This silver drachm was produced by the Elusates, a Celtic tribe that inhabited what is now southwestern France during the century before Roman conquest. With its distinctive amalgamation of classical influences and native Celtic artistic styles, this coin illustrates the economic sophistication and unique aesthetic sensibilities of pre-Roman Gallic society during its final independent century.
Coin Description:
Front side: Disjointed or abstracted human head facing left, rendered in the distinctive Celtic style that favored expressive, non-realistic representation
Back side: Stylized Pegasus (winged horse) facing left, showing clear Greek influence but reinterpreted through Celtic artistic traditions
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Denomination: Drachm (based on Greek weight standards)
Weight: 3.13 grams
Reference numbers: De La Tour 3587, British Museum Celtic 113
Minted around 150 BC
Condition depends on specific example
Historical Significance: The Elusates were one of many Celtic tribes that inhabited Gaul (modern France) before Roman conquest, occupying territory in what is now the Gers department in southwestern France. Their coinage demonstrates the extensive trade networks and cultural exchanges that connected Celtic peoples to the wider Mediterranean world. The obverse's "disjointed" human head displays the characteristic Celtic preference for abstraction and spiritual symbolism over realistic portraiture. Meanwhile, the reverse's Pegasus design clearly shows Greek influence, likely inspired by coins from Greek colonies like Massalia (modern Marseille) or Emporion (in Spain). This blending of indigenous artistic traditions with classical influences typifies the vibrant cross-cultural exchange of pre-Roman Europe. Produced approximately a century before Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul (58-50 BC), this coin represents the independent cultural and economic systems that would be dramatically transformed by Roman imperial expansion in the following decades.
This silver drachm was produced by the Elusates, a Celtic tribe that inhabited what is now southwestern France during the century before Roman conquest. With its distinctive amalgamation of classical influences and native Celtic artistic styles, this coin illustrates the economic sophistication and unique aesthetic sensibilities of pre-Roman Gallic society during its final independent century.
Coin Description:
Front side: Disjointed or abstracted human head facing left, rendered in the distinctive Celtic style that favored expressive, non-realistic representation
Back side: Stylized Pegasus (winged horse) facing left, showing clear Greek influence but reinterpreted through Celtic artistic traditions
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Denomination: Drachm (based on Greek weight standards)
Weight: 3.13 grams
Reference numbers: De La Tour 3587, British Museum Celtic 113
Minted around 150 BC
Condition depends on specific example
Historical Significance: The Elusates were one of many Celtic tribes that inhabited Gaul (modern France) before Roman conquest, occupying territory in what is now the Gers department in southwestern France. Their coinage demonstrates the extensive trade networks and cultural exchanges that connected Celtic peoples to the wider Mediterranean world. The obverse's "disjointed" human head displays the characteristic Celtic preference for abstraction and spiritual symbolism over realistic portraiture. Meanwhile, the reverse's Pegasus design clearly shows Greek influence, likely inspired by coins from Greek colonies like Massalia (modern Marseille) or Emporion (in Spain). This blending of indigenous artistic traditions with classical influences typifies the vibrant cross-cultural exchange of pre-Roman Europe. Produced approximately a century before Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul (58-50 BC), this coin represents the independent cultural and economic systems that would be dramatically transformed by Roman imperial expansion in the following decades.
