asia Minor to become known as the Galatians. The city of Tylis was eventually destroyed by the Thracians in 212 BC. The modern Bulgarian village of Tulovo in Stara Zagora Province now occupies the site.
Unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic.