Aeduii, Quinarius, silver, reign 80–50 BC, minted 80–50 BC

Aeduii, Quinarius, silver, reign 80–50 BC, minted 80–50 BC, weight c. 2.10 g, diameter 15 mm. Obverse: Celticized head of Roma facing left; no legend, anepigraphic field. Reverse: horse galloping left; several circlets placed in the surrounding field; no legend. Strike: hammered, typically on a small, slightly irregular flan with moderate off-centre alignment. Toning: light to medium grey with scattered golden iridescence on the highest points. References: Depeyrot & Tache 3189; Scheers Les Monnaies 556. Struck by the Aeduii tribe in central Gaul between 80 and 50 BC, this silver quinarius reflects local adaptation of Roman iconography during the late Iron Age. The choice of the Roma head and the denomination copied Roman prototypes, indicating commercial and cultural interaction with Italy while asserting tribal autonomy through stylised execution. Such coins circulated within and beyond Aeduan territory, facilitating trade and payment to mercenaries in the period preceding Caesar’s Gallic campaigns. Their production illustrates the gradual monetisation of Celtic society and the political importance of the Aeduii, who maintained early alliances with Rome before the wider conflict of the Gallic War.