Obol Karlsteiner Art Type

Noricum occupied the alpine territory roughly corresponding to modern Austria, and its silver coinage was struck by a Celtic tribal confederation that maintained sophisticated metallurgical traditions well before Roman annexation in 15 BC. The Karlsteiner type takes its name from Karlstein an der Thaya, the region where a significant concentration of finds has been recorded. These tiny fractional pieces circulated alongside larger Tetradrachms in a regional economy that supplied iron — among the finest in the ancient world — to both Roman and Celtic markets.