Coins from Insubri

Coinage appeared in Gaul in the 6th century BC in the Greek colony of Massalia. Gradually, coinage spread among the peoples bordering the Rhone Valley. The typically Gallic coin made its appearance in the 4th century BC but remains relatively rare, not having been minted in very large numbers, and its identification is also often difficult. Each Gallic people was independent from the point of view of coinage, some more productive than others. The coins of the various peoples thus have very different styles, from the most rustic to the most elaborate, but are related to the style of Celtic art: they represent animals, stylized humans, geometric shapes and are most often anepigraphic. But under the influence of trade and mercenarism with the Greeks, many coins also copied Greek types, notably Philip II of Macedon. The coins inspired by these Staters take up Philip's profile and the original quadriga, whose stylization gradually evolves. The initial legend, misunderstood by Gallic engravers, sometimes turns into a geometric pattern and often ends up disappearing. Peoples with gold mines, such as the Arverni, strike Staters that are a means of asserting their sovereignty and power. The Roman conquest from the 2nd century BC (Narbonensis and Cisalpine first, then Celtica, Aquitania, Belgica and Armorica in the 1st century BC) is followed by a coinage evolution: Latin letters gradually replace Greek letters and we see the heads of gods or goddesses or eagles that appear. Local types disappeared in the 1st century AD, with Roman domination.
Wikidata: Q1097266

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Heavy Drachm
(225 BC - 175 BC)

Standard circulation coin
Silver • 3.49 g • ⌀ 16 mm
N# 194652

The Numista referee for coins of this issuer is Compendium.

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