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Tetradrachm Wangenschnecke Type
| Issuer | Dacians of Transylvania |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 201 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse depicts a schematized horse in a prancing or galloping posture facing left, rendered in a bold, abstracted style typical of Dacian imitations of Macedonian coinage. The horse's hindquarters are prominently modeled in high relief with an exaggerated rounded rump, while the forelegs and head are rendered in a simplified, almost geometric fashion. A large globule occupies the upper left field, and fragmentary linear elements — vestigial remains of the rider or chariot motif from the Macedonian prototype — appear in the upper and lower field. The flan is irregular with a slightly uneven surface, and no inscription or legend is present, consistent with the aniconic Dacian coinage tradition. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Wangenschnecke ("cheek-spiral") type belongs to a cluster of Dacian imitative coinage derived ultimately from Macedonian tetradrachms of Philip II, filtered through successive local copying that progressively abstracted the original designs into near-unrecognizable geometric forms. Each generation of die-cutting moved further from the prototype, making the sequence a rare case where deliberate stylization — not degradation — appears to have been the goal. These coins circulated within a tribal economy that had no mint infrastructure in any administrative sense; dies were cut by craftsmen whose relationship to the original coinage was almost entirely visual rather than monetary.