Tetradrachm Ringellocke Type

The "Ringellocke" types — named for the tight ringlet curls abstracted from the hair of the original Macedonian prototype — represent a stage in Celtic coin evolution where the Alexandrine or Lysimachan tetradrachm had been copied so many generations removed from the source that the design became nearly unrecognizable, yet internally consistent within its own local tradition. These eastern Celtic issues circulated across a broad swathe of the middle Danube region, passing through tribal networks rather than any centralized issuing authority. The Kostial and Göbl references place this specific die pairing within a tightly clustered typological group, suggesting a single workshop or short-lived production episode rather than a prolonged mint run.