Project Description

Celtic coins began as stylistic copies of Greek coins. As coinage moved throughout the rest of Gaul from Greek outposts on the Mediterranean, the styles abstracted to fit the current Celtic aesthetic. The Gauls were Celtic groups living in France before Roman conquest, and had social and governmental systems in place that were just as complex as Roman and Greek models. Gaulish government took its most basic form in the clan. These clans had leaders similar to a Roman caesar, but had councils of elders that would keep the main leader in check. Often these clans made alliances with other clans, but very little unity occurred in Gaul except under extreme duress. The Roman invasion of Gaul was one of these times. During the Roman invasion of Gaul many coins were minted in order to pay for military equipment. After Roman conquest however, Gaulish coins were not immediately replaced and continued circulating in the area for slightly less than a century as Rome increased its hoard.

-Constantine Botimer, Class of 2019

Object Details

Gaulish
2nd C. BCE
110.C.38
2.2 cm
Bronze
Gift of Joe Bush, 1989