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Tetradrachm Unfaithful Legend Type
| Issuer | Uncertain Eastern European Celts |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 201 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate head of Zeus facing right, rendered in a characteristically Celtic barbaric interpretation of the Macedonian Philippic prototype. The effigy displays flowing locks of hair with schematised, pellet-like laurel wreath, prominent brow, large almond-shaped eye, and a full beard rendered in stylised wave patterns typical of Eastern European Celtic die-cutting. The portrait retains strong relief within a dotted border, with the neck truncation visible at the lower right of the field. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Celtic coinage in the Balkans and Carpathian basin developed primarily through imitation of Macedonian issues, particularly the tetradrachms of Philip II and Alexander III. The "Unfaithful Legend" designation refers to a specific class of these imitations in which the original Greek inscription was copied by Celtic die-cutters who did not read Greek — the letters progressively degraded across die generations into abstract marks that retain only a visual memory of the prototype's text.
Preda's classification anchors this type within Dacian and adjacent tribal territories, though precise attribution to a single group remains unresolved.