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Tetradrachm Apollokopf-Dickschrötling Type
| Issuer | Uncertain Eastern European Celts |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 201 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 13.67 g |
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| Obverse description | Facing laureate head of Apollo rendered in a boldly stylised Celtic interpretation of the Greek prototype, occupying virtually the entire flan. The face is depicted frontally with large, deeply modelled almond-shaped eyes, a broad flattened nose, and slightly parted lips; long wavy hair falls symmetrically to either side of the face in thick, plastically rendered tresses. A laurel wreath is indicated across the crown of the head. The treatment is characteristic of the Celtic 'Dickschrötling' (thick flan) tradition, with high relief and an abstracted, almost mask-like aesthetic derived ultimately from Macedonian tetradrachm prototypes. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Celtic coinage of this class derives ultimately from the Macedonian tetradrachms of Philip II, absorbed into Celtic visual culture following the massive influx of Greek coinage into central and eastern Europe through mercenary payments and trade during the 4th century BC. What began as faithful imitation progressively abstracted over successive generations of die-cutters working outside any centralized monetary authority, producing the highly stylized results characteristic of this group. The "Dickschrötling" designation — thick flan — distinguishes this striking technique from contemporary thin-flan Celtic issues, a deliberate production choice rather than an accident of the dies.