The Mysterious World of Celtic Coins
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The Mysterious World of Celtic Coins Coins were developed about 650 BC on the western coast of modern Turkey. From there, they quickly spread to the east and the west, and toward the end of the 5th century BC coins reached the Celtic tribes living in central Europe. Initially these tribes did not have much use for the new medium of exchange. They lived self-sufficient and produced everything needed for living themselves. The few things not producible on their homesteads were bartered with itinerant traders. The employ of money, especially of small change, is related to urban culture, where most of the inhabitants earn their living through trade or services. Only people not cultivating their own crop, grapes or flax, but buying bread at the bakery, wine at the tavern and garments at the dressmaker do need money. Because by means of money, work can directly be converted into goods or services. The Celts in central Europe presumably began using money in the course of the 4th century BC, and sometime during the 3rd century BC they started to mint their own coins. In the beginning the Celtic coins were mere imitations of Greek, later also of Roman coins. Soon, however, the Celts started to redesign the original motifs. The initial images were stylized and ornamentalized to such an extent, that the original coins are often hardly recognizable. 1 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC) in the Name of Philip II, Stater, c. 324 BC, Colophon Denomination: Stater Mint Authority: King Alexander III of Macedon Mint: Colophon Year of Issue: -324 Weight (g): 8.6 Diameter (mm): 19.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation Through decades of warfare, King Philip II had turned Macedon into the leading power of the Greek world. In the summer of 336 BC he was assassinated, however, and succeeded by his son Alexander, who would later be known as "the Great." This coin was minted one year before Alexander's death. It bears a beautiful image of Apollo. The coin is a so-called Philip's stater, as Alexander's father Philip had already issued them for diplomatic purposes (bribery thus) and for the pay of his mercenaries. These mercenaries, among them many Celts from northern and central Europe, later brought the Philip's staters into circulation in their homelands. The coins became so popular that they were minted long after Philip's death – not only by his son Alexander and his successors, but also by diverse Celtic tribes. 2 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Upper Rhine, Helvetii, Stater (Imitation of the Philip's Stater), 3th or 2rd Century BC Denomination: Stater Mint Authority: Tribe of the Helvetii Mint: Undefined Year of Issue: -300 Weight (g): 8.27 Diameter (mm): 17.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation This gold coin is a Celtic imitation of the golden staters of the Macedonian King Philip II. It was minted by the tribe of the Helvetii, who settled in the area of present-day Switzerland and southern Germany. The head of the Greek god Apollo is still fairly close to the original. The biga (the two-horse chariot) on the reverse, however, clearly reveals the Celtic character of the coin. 3 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Gaul, Parisii, Stater (Imitation of a Philip's Stater), End of 2nd Century BC Denomination: Stater Mint Authority: Tribe of the Parisii Mint: Undefined Year of Issue: -120 Weight (g): 7.21 Diameter (mm): 22.0 Material: Gold Owner: The Celtic tribe of the Parisii lived in several well developed settlements along the shore and on the islands of the River Seine in Gaul. At the time of the arrival of the Romans, in the years 53 and 52 BC, the largest settlement of the Parisii seems to have been at today's Nanterre, 15 kilometers west of modern Paris. Like many other prosperous Celtic tribes, the Parisii minted coins of bronze, silver and gold to maintain their trade. This stater ascribed to the Parisii tribe is the pinnacle of Celtic minter's craft. It can be traced back to the staters of the Macedonian king Philip II that depicted the head of Apollo and a two-horse chariot (a biga). However, many elements of the archetype, like the second horse, the chariot, and the driver, have disappeared from the Parisii staters. Only the net floating over the horse reminds of the whip – developed from a Celtic driving spike – that was originally depicted. The stylized head of Apollo on the staters of the Parisii appears extremely modern. The hair is dissolved in plastic bodies and forms a huge mane. That is reminiscent of the Celtic fashion to wash their hair with lime so that it stood up and presented itself as a wild, frizzy hairstyle. Incidentally, the Roman republicans dismissed the strikingly colorful clothes of the Parisii as vain. Who knows if this was not already the origin of the fashion consciousness of the Parisians. 4 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Kingdom of Macedon, Philip II (359-336 BC), Tetradrachm, c. 342 BC, Pella Denomination: Tetradrachm Mint Authority: King Philip II of Macedon Mint: Pella Year of Issue: -342 Weight (g): 14.18 Diameter (mm): 26.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation This tetradrachm was struck in the late 340s BC in Pella, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. The obverse shows the head of Zeus, the reverse a young naked horseman. At that time King Philip, a great statesman, ruled over Macedon. Before Philip's time, Macedon had been relatively irrelevant compared to the Greek polities. By depicting the head of the Greek god Zeus on his tetradrachms, Philip introduced an innovation on Macedonian coins. The head was designed in Greek style, since that was in line with his political program: Philip had pan-Hellenistic plans, directed against the Persian Empire – he was intending to conquer Asia Minor and free the Greek cities under Persian rule. Being Macedonian, he could easily foresee that the Greeks would not accept him as liberator, however. In his coinage, Philip therefore emphasized the unifying aspects of Greeks and Macedonians. Besides, the coin had an impact on the Celts on the lower Danube where it was extensively imitated. 5 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Danube Region, Pannonia, Tetradrachm (Imitation of the Coin of Philip II), c. 300 BC Denomination: Tetradrachm Mint Authority: Undefined Mint: Undefined in Pannonia Year of Issue: -300 Weight (g): 17.72 Diameter (mm): 29.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation According to archaeological finds, Celtic tribes replaced or incorporated other ancient European peoples in the early 1st millennium BC already. In the course of the following generations, they mingled with these indigenous peoples. In Pannonia, where this coin was minted, the original inhabitants were Illyrians. They had been living in close contact with the Macedonian and later the Hellenist world. Hence Celtic, Illyrian, Macedonian and Greek elements are united in this coin. Archetypes were the tetradrachms of the Macedonian King Philip II, which showed Zeus on the obverse and a rider on the reverse. Here, these motifs were playfully imitated in a typical Celtic way. On the other hand, the remainders of the coin inscription are Greek. And the Illyrian influence can be found in the naturalistic reproduction of the motifs, which is far too conspicuous for genuine Celtic taste. 6 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Kingdom of Macedonia, Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC), Stater, 330-323 BC, Amphipolis Denomination: Stater Mint Authority: King Alexander III of Macedon Mint: Amphipolis Year of Issue: -330 Weight (g): 9 Diameter (mm): 19.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation This stater was issued by Alexander the Great. The obverse depicts the Greek goddess Athena wearing a Corinthian helmet, while the reverse shows a Nike, the Greek personification of victory. One of Alexander's many achievements was the establishment of a single currency in his huge realm. These "imperial coins" replaced the wide variety of local issues. Only the Romans were to achieve something like that in their empire again. 7 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Bohemia, Boii, 1/24 Stater, 3rd Century BC Denomination: 1/24 Stater Mint Authority: Tribe of the Boii Mint: Undefined Year of Issue: -250 Weight (g): 0.34 Diameter (mm): 6.0 Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation The archetype for this little coin was the gold stater of Alexander the Great, which bore the goddess Athena waering a Corinthian helmet on the obverse, while the reverse depicted Nike, the goddess of victory. According to Celtic conception of art, the obverse of this coin probably still showed the Athena with her helmet; several adaptations had turned the divine head into a little hump, however. The Nike on the reverse, on the other hand, was transformed into a warrior with a shield and a lance. 8 von 16 www.sunflower.ch Bohemia, Boii, 1/24 Stater (Athena Alkis Type), End of 3rd Century BC Denomination: 1/24 Stater Mint Authority: Tribe of the Boii Mint: Undefined Year of Issue: -300 Weight (g): Diameter (mm): Material: Gold Owner: Sunflower Foundation The smooth embossment on the obverse and the stripes and dots on the reverse of this coin are typical for the Boii. In numismatics, these coin type is called "Athena Alkis type." Its archetype was the gold stater of Alexander the Great that bore the image of Pallas Athena wearing a Corinthian helmet on the obverse. The reverse depicted Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. However, these motifs can hardly be recognized on the Celtic imitation any more. The embossment on the obverse shows Athena wearing her helmet, although the goddess is reduced to a minimum, as is typical for Celtic taste.