Tetradrachm Apollokopf-Dickschrötling Type

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.