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Obol Roma Type
| Issuer | Kingdom of Noricum |
|---|---|
| Year | 100 BC - 1 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Highly stylized and degenerate rendering of a helmeted head of Roma, reduced to a raised central boss or oval pellet set within a circular or annular frame, the whole surrounded by a border of pellets. The original portrait type is barely discernible, with the design elements abstracted to the point of near-abstraction, consistent with the Celtic die-cutting tradition of progressively schematizing Greek and Roman prototypes. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bold Winkelhaken or so-called Winckelkreuz cross, formed by four radiating arms of roughly equal length dividing the field into quadrants, each arm rendered with multiple incuse grooves creating a fluted or ribbed surface texture. A single central pellet occupies the intersection of the arms. Pellets or globular elements appear in one or more of the surrounding quadrants. The design is executed in the abstract Celtic La Tène decorative tradition, with no inscription. |
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| Additional information |
Noricum, the Celtic kingdom occupying roughly modern Austria and parts of Slovenia, maintained a sophisticated monetary economy well before Roman absorption in 15 BC. These tiny silver fractions circulated alongside the larger Tetradrachmen of the Taurisci and related tribes, serving local exchange in a region the Romans already valued intensely for its exceptional iron — Noric steel was considered the finest in the ancient world and was actively sought by Roman armories.
Kostial 220 places this type within a broad cent-long production window, which reflects genuine difficulty in attributing undated Celtic issues rather than continuous minting across the full period.