Saxony’s oldest coin discovered near Leipzig – History Blog

Metal detectors have discovered a 2,200-year-old Celtic gold coin near Leipzig, the oldest coin found in Saxony. It is one of only 11 Celtic coins found in Saxony, one of which has been lost. Of the remaining ten, only one was gold and polished, unlike this one, which was in like-new condition.

The coin was discovered in July by metal detector Daniel Feist. He is certified by the Saxon Archeology Office (LfA) to scan archaeological material and, once any material is discovered, he will hand it over to cultural heritage authorities. State Archaeologist Dr. Regina Smolnik examined it and determined it was a quarter from the Celtic settlement of Bohemia.

It is half the diameter of a penny and weighs just two grams. Also known as rainbow cup coins, quarters are dome-shaped and legend has it that these coins fall from the sky at the end of a rainbow. It is incredibly pure, consisting of 99% gold, and is in near-mint condition. Its history dates back to the 3rd century BC

The obverse depicts a stylized animal head facing forward with a long snout, horns and a large forehead bulge with eyes on either side. The reverse side of the coin has an open round shape, widened at both ends: a ring with flared terminals. There is a five-pointed star with a rounded point within the ring, and a sphere in the center of the base of the star above the end of the ring. The tork was a powerful talisman and symbol of nobility in Celtic society. They were also used as artistic motifs and appeared on gold and silver coins of five denominations minted in Bohemia from the late 3rd century BC

The gold quarter is extremely rare and was minted only during the early stages of Celtic coin production in northern Bohemia. They were soon replaced by the 1/3 stadts fed by the high value Baltic amber trade. Of the few Bohemian gold coin types known, only a few examples exist.

State archaeologist Regina Smolnik said: “Celtic coins are rare in Saxony. Although Saxony lies outside the area of ​​Celtic settlement, this valuable new discovery is further evidence that there were regular contacts and connections. Although we refer to this object as a ‘coin’, it can be argued that this almost new new find would have been difficult to circulate in the economic sense of coins. Instead, it may have been a status symbol or store of value for the upper classes who had trading relations with the Celts.”

The coin will be transferred to the LfA Museum in Chemnitz and put on public display.