Coinage

During the La Tène period, coinage technology began to develop in Central Europe as an important part of Celtic culture. The Celts drew inspiration from Mediterranean civilizations, particularly the Greeks and later the Romans, whose coins they imitated. The first Celtic coins were minted from precious metals, especially gold and silver, but alloys such as electrum gradually appeared as well. Production began with melting metal in ceramic or bronze crucibles, after which the metal was poured into molds to create blanks – round gold or silver discs. These were then manually worked and minted either hot or cold using dies that contained relief motifs. These motifs often included stylized heads, animals, or geometric patterns and had not only aesthetic but also symbolic significance. Coinage served not only for trade but also as an expression of power and prestige, with coins potentially functioning as ritual gifts or symbols of loyalty to a chieftain or tribe.