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About
Shortly after the start of Gallo-Belgic A (175 BC), the Parisii started minting a series of coins that are arguably the most beautiful Celtic coins ever made. They are certainly the most expensive. Most of the coins were minted up to the Cimbric wars (around 104 BC), but the final class was minted sometime between then and the Gallic wars (around 58 BC). The coins were mainly inspired by the very early Gallo-Belgic Aa and Ab staters, but the defining “net” above the horse was borrowed from a quarter stater of the Aulerci Eburovices. Some other small design features were also taken from their coins.
This:
Photo Copyright CGB Numismatique Paris
Plus this:
Plus this:
Photo Copyright ogn-numismatique.com
Eventually leads to this:
Photo Copyright Ira & Larry Goldberg
Understanding these coins is complex because their sizes, weights and typography don’t allow them to form a simple sequence of coins. They start in the second generation timeframe, but finish in the third generation. John Sills takes a very detailed look at these coins in “Gaulish and Early British Gold Coinage” and it’s well worth a read if you want to know more.
In summary, the Parisii started minting a series of coins that were based on the early Gallo-Belgic Aa and Ab staters. These coins are very rare – there are only one each of class 1, class 2a and class 2b – and they don’t feature the net motif that the Parisii coins are famous for. These coins are second generation coins. At the very end of the Gallo-Belgic A series, the Parisii started minting class 3 of their coins, which is where the net appears and the design standardises. Classes 3-6 are contemporary with Gallo-Belgic Ca classes 1 to 3, and the last class, class 7 was either contemporary with the end of Gallo-Belgic Ca or with Gallo-Belgic Cb. Classes 3 onwards are third generation coins.
Somewhere in class 3 the Parisii switched from using large flans to medium sized flans. For classes 5 and 6 they switched back to large flans and more flamboyant designs, and then back to medium flans and simpler designs for class 7. Class 5 also saw the opening of two more mints (mints B and C) and a second workshop at the current mint (mint A). It is thought that mint B might have been operated by the Senones in coalition with the Parisii. Mint C seems to have mainly produced quarter staters and it’s unclear who operated it. The staters produced by mint C were abstracted copies of mint B class 1 coins. The extra mints and workshop only lasted for the duration of mint A class 5.
The larger and more impressive coins, the extra output provided by the extra mints and workshop, the appearance of test cuts on many of the class 5 coins, and the fact that they are mainly found in hoards in an uncirculated state, suggest that class 5 and 6 coins were an emergency issue intended for an external group; either to pay them for services, or to pay them to go away. In 104 BC the Cimbri and Teutoni returned to northern Gaul, and these coins might have been to finance a war against them, or to pay them tribute.
The final class, class 7, returns to the size and design of class 4, but with a lower weight and purity. It’s not clear if that’s because it post dated class 6 by a long time, or because the emergency issue depleted the Parisii’s gold reserves.
The following sections show all of the Sills classes for all of the mints, but please note that the coins are not shown to scale. The size of a coin in one photo bears no relationship to any other coin.
The following standard references are given. These can be useful to search for if you want to find more of these coins yourself:
| Sills Class | The class number assigned in “Gaulish and Early British Gold Coinage” by Dr. John Sills |
| Sills | The coin number assigned in “Gaulish and Early British Gold Coinage” by Dr. John Sills |
| DT | The coin number assigned in “Nouvel Atlas des Monnaies Gauloises” by Louis-Pol Delestrée and Marcel Tache |
| CdB Class | The class number assigned in “Les Monnaies Gauloises des Parisii” by Colbert de Beaulieu |
| BN | Bibliothèque Nationale de France |
Mint A Coins
 The copyright owner wishes to remain anonymous | Sills Class 1 Sills 465 DT- CdB class – 7.76g |
 Photo Copyright Louis-Pol Delestrée and Marcel Tache | Sills Class 2a Sills 466 DT 72 CdB class – 7.6g |
 Photo Copyright Louis-Pol Delestrée and Marcel Tache | Sills Class 2b Sills 467 DT 73 CdB class – 7.79g |
 | Sills Class 3 Sills 468-469 DT 81 CdB class IV 7.36g |
 Photo Copyright Ira & Larry Goldberg | Sills Class 4a Sills 470-471 DT 79 CdB class II (partial) 7.24g |
 Photo Copyright Hess Divo AG | Sills Class 4b Sills 472 DT- CdB Class II (partial) 7.11g |
Photo Copyright Ira & Larry Goldberg | Sills Class 5a Sills 473 DT 83 CdB class V (partial) 7.03g |
 Photo Copyright Classical Numismatic Group, LLC | Sills Class 5b, Workshop 1 Sills 474-475 DT – CdB class V (partial) 6.85g |
 | Sills Class 5b, Workshop 2 (early) Sills 476 DT- CdB class V (partial) 7.04g |
 | Sills Class 5b, Workshop 2 (late) Sills 477 DT- CdB class V (partial) 6.99g |
 Photo Copyright Ira & Larry Goldberg | Sills Class 6 Sills 478 DT 84A CdB class V (partial) 6.96g |
 Photo Copyright Classical Numismatic Group, LLC | Sills Class 7a Sills 479-480 DT – CdB class VII 6.91g |
 Photo Copyright Hess Divo AG | Sills Class 7b Sills 481 DT – CdB class VII 6.96g |
Mint B Coins
 Photo Copyright Ira & Larry Goldberg | Sills Class 1a Sills 497-499 DT 76 CdB class I (partial) 7.16g |
 | Sills Class 1b Sills 500 DT 78 CdB class I (partial) 7.19g |
 The copyright owner wishes to remain anonymous | Sills Class 2a Sills 501 DT- CdB class V (partial) 6.89g |
 The copyright owner wishes to remain anonymous | Sills Class 2b Sills 502-504 (This coin is Sills 503) DT 85 CdB class VI7.13g |
Mint C Coins
Unique The copyright owner wishes to remain anonymous | Sills Class 1 Sills 508 DT- CdB BN 7816 type 7.49g |
 Photo Copyright Louis-Pol Delestrée and Marcel Tache | This coin was unknown when Sills worked on the classification Sills Class – Sills – DT S 2420A CdB – 7.55g |
Further Reading
The most detailed and up-to-date English work on these coins is “Gaulish and Early British Gold Coinage” by Dr. John Sills.
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