S5006936 (2)

of desmictioD of a Ute La Tenc stonc structure in thc opptdum at Braiislava.^u Thn coin prohahh «i$ struck from debased stKtn^J5 its utight is a morę 038 g. diamctcr 0.7 cm. Taking into considcration thc style of thc rercrse (thc oUcrse is blank, ezcept for traoes of n^itńc rcprcscntation from thc rcversc face), in «-hich aro scen two arcs and diagonai ribs. thcrc is no doubt that this is a Boii coin. In tcrms of mctrołogy (obol? hemiobol?) this piece does not fit too wll thc coherent vicw of thc coinage system of thc BoiL Homcrcr it suggests that thc model for thc coin finds from Janków discused herc may harc bccn one of thc issues of thc Great Boii from thc arca of Pannonia. The presence of additional details which scrrcd as a basis for disiingui&hing thc variaati presented eariier most pcobabh would be special fcatures of local character. Additional rihs dercłoped presumabły duc to errors madę when engraving thc rcprescnlatioai on thc che (thc diagonai feature next to thc arc at kft) or sonie of its faults (rcrtical rib next to thc pełłet) which were rcproduced deliberateły on latcr coins. And so, the eztensaon of thc motif of thc upper rib at left. scen on specimens nos. 4 and 13. couid harc deteriorated into a pointy diagonai motif scen on the rercrse of variant 4. The oniy accuratc analogi' to thc type described herc is a coin discorcred in a ccmetety of tbc Wielbark cułture at Leśno, distr. Chojnice.⁵* Intcrpreted incorrectly as an import from thc region of Bratisla>a.^r it is actually a product of the same worlcshop as the anałoęous finds from Janków.³⁸

The otwses of the coins under disenssion are less varied than the rercrses and can be grouped within duce variants:

A.    blank, or with smali, poorły defined irregularities (specimens nos. 3. 5)

B.    with a boss and drcular projections — smali bulges. which correspond to bkms aefaninistered with a sharp tool to the surface of the die (specimens nos. 4,8,11)

C with a symmetrkal representation comprising rectangular concavides at cenne berween designs resembłing rectangłes open towards the coin edge with bulges within. This representation occupies the lower part of the obrcrse and is at right aogłes to tbc axis of the rercrse (specimens nos. 6. 7,9, 13. 14)

Rercrses of Variants A and B harc tbeir counterparts among the issues of the Greń BoiL⁹ but the introduedon of drcular projeerions which appear next to the pdkfi the putatirc peflet there is a gnali arc. Just as on other specimens of this variant. The eon in quudoo was esamined by M. Rudnicki in person.

³⁴    A Yallaśek. E. Kolnikoca. o.c.

³⁵    Such was the ambon' sumńse. with the resenratkm that this concłusion is not obrms ai all as the colom of the ałloy is “coppery. muddy-yeUaw". and the find was not subjected to metaBographic anałysis.

*^v W a lenta, ac, pp. 174-175. Pi. 1:2; A. Mikołajczyk. K. Walenia. 'Monet* celtycka odkryta na cmentarzysku kurhanowym w Leśnie na Pomorzu*. Proce i Ma:trok Muzeum Arcteolapcznego i Emogrmfiorego w Łodzi Seria numizmatyczna i konsentmonta 10 (1993). pp. 27-31.

^rCf. ałso: E. Kolnikova. 'Munzfunde unddie historiseben Ereignisse im nonSkfcei Miitekkmauraum urn die Zeitwende*. Keten. Germanem Romer im Mineidonaugebiei vtm Auskiang der Laiene Zhilisanon bis zum 2 Jahrhunden (Brno-Nitra, 1995), p. 106.

* Thanks to the kindness of Dr. Walenia the coins will soon form thc subject of a separaR puhhcation by M. Rudnicki

- Paulsen. ac.. nos. 706-708; Koln lkoca. *Vypoved* nalezow..', figs. 1: 7.9.11.

(Yariant B) we musi owe to local fashion. Less dear is the origm of representadons described as Yariant C. The symmctrkal ornament is most i&dy to be a barbariscd inscription BI A BI AT which had been ahered into an ornamentał feature by otiihw who couid not understand its meaning. This is supported by the piacement of this motif. which — like thc inscription BLA BIAT on onc-eighth siaiers — is at the bodom part of the coin. at right angles to die axb of the masę. The rectangułar modf with a bulge within which fonns the part of the ornament at len. most legibłe in spedmen no. 13, rcscmbłes somewhat the angular letter B. We need to add that the insaription scen on the prototypes (as against thc obwetses of the rtwrker denommatioos) was eaecuted rather carelessh which. when stnick with insuffoent fotce, couid tura om to be rather illegible. This is demonstrated well by the obwerse of I S staters Pauisen na 709. Comparing the representations irom obwerse di es of the coins anałysed. it is oniy between specimens of Yariant C that can we look for morę far-reachmg wwiŁuiii^ With a substantial degree of probabdity we may assume that the same die. atrtn»igh differing in its degree of wear. was uscd in strikins the obwerse of specimens sos 6, 13,14. possibły ałso of nos. 7 and 9.

Taking into account the criteria of typologicai dassification we need to dassify separateły two coins which dose the list of finds from Janków Drugi. The rewerse of 1/8 stater (spccimen na 2) with a representation remmiscent of number '4' ud six horizontal ribs at right. should be deriwed from the triasgle and rays' modf. The mannerofrepresendngthetriangłe—with straight sades and a marted base—isdearh different styiistkally from the type described abowe whkh prewais among the group from the region of Kalisz. Most likeh. aha their prototypes were differenL Presumabły the rewerse of the coin in ąuestkm (na 2) was the older variant of the triangfe modf from coinage period C¹ However this moctf had beoome substandafly snfised and took on an endreły new form. On the rewerse of the coin we sec marked oniy the ribs of the right side of the triadę, but in comparison to die prototypes their number has doubled, making them one of the dominant morifs of the representation. On the other hand the diagonai modf visibłe bełow die tnangłe can be deriwed tentadweh from diagonai ribs diaracterisdc for musseł 1.3 staters (see prewious tfccusaonl In condusion we have to say that the rewerse of spedmen na 2 is an mnyk of aoeadue transfonnation of a shnple modf from anałogical denominadons known m Bohemia and Morawia. But tbere is no doubt that we ha\e here a coin minted oatsade that area. In wiew- of the unique character of this issue its prowenance can be detenmned auły in the contest of the rest of the coin finds from the group.

Not less striking is the unique one-eighth stater (na 101 In its case the styhsta: difference of the rewerse. conpared to the rest of the group. is wen prooouoced. The oniy anałogous element among Southern Boii issues is the modf of three ares seea on the rewerse whkh, theoredcally. can be deriwed from the rewerses of Pauisen as. 709-710 (period D). But this is the oniy snmłarity. The symbol at centre. a senes of pellets flanked by the ares. as well as the endre composadoa. are features disdncdwe of the workshop which defmitdy was found outskk the mam centres of BnwhMinw. h b significant at this point that. as against the rest of the coins in this group. we hawe here a representation which is not for better or wwsrse. an imnarion of an erisring proaotype.

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Cas t e I i n. oc. pp 22-24. nos. AA-V117. PL 4:51; AA-Vft IV PL4:52 AA-YH 19. PI. 4:54.