Middle and Lower Danube Region, Tetradrachm (Imitation of the Coin of Alexander III), c. 150-100 BC

The Celts did not leave written records. Therefore, the early mentions of Greek writers and the propagandistic reports of the Romans provide our only account on Celtic history – besides the archaeological evidences of which the coins are the most important. The earliest Celtic coins are difficult to date, as most of them were found isolated, without any associated finds.

The first Celtic coins were probably minted in the early 3rd century BC. The Celts modeled their coins after the coins of the Macedonian kings and their successors, the Diadochi. The first coins to be copied were the tetradrachms and staters of Philip II (359-336 BC) and his son Alexander the Great (336-323 BC). The example for the tetradrachm shown here was a coin of Alexander.

Some of the Celtic imitations are so skillfully copied that it is believed that their coinage occurred during the lifetime or shortly after the death of the respective Macedonian ruler. The later an imitation was made, however, the more abstract the copy became. Late Celtic imitations often show very little reference to their archetypes; their styling and ornamenting are typically Celtic.

This coin is an early example, however. It was minted during the 2nd century BC. Its obverse shows Heracles wearing the skin of a lion over his head. Already a little stylized is the depiction on the coin's reverse: god Zeus with a scepter and an eagle.