| Back to Coins Derived from Philip II of Macedon Tetradrachms | This page is part of the article Getting Started with Celtic Coins | Forward to The Celts From North Central Europe |
Alexander III (the Great) tetradrachms were the defacto currency of the time and were so popular that they were minted for three centuries after his death. The Celts in Moesia (and northwards) were amongst those who kept minting the coins, but in their usual fashion, they didn’t feel constrained by the art work.
The coins show Herakles wearing a lion skin on the obverse, and Zeus, holding a staff and an eagle, sitting on a chair on the reverse. Both tetradrachms and drachms were produced by the Celts. Copies of the tetradrachms appear to stop at the end of the second century BC, with drachms continuing into the first century BC.
When searching for these coins, look for imitations of both Alexander III and Philip III. Phillip was Alexander’s half brother, and copied Alexander’s coins after his death. Many then copied Philip’s copies. The only difference between their coins was the legend. Alexander’s had ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ on them, and Philip’s had ΦIΛIΠΠOY. This can make it tricky to assign Celtic imitations to one of these rulers, because the legends are frequently blundered or omitted. As a very general rule, if the Celtic coin has “Π” characters, or letters formed from side-by-side “I” shapes it was probably copied from Philip III. Herakles on the Philip imitations tend to have an elongated nose. If you’re still not sure, it’s probably a copy of a Philip III coin, because these are the most common.
Tetradrachms
Copies of Alexander
Copies of Philip
Drachms
Copies of Alexander
Copies of Philip
Further Reading
- Alexander the Great Nonclassical Copies
- BIRTH OF THE ICON – The Development of Celtic Abstract/Iconic Art in Thrace (3-1 c. BC)
- “Catalogue of Celtic Coins in the British Museum. Silver Coins of the East Celts and Balkan Peoples. Volume I” by Derek Allen
- “Münzprägung der Ostkelten und Ihrer Nachbarn” by Karl Pink
- “Ostkeltischer Typen Atlas” by Robert Göbl
- “Kelten im Osten. Gold und Silber der Kelten in Mittel und Osteuropa. Sammlung Lanz” by Michaela Kostial
- “Les imitations des monnaies d'Alexandre le Grand et de Thasos” by Ivo Lukanc
Article Navigation
| Back to Coins Derived from Philip II of Macedon Tetradrachms | Up to The Eastern Celts | Forward to The Celts From North Central Europe |
