Mac Congail
An extremely rare artifact connected with the production of ancient coins has recently been published from the Russe area of northeastern Bulgaria. The bronze matrix has a cone-shaped end, while the the other is cylindrical. Its is 32 mm. long, and on the circular base of the cylindrical section, that has a 22 mm diameter, the stylized (Celticized) head of Zeus, right, is presented (Fig.1).
The Mother-Matrix for the production of Celtic “Sattelkopfpferd” tetradrachms from Russe, northeastern Bulgaria (late 2nd / early 1st c. BC)
(After Draganov D. (2007) A Matrix for Producing Obverse Coin Dies for Imitations of the ‘Sattelkopfpferd’ (Virteju-Bukuresti) Type. In: Proceedings of the conference “The world of Getae” (20-21 September 2007, Ruse)
The same image is found on the obverse of a type of Celtic silver imitations of the popular tetradrachms of Philip II of the type “Head of Zeus/ horseman”, known as the “Sattelkopfpferd” type (Fig. 2), which have been securely dated to the end of 2nd – first decades of the 1st c. BC. This type of Celtic coin is among the most widespread in the Lower Danube region, and thousands of examples are known from hoards and single finds. The coins were struck of low standard silver alloy. They are 21-23 mm in diameter and weigh between 6 and 8 grams, and are referenced as tetradrachms or didrachms.
Most of the hoards (ca. 20) of these Celtic coins have been found in Romania and therefore it was previously considered that they had been struck there. The number of hoards in the line of Giurgiu – Bucurest- Carpathians is especially numerous (Draganov op. cit).
Celtic material from this stretch of the Bulgarian Danube, such as the Celtic ceramic production complex at Krivina (see ‘New Celtic Material from Bulgaria 1’ article), and hoards of Celtic coins from the villages of Ostritza, Sredna Kula, Mechka, Russe, Pirgovo, Nikolovo, and Slivo Pole in the Rousse region (see numismatics section, particularly section 1) where the mother-matrix was found, on this short stretch of the Danube clearly indicate that this was an important centre of trade for the Celtic culture which inhabited the area of northeastern Bulgaria in the late Iron Age. Particularly interesting are large hoards of Celtic coins (Philip II and Philip III models) and associated ceramic found at the village of Pirgovo in 1910, 1938, 1978, and 1995 (Draganov op cit.; see also Numismatics section 1-3), which also included Celtic silver tetradrachmas of the Sattelkopfpferd type (Fig. 2). The modern village of Pirgovo is on the location of the Celtic settlement of Mediolana (Not. Dign., XL, 21 (Mediolana); Falileyev 2009: 282; see also ‘Celtic Settlements in Northern Bulgaria’ article).
Celtic tetradrachms of the Sattelkopfpferd type from Pirgovo/Mediolana, Russe Region (from the 1978 hoard), Northeastern Bulgaria
(After Draganov op. cit)
All of the finds of this particular type of Sattelkopfpferd Celtic coin in Bulgaria have been located in the north-east of the country: from Russe (1939), Slivo Pole (1967), Nikolovo (1955), Sredna Kula (1965), Pirgovo/Mediolana – 4 hoards: 1910, 1938 (a large hoard of 87 specimens), 1978 (another large hoard of 395 specimens) and the latest find in 1995, as well as from Hursovo in the Razgrad region (1966), and the fact that the matrix (fig. 1) was also found in that region, indicates that this type of Celtic coin was produced not only in the region of Virteju-Bucuresti of Romania, as was generally thought, but also south of the Danube by the Celts in the Russe region.
THE MOTHER-MATRIX
The ‘matrix’ itself is particularly fascinating because of the fact that its image is positive, i.e. protuberant. This means that it could not be used for striking coins, because the obverse image would appear in negative. Therefore, it had another, more special application. This is actually the mother-coin used to produce casting-moulds, i.e. this is, in effect, a ‘matrix for matrixes’. Such a specimen would have been used to produce the necessary number of (probably clay) casting- moulds to be used for the production of thousands of coins of this type, which explains the massive amount of this type of Celtic coins found in Bulgaria (on the technical aspect of this process see comment 1 below).
The fact that this mother-coin was used for the making of casting-moulds (and not coins) ranks it among the rarest numismatic finds ever discovered in this part of Europe.
Just to clarify the technical aspects of this unique object. According to further research, this is not a master die, but a ‘mother coin’. A master die is used for making working dies and working dies are used for striking coins. If the product you make is made of clay, it would not survive a single strike, so this object is not used for striking coins.
Instead, it was used as a mother coin for casting coins and indeed, you can make a virtually unlimited number of them. Casting is an ancient technique, used later both in East Asia and in the Roman empire. It produces perfectly usable coins, but with more time, more effort and the coins are more brittle. A ‘mother coin’ is used to impress the picture a number of times in a clay tablet. A mother coin for the other side is used on another tablet. The impressions are connected by a casting canal, leading to a central casting canal. The two tablets are put together forming a casting mould, which is carefully filled with molten metal. When the metal is solidified, the already dry mould is broken, the coins are broken from the casting canals, and filed to the correct weight.
Where this mother coin becomes amazing is that Roman moulds we know were made of stone. The coins were cut directly into the stone, without a mother coin and the stone would obviously not be destroyed after casting. The Celts must have used a softer material, or they wouldn’t have made the mother coin. Therefore, it is quite possible that they were using clay, like the Chinese, rather than stone like the Romans.
So it appears that the Celtic technology was more similar to the Chinese than the Romans….
(For this info. thanks to Peter at Worldofcoins.eu)
This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is a very nice one and gives indepth information. Regards.
There is another possible example of a ‘hub’ from Corent near the Clermont-Ferrand. It was originally published as a die with a coin still attached to it, but someone suggested it might rather be to make dies – can’t remember who. It was for coin type BN 3868 which is a local type, probably early first century BC.
F. Malacher and J. Collis 1992. Chronology, production, and distribution of coins in the Auvergne. In Celtic Coinage: Britain and Beyond edited by M. Mays. BAR British Series 22:189-206 (p.198).
Thanks John. The chronology of this technology is quite interesting.