Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (6.2011)

RECENZJE / REYIEWS

the respective tribes, course of trade routes, uneven distribution of gold, and change-
able political situation - are some of the important factors that had impact on Celtic
coinage. Successive volumes present a regional survey of local issues associated
with given tribes or major economic hubs, starting from the Mediterranean shores,
moving then upward to the central parts and northem reaches of Gaul. Respective
regional volumes have a similar layout: an introduction outlining the subject of the
volume and often notes on chronology, economy, and social life precedes the catalog
proper which lists a succession of types and pieces coming from museum collec-
tions as well as auctions etc. The listing provides a short characteristic of each issue,
metric data, and circulation of coins being described. Some special issues are given
a morę comprehensive treatment. Bibliographic data are not grouped at the end but
rather listed at respective items. The last volume will include a summary or regional
approaches and a synthesis of the entire Celtic coinage.

Volume I lays out the concept of the publication and a brief characteristic of
Gaulish coinage. In this context, mention is madę of Arvemian political dominance
as reflected in numismatic materiał. Depeyrot points out that issues should be as-
sociated not so much with respective tribes but rather with their leaders: their status,
aspirations, current political and economic realities, and rełigious considerations.
Not unimportant were inter-tribe contacts which probably also had a rełigious as-
pect. The bookfs main body presents Celtic issues from the eastem part of Narbonne
Gaul, i.e., the area between Antibes, Lyon, and Perpignan. The area displays elear
influences from Marseilles and then Romę. The western part of this area, Languedoc
(Languedoc-Roussillon department today) fell under Iberian influence. At an early
stage, coinage in this area is seen to have borrowed from powerful neighboring is-
suers (e.g. Marseilles), before gradually developing local types. Variety in pattems
is reflected in the use of Greek, Latin, and Iberian legends. Coinage in this part of
Gaul was heavily affected by historical events. The catalog traces what changes
madę themselves felt in the area caused by Arvemian and Allobrogian attacks on
Marseilles about 125 BC, by Roman colonization, by struggles with the Germanie
Cymbrians and Teutons in the last decade of the second century BC. Further histori-
cal developments, such as Pompeius’ actions, were also echoed in the dynamics of
the region’s coinage. The catalog includes issues of the eastem part of Narbonne
Gaul, pieces from around Marseilles, potin coins, Allobrogian denarius series, finds
associated with Lyon and Ayignon areas, the coinage of Arecomices, and materiał
from Languedoc and Roussillon. The work concludes with and index of legends in
Greek and Latin, written in the Iberian alphabet, and a list of symbols from “cross
pieces”. Also shown are variants of iconographic depictions. As an important ad-
dition, selected types are synchronized with those introduced by Henri de La Tour,
Atlas des monnaies gauloises, Paris, 1892.